• The Full Pink Moon was seen in the skies of North America. However, the moon appeared normally white and smaller than usual.
• The moon appeared to be smaller than usual because it was at its furthest point from the Earth, or apogee
• This full moon comes less than one day after reaching lunar apogee, the moon’s farthest point in its monthly orbit. It lies around 50 thousand km farther from Earth than 2016’s closest full moon.
• The Pink Moon is also called as mini-moon and micro-moon. The terms mini-moon and micro-moon originate from popular culture.
• The NASA Astronomy Photo of the Day calls the year’s smallest full moon as a micro-moon.
• The moon will be full when it is at its closest to the Earth and will be known as a Supermoon.

• Japan joined the exclusive stealth jet club with the successful test flight of its first radar-evading aircraft a prototype called the X-2.
• The prototype X-2 jet took off from Nagoya airport in central Japan.
• Japan becomes fourth country in the world to have indigenous full-size stealth combat aircraft. Other three countries viz. United States, Russia and China have successfully developed and flown manned stealth jets.

1. It is jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and 200 other firms. It was built as a successor to F-2 fighter jets developed jointly with the help of US.
2. The aircraft is widely known in Japan as Shinshin (meaning spirit of the heart), but is not officially in use and generally its code name is used.
3. The fighter jet is 14.2 metres long, 9.1 metres wide and has wingspan of 9.099 metres. It has maximum speed of mach 2.25 (2,475 Km/h) and is powered by 2 × IHI XF5-1 low-bypass turbofans.
4. It has range 2,900 km and combat range of 761 km and ferry range of 3,200 km.

• INS Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command, alongwith a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft, are participating in the 22nd Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT).
• The 22nd edition of CORPAT would bolster the already strong bilateral relationship between the two nations and contribute significantly to enhancing maritime security in the region.
• It would include participation of one warship and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft of India and Thailand with the closing ceremony being held at Port Blair.
• Maritime interaction between India and Thailand has been growing steadily with frequent port visits, participation in multilateral exercises and training exchanges.
• It was with an aim of keep the vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade. 

• NASA scientists have proposed deploying a robotic system to explore the exotic environment of the subsurface oceans of Saturn’s icy moons that may potentially harbour life.
• The proposed concept is to deploy a surface-to-subsurface robotic system, namely Icy-moon Cryovolcano Explorer (ICE), which will land on the surface of an icy moon.
• ICE involves three modules Descent Module (DM), Surface Module (SM), and AUVs.
• DM carries AUVs and descends into a vent by using a combination of roving, climbing, rappelling, and hopping, like an experienced human alpinist.
• SM stays on the surface, generates power by radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) and solar cells, and communicates with Earth.
• Once DM reaches the subsurface ocean, it launches the AUVs to explore the exotic environment that potentially harbours life.

• The Southern Command of the Indian Navy has inaugurated a naval detachment at Androth Island of the Lakshadweep archipelago
• Lakshadweep archipelago comprising of Kavarat.ti, Minicoy, Agatti and Androth islands occupy a strategic location in the Arabian Sea.
• A number of shipping lanes pass close to these islands as they provide the sea link between Asia and Europe.
• The naval detachment seeks to strengthen maritime security in and around Arabian Sea and enhance surveillance of crucial shipping lanes.
• The detachment would extend the naval presence at Androth Island, part of the Lakshadweep & Minicoy group of islands in the Arabian Sea.
• It will provide communication network connectivity with mainland, enable Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) monitoring and function as an observance and reporting post, besides radar surveillance.

• India has plan to realise GSAT-11 spacecraft for launch during the end of 2016 or first quarter of 2017.
• GSAT-11 is a first generation high throughput communication satellite with a lift-off mass of about 5600 kg, operating in Ka/Ku bands.
• At present, the indigenous capability to launch this weight class of satellite is not available.
• The test of GSAT-11 satellite is planned to be conducted from the Master Control Facility (MCF) in Hassan, Karnataka and other suitable locations of ISRO Centres.
• GSAT-11 spacecraft at a cost of Rs. 1117 crore (Rs. 11.17 billion).
• The spacecraft capability includes providing broadband connectivity to rural areas with higher bandwidth as compared to traditional communication satellites.

