India’s Space Dominance: ‘Shiv Shakti’ Landing Site Approved by International Astronomical Union

Chandrayaan 3’s landing site, ‘Shiv Shakti’, has garnered recognition from the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature, marking a significant milestone in India’s space endeavors. The approval, bestowed exactly six months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the name for the site where the Vikram lander touched down, underscores India’s growing stature in the global space community.

However, India’s space prowess extends beyond Chandrayaan 3. Astronomers have recently uncovered two ancient streams of stars named after ‘Shakti’ and ‘Shiva’, believed to be remnants of the Milky Way Galaxy’s earliest formations. Utilizing observations from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space telescope, these structures, ‘Shakti’ and ‘Shiva’, offer insights into the galaxy’s nascent stages.

Gaia, launched in 2013, has amassed a dataset encompassing positions, motions, and distances for nearly 1.5 billion stars within our galaxy. Through meticulous analysis, astronomers have discerned that ‘Shakti’ and ‘Shiva’ likely originated from distinct galaxies that merged with the Milky Way around 12 billion years ago. Each structure comprises stars with similar chemical compositions, indicative of their ancient origins approximately 12-13 billion years ago. Notably, these structures boast a mass roughly 10 million times greater than that of our sun.

In Hindu cosmology, the union of Shiva and Shakti is credited with birthing the cosmos. The discovery and identification of ‘Shakti’ and ‘Shiva’ serve as significant contributions to understanding the Milky Way’s formative epochs. Astronomer Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, lead author of the research published in the Astrophysical Journal, emphasized the broader implications of the study in addressing fundamental questions regarding galaxy formation in the universe.

As humanity delves deeper into the cosmos, unraveling the mysteries of our celestial surroundings, India’s contributions continue to play a pivotal role in expanding our understanding of the universe’s intricate tapestry. With each milestone achieved, India solidifies its position as a frontrunner in the realm of space exploration, inspiring generations to reach for the stars.