Tokyo-based company, ALE, plans to launch a satellite called Sky Canvas in 2025. The purpose of the satellite is to create an artificial meteor shower that can be viewed from anywhere in the world. The project aims to give people a unique experience and an opportunity to witness a meteor shower that is created by humans.
The Sky Canvas Project
ALE’s Sky Canvas project is designed to collect atmospheric data in the mesosphere, which is the third layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. This layer is too high for weather balloons and aircraft but too low for satellites. The mesosphere lies between the thermosphere and the stratosphere, and it is a region where shooting stars can be seen. ALE hopes to reproduce the effect of natural meteor showers by using metal “shooting star” particles that are around 1 centimetre in size.
How Natural Meteor Showers Occur
A natural meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet or asteroid. Meteors are chunks of rocks and ice that are ejected from comets as they orbit the Sun. As they enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up and create a trail of light in the sky. Around 30 meteor showers that are visible to observers on Earth occur every year, and some of them have been observed for centuries. For example, the Perseids meteor shower, which usually happens every year in August, was first observed about 2,000 years ago and was recorded in Chinese annals.
The Sky Canvas Experience
ALE’s Sky Canvas project aims to recreate the experience of a natural meteor shower by using artificial shooting stars. The shooting stars will be released from a satellite, and they will travel through the mesosphere at a speed of 7 to 8 kilometers per second. As the shooting stars burn up, they will create a trail of light that will be visible from the ground. The satellite will release the shooting stars at specific times and locations to create a meteor shower that can be viewed by people all over the world.
Implications and Challenges
The Sky Canvas project has several implications for scientific research and entertainment. The artificial meteor shower can be used to study the mesosphere and its properties, such as temperature and density. The data collected from the satellite can help scientists better understand the Earth’s atmosphere and how it interacts with space. The project can also create a new form of entertainment that combines technology and nature.
However, the project also poses several challenges, such as the risk of space debris and the impact on the environment. ALE will need to address these challenges and ensure that the project is safe and sustainable.
Why In News
ALE, a Tokyo-based company, is set to launch a satellite in 2025 with the aim of giving people worldwide the unique opportunity to witness the world’s first live human-made meteor shower, as reported.
MCQs about ALE’s Sky Canvas project
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What is the purpose of ALE’s Sky Canvas project?
A. To study the Earth’s atmosphere
B. To create an artificial meteor shower
C. To launch a satellite in the mesosphere
D. To observe natural meteor showers
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What is the mesosphere?
A. The fourth layer of the Earth’s atmosphere
B. A region where shooting stars can be seen
C. A layer too low for satellites and too high for weather balloons
D. A layer where natural meteor showers occur
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How do natural meteor showers occur?
A. When the Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet or asteroid
B. When the Sun ejects chunks of rocks and ice into space
C. When the Earth enters the thermosphere
D. When the Moon orbits the Earth
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What are the implications of ALE’s Sky Canvas project?
A. Entertainment and scientific research
B. Environmental impact and space debris
C. Creating an artificial comet and studying the thermosphere
D. Creating an artificial asteroid and studying the stratosphere
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