• China successfully launched the Kunpeng-1B sounding rocket from a launch pad in Danzhou City in the southern Chinese Hainan Province.
• Kunpeng-1B sounding rocket is research rocket for carrying measurements in the upper atmosphere and to help in high-speed flight and space tourism research.
• The head of the rocket was equipped with a new altitude control system. New materials of flexible carbon fibre were also used in the rocket to enable easier flight.
• The rocket reached a maximum height of 316 kilometres (196 miles).
• Its falling ball experiment detection has important scientific significance as it will further help to study of low latitudes in the ionosphere and in the upper atmosphere. 

• Chinese researchers have developed world’s first graphene e-paper that will catapult the material to a new level. It was developed by The Guangzhou OED Technologies in partnership with a company in Chongqing Province of China.
• Graphene is the worlds strongest and lightest known material; a single layer of graphene is only 0.335 nanometers thick, and it can conduct heat and electricity.
• Graphene e-paper is more pliable and has more intensity as compared to traditional e-papers. It has high-light transmittance means optical displays will be much brighter.
• Compared with liquid crystal displays (LCDs), e-papers are thinner, bendable and energy efficient.
• Mass production cost is much lower compared to traditional e-papers, which use the rare, expensive metal indium.

• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched India’s 7th navigation satellite IRNSS 1G of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C33 carrying IRNSS-1G (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) lifted off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• IRNSS 1G satellite is last space segment satellites of the IRNSS system. With this India joins elite group of selected nations that have their own GPS (Global Positioning System) or navigation system.

1. IRNSS 1G satellite has a lift-off mass of 1425 kg.
2. Its configuration is the same as IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F. It equipped with two types of payloads viz. navigation payload and ranging devices.
3. The navigation payload will be mainly used to transmit navigation service signals to the users.
4. The ranging payload consists of a C-band transponder that will facilitate accurate determination of the range of the satellite
5. IRNSS System consists of constellation of seven satellites of which three are geostationary and four are non-geostationary.
6. Four Geosynchronous satellites: They will be orbiting in pairs in two inclined geosynchronous orbits. When observed from the ground, these 2 pairs of satellites will appear to travel in figures of ‘8’.
7. Three Geostationary satellites: They will be placed in the geostationary orbit over the equator.
8. It would provide two types of 24/7 standard services . Restricted Service (RS): an encrypted service provided to authorised users. It will be used for military and missile-related applications. Standard Positioning Service (SPS): to all users.

• Terrestrial, Aerial and Marine Navigation
• Disaster Management
• Vehicle tracking and fleet management
• Integration with mobile phones
• Precise Timing
• Mapping and Geodetic data capture
• Terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travellers
• Visual and voice navigation for drivers. 

• Two Indian Naval Ships (INS) Veer and Nipat were decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The ships belonged to the 1241 RE class missile vessels.
• Both Ships had served under 22nd Killer Squadron and have completed 29 and 28 years of commissioned service respectively.
• The ships played a significant role as the guardian of International Maritime Borderline off west coast of India and were extensively deployed during the Operations Vijay and Parakram.
• These ships are also the first of Veer Class of ships to be decommissioned from the Indian Navy.

• Russia has successfully launched the first rocket from its newly built Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast, Russia
• The unmanned Soyuz-2.1a rocket is carrying three satellites as payloads namely Mikhailo Lomonosov (scientific satellite), SamSat-218 (an experimental nanosatellite) and Aist-2D (a civilian distance viewing satellite).
• The Vostochny spaceport, the first civilian rocket launch site on Russian territory, is intended to phase out the nation`s reliance on the Baikonur cosmodrome it leases from Kazakhstan at a cost of nearly $151 million a year.
• Presently, Russia has the large military launch facilities but it relies primarily on the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the civilian launches.  

1) Trees trade carbon among each other.

• A chance discovery in a mixed forest in Switzerland reveals that tree-to-tree interaction in forests goes beyond mere competition for resources.
• Trees in temperate forests share carbon through their root systems, with up to 40 percent of the element in finer roots coming from their neighbors trees.
• The finding may lead to better ways to protect forests or bolster the storage of soil carbon.
• Human-driven activities have been releasing vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere since industrialisation began two hundred years ago.
• Consequently, there is a lot of interest in understanding to what degree forests the largest terrestrial pool of biological carbon, are able to absorb this amount, thereby mitigating climate change.
• The scientists strongly suspect that this interaction is mediated by networks of symbiotic fungi called mycorrhiza which connect the roots of different trees. 

