Astronomy

Statement 1 is correct. Nicolaus Copernicus is known as the father of modern astronomy.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Galileo Galilee was the first who used the telescope to make detailed studies of heavenly bodies.

Statement 1 is correct. The unlucky APOLLO 13 lunar landing was canceled after the explosion of the oxygen tank.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Phobos and Domos are the two smallest satellites of the solar system.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Venus is also called as ‘Morning star’ because it is seen in the eastern sky before the sunrise.
Statement 2 is correct. A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky. Most meteor showers are spawned by comets.

Statement (1) is incorrect. During a calendar year, the maximum number of lunar eclipse that can occur is 4.
Statement (2) is also incorrect. The duration of a lunar eclipse is longer than that of a solar eclipse.

Statement 1 is correct. The 'diamond ring' effect occurs during the total solar eclipse. The Diamond Ring is observed as a large burst of light that appears a few seconds before and after totality.
Statement 2 is also correct. Sirius is the brightest star that appears in the night sky.

Statement 1 is correct. Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched by the Soviet Union into an elliptical low earth orbit on 4 October 1957.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The average distance between the earth and the sun is equal to one astronomical unit.
1 Astronomical unit = 92, 935, 700 miles (approx.)

Statement 1 is correct. Moon takes 28 days to complete one revolution around the Earth.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Astronomical Society of India is located in Hyderabad.

Statement 1 is correct. The International Astronomical Union or IAU acts as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies (stars, planets, asteroids, etc.) and any surface features on them.
Statement 2 is also correct. The IAU has its head office in Paris, France.

Statement 1 is correct. The group of stars forming a pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure is referred to as constellation.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Jupiter is the planet that has the highest number of moons in our solar system, i.e. 63 (till 2013)

Statement 1 is correct. The crust of Earth and Mars is mainly made up of iron and rocks.
Statement 2 is also correct. Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet dwelling in the Kuiper Belt.

Statement 1 is correct. Dark, cool areas called sunspots appear on the photosphere of the sun. They always appear in pairs and are intense magnetic fields that break through the surface of the sun.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Mercury takes more time to complete one rotation on its axis than to complete one revolution around the sun due to its nearness to the sun.

Statement 1 is correct. The asteroid belt is seen between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Venus is classified as a terrestrial planet and is sometimes called Earth's sister planet owing to their similar size, gravity and bulk composition.

Statement 1 is correct. The Milky Way shape is most likely in the form of a spiral galaxy because of its disc shape.
Statement 2 is also correct. Around a black hole, there is a defined surface called an event horizon that marks the point of no return.

Statement 1 is correct. Uranus was the first planet to be discovered by William Herschel with the help of a telescope in 1781.
Statement 2 is also correct. Chandrayaan-1 was India's first unmanned lunar probe. It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in October 2008, and operated until August 2009.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Rakesh Sharma was the first astronaut from India to go into space.
No Indian has reached the moon till now.
Statement 2 is correct. The galactic plane is inclined by about 60 degrees to the ecliptic (the plane of the Earth's orbit).