What did Chandrayaan-3 find?
Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander went to the moon's south pole on 23rd August 2023. After this, the Pragyan rover was also released. Both have scientific tools to study the moon.
Recently, ISRO released a graph showing temperature changes between the moon's surface and various spots below the surface. They used a device called Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure this.
What does this device do?
The ChaSTE is a device that is used to measure temperature. It can go under the moon’s surface to a depth of up to 10 cm using a motor. It is fitted with ten different temperature sensors.
The device helps scientists learn the temperature of the moon’s topsoil around the south pole. This device was created by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre's Space Physics Laboratory and the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
What can the graph tell us?
The graph shows how hot or cold it is on and under the moon's surface at different depths. ChaSTE measured the temperatures during its penetration. This is the first such measurement recorded of the moon’s south pole region. ISRO’s scientists are studying the graph to learn more from it.