• S. `Kris` Gopalakrishnan, co-founder Infosys, announced the launch of itihaasa, a first-of-its-kind digital app that recounts the history of Indian IT since the 1950s.
• The app `itihaasa` is one of the largest chronicles of its kind with 600 videos featuring 44 technology stalwarts.
• The app follows the installation of the country’s first modern computer in 1955 to crystal gazing on Indian IT in 2040.
• The app contains 600 short videos, over 37 hours of footage, 350 archived photographs and articles and easy browsing with 12,000 tags.
• The app, which took about eight months to develop, will be maintained by a team sitting at IIIT-Bengaluru.
• Using the app, they can find answers to questions like when was programming first taught in India or who were the earliest IT entrepreneurs. The app will be available for free on Apple and Android phones or tablets.

• Scientists have found that resistance to a key anti-malarial drug cannot be passed on by mosquitoes, a breakthrough that could drastically improve the way we battle the disease.
• Malaria treatment significantly more effective for the 3.2 billion people at risk.
• The international research project was led by the University of Melbourne and focused on the drug atovaquone.
• Atovaquone was introduced in 2000 and is safe for pregnant women and children, so it is one of the few anti-malarials that can be used in mass administration approaches.
• Malaria parasites had developed a genetic mutation that protected them against the drug in early life, the mutation eventually killed the parasites by stopping production of an essential type of energy as they grew.
• The researchers studied a model strain of rodent malaria and a deadly strain of human malaria to confirm the resistant parasites could not be spread by mosquitoes, thereby preventing the re-infection of humans. 

4) NASA missions measure solar flare from space.

• Scientists, using NASA`s solar-watching missions, have captured the most comprehensive observations of an electromagnetic phenomenon called `current sheet (solar flares).
• The strongest solar flares can impact Earths ionosphere and interfere with our communications systems, like radio and Global Positioning System (GPS), and also disrupt onboard satellite electronics.
• Solar flares are intense bursts of light from the Sun, created when complicated magnetic fields suddenly rearrange themselves, converting magnetic energy into light through a process called magnetic reconnection.
• Current sheets form when two oppositely-aligned magnetic fields come in close contact, creating very high magnetic pressure.
• Electric current flowing through this high-pressure area is squeezed, compressing it down to a fast and thin sheet.
• Scientists want to pin down the processes that create solar flares and even some day predict them before our communications can be interrupted.

5) ISRO Scientists made world’s lightest material `Silica Aerogel`.

• Scientists from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have indigenously developed world’s lightest synthetic material called ‘silica aerogel’ or ‘blue air’.
• Silica Aerogel is the lightest synthetic material ever made by man.
• It was developed by the team of scientist from ISRO’s e Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.
• The matrix of aerogel is made up of 99 per cent air. In its present development stage it is still very fragile and brittle.
• The material is so light weight that it can be delicately placed on a flower head.
• It has an excellent thermal resistance and if it is used as filler in soldiers` uniforms it can save many lives at the Siachen glacier.
• The material can be used both in space and on Earth. Scientists also hope it can be used to insulate rocket engines. 

6) Pakistan to launch satellite to monitor China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.

• China and Pakistan have signed an agreement for the launch of a special satellite to monitor the development of the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
• The two sides agreed for the development and launch of the `Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-1) System` and in this regard launch a satellite in June 2018.
• This agreement will also transfer space technology to Pakistan as the PRSS-1 is considered as yet another flagship project between China-Pakistan after CPEC.
• The new project would also help Pakistan in national security arena by strengthening border security and surveillance apparatus.

• Researchers from the Guangzhou Medical University , Beijing in China used a gene editing technique named CRISPR/ Cas to replace the CCR5 gen modify gene e in 26 human embryos with an HIV-resistant mutation.
• The HIV resistant mutation could be introduced into early human embryos through the CRISPR system.
• Using CRISPR/ Cas9, the researchers introduced HIV-resistance into the embryos, showcasing the tremendous potential for gene-editing.
• The Chinese scientists modified a gene responsible for a fatal blood disorder, but the embryos were quickly destroyed after the experiment.
• This technology ever reach the clinical stage, it could be used to eliminate all sorts of genetic diseases.

• NASA has successfully tested a 3D printed rocket engine fuel pump with liquid methane, an ideal propellant for engines needed to power spacecraft for future journey to Mars.
• This is one of the most complex rocket parts NASA has ever tested with liquid methane, a propellant that would work well for fuelling Mars landers and other spacecraft.
• These tests along with manufacturing and testing of injectors and other rocket engine parts are paving the way for advancements in 3D printing of complex rocket engines and more efficient production of future spacecraft.
• 3D printing, made it possible to quickly design, build and test two turbopumps with identical designs that worked well with both liquid methane and liquid hydrogen propellant.
• The higher temperature of liquid methane means it boils off more slowly and thus is easier to store for longer periods, a benefit for Mars missions.

• A solar-powered airplane on a journey around the world has landed in California, completing a risky, three-day flight across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii.
• Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed the Solar Impulse 2 in Mountain View, in the Silicon Valley south of San Francisco; following a 62-hour, nonstop solo flight without fuel.
• The plane’s wings, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.
• The carbon-fiber aircraft weighs more than 5,000 pounds, or about as much as a midsize truck.
• The plane’s ideal flight speed is about 28 mph, though that can double during the day when the sun’s rays are strongest.
• The project, which began in 2002 and is estimated to cost more than $100 million, is meant to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation. 

• Private SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket contracted by NASA has successfully launched the first inflatable habitat room that will attach to the International Space Station (ISS).
• The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on schedule from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United States.
• The inflatable room has been named as Bigelow Expandable Actitvity Module (BEAM) and has been built by Nevada Company Bigelow Aerospace.
• It is powered by liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellants.
• It is made up of aluminium and soft fabric. It expands in space and is light weight and also takes minimal space. It creates place for astronauts to live and work.
• Its test is intended to pave the way towards the use of such rooms for long space trips, including to Mars and this technology could also help to create homes on Mars.

• Pakistan has test fired anti-ship surface to sea ``Zarb`` missile from the coastal areas successfully. Zarb means hit in Urdu language.
• It hit its target in the Arabian Sea after it was fired from a strategic point located at a coastal area.
• The launch of new missile system was part of Pakistan Navy`s continuous effort to enhance its capabilities.
• It is the Chinese C-602.Missile which is export version of the YJ-62.
• The C-602 is claimed to have a range of 280 kms and weighs around 300 kg. It has semi-armour-piercing warhead and GPS guidance.

• Chinese researchers have developed Graphene based all-weather solar cell that can generate electricity even during rains.
• The cell will use `wonder material` graphene.
• Solar cell coated with a very thin film of graphene was developed by a team from the Ocean University of China and Yunan Normal University.
• Graphene is a two-dimensional (2D) form of carbon in which the atoms are bonded into a honeycomb arrangement.
• In aqueous solution graphene can bind positively charged ions with its electrons. Researchers used this to obtain power from the impact of raindrops on graphene electrodes.
• At the point of contact between the grapheme and raindrop, water becomes enriched in positive ions and the graphene becomes enriched in delocalised electrons.
• Results in a feature known as a pseudocapacitor ,i.e phenomenon is sufficient to produce a voltage and current.

• The Kepler planet-hunting spacecraft is stuck in a emergency mode (EM) some 75 million miles from Earth and NASA scientists are working to try and bring it back from its crisis.
• The lowest operational mode EM of the spacecraft was discovered during a scheduled contact for undertaking microlensing observing campaign.
• Controllers found the spacecraft’s problem, when they were moving to point the telescope to look towards the Milky Way.
• Kepler spacecraft hunts for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. It was launched in March 2009
• Since its launch, the mission has been incredibly successful and has led to finding of more than 1,000 alien planets of which half are exoplanets to be ever discovered.

• Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) at its Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) have discovered a way to forecast earthquakes based on tremors or earthquakes below a Richter scale of 2.
• The study, led by Indian-origin researcher Deepa Mele Veedu.
• Scientists believe that larger earthquakes are unlikely to occur following tremors or earthquakes below a Richter scale of 2 that are caused by small vibrations or slow fault movements.
• The NTU team found that not only do these vibrations potentially point to an impending earthquake, but they also discovered a discernible pattern to them.
• The teams latest findings could potentially be applied in the seismic monitoring of the area to help better forecast large earthquakes in the region.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has test-fired the nuclear capable K-4 missile from the indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant.
• It was a highly successful test, carrying a dummy payload but in full operational configuration from INS Arihant.
• The missile was reportedly fired from the onboard silos of INS Arihant from a depth of 20 metre.
• The K-4 missile is a 17-tonne submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with an operational range of 3,500 km and can carry conventional and nuclear warheads weighing over 2,000 kg.
• The K-4 and the K-15 missiles are an important part of India`s nuclear triad, which provides India with retaliatory nuclear strike capability. 

• Indigenously developed surface-to-air supersonic Akash missile System was successfully test fired from complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipuri in Odisha.
• The missile targeted an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) named `Banshee`. It successfully destroyed the targets coordinated by the user, demonstrating its ‘killing’ efficiency.
• Akash missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided-Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
• The missile has supersonic speeds ranging from Mach 2.8 to 3.5.
• It is multi target, multi directional, all weather air-defence system consisting of surveillance and tracking radars.
• It has capability to carry warhead of 60 kg. It can engage aerial targets up to a range of approximately 25 kms. It can reach a high altitude of 18 kms and as low as 30 meters.
• It is powered by Ramjet-rocket propulsion system (RRPS) which renders thrust for the missile to intercept the target.

• The supercomputer, named ‘Param Kanchenjunga’, was formally unveiled by Sikkim Governor Shrinvas Patil at the NIT Sikkim campus at Ravangla.
• The Supercomputer is expected to help achieve excellence in engineering education and research in the north-east region.
• It has been named after Kangchenjunga mountain (8,586 m), the third highest mountain in the world which lies partly in Nepal and partly in Sikkim.
• Param was most powerful and fastest supercomputer among all the 31 NITs and Sikkim NIT has secured a rare distinction of having such a supercomputer.
• Param Kanchenjunga has been jointly developed by Pune-based Centre for Development of Advanced Computing ‘C-DAC’ and the NIT Sikkim at a cost of three crore rupees.
• It is a computer that can do complete tasks faster than any other computer of its generation.
• It has high speed and memory and is usually thousands of times faster than ordinary personal computers.

• Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) found traces of iron isotopes in samples from the moon, similar to those found on our ocean floor, leading them to believe that it came from the same supernova explosion.
• A supernova, according to NASA, is a star’s explosion that happens at the end of its life cycle. Stars are basically made up of hydrogen and once it is all gone, they implode and create new elements.
• A unique iron isotope (60Fe), was found in deep-sea crusts and ocean sediments from the Pacific Ocean.
• The scientists of TUM also made use of the samples of lunar material that was brought to Earth for the further study during the Apollo lunar missions 12, 15 and 16 between 1969 and 1972.
• These samples were studied using a high-sensitivity accelerator mass spectrometer in the Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory.
• This study supports that the same supernova explosion sent the same stellar particles to Earth and our moon. 

• US researchers have for the first time determined the structure of the Zika virus, revealing insights critical to the development of effective antiviral treatments and vaccines for the deadly disease.
• Researchers from Purdue University in the US studied a strain of Zika virus isolated from a patient infected during the French Polynesia epidemic and determined the structure of the virus.
• The structure details vital differences on a key protein that may explain why Zika attacks nerve cells while other viruses in the same family do not, the scientists maintained.
• The structure of the virus provides a map that shows potential regions of the virus that could be targeted by a therapeutic treatment, used to create an effective vaccine or to improve our ability to diagnose and distinguish Zika infection from that of other related viruses.

• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), The department of space (DoS) has signed a MoU with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to provide scientific parameters for construction of airports.
• Under the agreement, DoS will provide data on the landscape around the airports. The DoS will also sign a MoU with postal department to provide space technology helpful in tracking the parcel movements.
• The DoS has already signed a MoU with Ministry of Urban Development where the space technology will be used in projects like smart cities and housing.
• ISRO informed the last satellite of the IRNSS series will be launched in April 2016 which will complete the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System,that will provide navigation facility in and around India.

• Tslc Pte Ltd., a fin-tech company announced the launch of its all new mobile-only lending platform - CASHe, providing users a personalized experience to borrow cash anytime, anywhere within minutes.
• CASHe uses sophisticated proprietary technology that mines the borrowers` social network and requests basic documentation to arrive at a Social Loan Quotient (SLQ) and a loan eligibility amount.
• Using multiple unique data points to arrive at a distinct credit profile for the customer, CASHe will transform traditional credit measurements, providing financial inclusion to underserved young professionals who are kept out by traditional credit rating and banking systems.
• CASHe`s target clients are young professionals between 20-35 years old. Upon confirming eligibility, these employed individuals can avail of a loan of up to 40 percent of their monthly income instantaneously at a rate of interest on par with credit cards. 

• American space firm Blue Origin successfully completed the third launch and vertical landing of its reusable New Shepard rocket.
• Flawless BE-3 restart and perfect booster landing referring to the BE-3 engine used to land the rocket back at the company`s testing site in Texas.
• The breakthroughs by Blue Origin and parallel efforts by rival Internet mogul Elon Musk`s SpaceX open up the potential for cutting costs for space travel and making rockets as reusable as airplanes.
• The New Shepard can reach an altitude of 333,000 feet, considered the boundary between Earth`s atmosphere and space.

• Scientists from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology in Assam have made a biopolymer from shellfish that could help in water-softening applications.
• The eco-friendly biopolymer has been created using a naturally occurring substance, called chitosan.
• The chitosan has been obtained naturally from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish including crab, lobster, and shrimp as a backbone for the carbon nanoparticles to sit on.
• In this biopolymer, nanoparticles are the functional parts of the technology as they remove calcium and magnesium components of water through ion exchange. Thus, it shows the same process that is used by common water purifiers.

• The world’s first public dengue vaccination programme was launched in the Philippines as nurses began injecting the first batch of a million children with a French drug to combat the sometimes deadly disease.
• Mexico was first country in the world to approve first-ever Dengvaxia Dengue fever vaccine for the public use and Philippines was the first county in Asia to allow it.
• However with the launch of first public dengue vaccination programme, Philippines became first country to introduce, adopt and implement the first-ever dengue vaccine through the public health system and under public school settings.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Dengue or haemorrhagic fever is the world’s most common mosquito-borne virus. 

• A rare triple-star system named KELT-4Ab planet is discovered by Scientists with a gas giant planet similar in size to Jupiter.
• It was discovered by the researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in the United States.
• Known planets with three stars appearing in their sky are rare and the new discovery is just the fourth and the closest one yet.
• In KELT-4Ab triple-star system, the main star named KELT-A is brighter than the other stars that serve as suns for their planets.
• It has a gas giant planet, similar in size to Jupiter takes approximately three days to make its way around its sun (star) KELT-A.

• China has successfully launched a bullet-shaped retrievable scientific research satellite SJ-10 (Shijian-10).
• In a cloud of brown smoke, the satellite, SJ-10, roared into the air on the back of a Long March 2-D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China’s gobi desert.
• The satellite was launched with an aim to help scientists in their study of microgravity and space life science.
• The bullet-shaped probe will house 19 experiments involving microgravity fluid physics, microgravity combustion, space material, space radiation effect, microgravity biological effect and space bio-technology.
• SJ-10 is the second of four scientific satellites under a CAS space program.

• Personal computers and printing major HP Inc launched eight new personal products including the world’s thinnest laptop at 10.4 mm thickness, a calling device and a business notebook.
• According to the company ‘Spectre’ is the world’s thinnest laptop.
• HP’s new notebook looks like a sleek, general purpose laptop, with an advertised nine-hour battery life.
• 13-inch HD 1920x1080 resolution display and sixth generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor.
• The Spectre doesn’t come with any hybrid features like similar offerings from other companies, some of which include screens that can detach from their keyboards or twist and turn to function like a tablet.
• Spectre’s simplicity and premium design make it a potential competitor to Apple’s MacBook Air. 

• After completing a year of its global launch, Google’s Android Auto has finally come to India, along with 17 other countries.
• Android Auto, Google’s in-car operating system, is now available in eighteen new countries, including Brazil and India. It is launched in Puerto Rico.
• Three of them Brazil, India, and Russia are among the fastest growing auto markets in the world (though of course not all cars purchased there will be compatible with Android Auto).
• Google’s Android Auto allows users to connect their smartphones, and thus provides access to apps like Google Maps.
• Medium of connectivity includes Google Now voice assistant, steering-mounted controls, and dashboard touchscreen controls to the drivers.
• To be able to use Android Auto, folks will need a compatible infotainment system, a USB port, an Android smartphone with version 5.0 (Lollipop) or above, and finally a USB cable.

• The astronomers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) discovered a supermassive Black Hole which weighs about 17 billion times the mass of Sun.
• The biggest supermassive black holes those with masses around 10 billion times that of our Sun have been found at the cores of very large galaxies in regions loaded with other large galaxies.
• The lead discoverer is Chung-Pei Ma, a University of California-Berkeley astronomer and head of the MASSIVE Survey, a study of the most massive galaxies and supermassive black holes in the local universe.
• The newly discovered supersized black hole resides in the center of a massive elliptical galaxy, NGC 1600, located in a cosmic backwater.
• It is located about 200 million light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Eridanus.