Science is for Sharing

Solar Eclipse (09 Mar 2016) is hardly visible over Tirupati. Here is an animated version (Figure (a)) of the simulation I have prepared using the free open source "Stellarium" software. The Sun rises over Tirupati by 06:23 IST. Meanwhile eclipse has already begun and being in penumbra region, it's partial eclipse over here. Click here to see the eclipse For reference, the figure (b) of eclipse locations are shown in the figure below (scroll down) which also shows time in Tirupati during the events.  (courtesy: timeanddate.com ) Figure (a): Animation of the solar eclipse (simulated) over Tirupati. 'E' indicates East Figure (b): How eclipse happens world wide (courtesy: timeanddate.com)

Lyrids Meteor Shower is round the corner..... Look up in the sky  to watch the Lyrids brighten the skies. On Saturday, April 21.  For the 2012 Lyrids meteor shower, a new moon will set darker skies that are ideal for meteor watching.  rid meteor shower will be viewable all over the world, with best rates seen just before dawn at the location where you're watching the skies. The Lyrids are very unpredictable, with peak meteor rates between 10-100 per hour.  Lyrids are pieces of debris from the periodic Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher and have been observed for more than 2,600 years. In mid-April of each year, Earth runs into the stream of debris from the comet, which causes the Lyrid meteor shower. Read More:  http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/lyrids2012_chat.html

Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics Volume 74 , January 2012, Pages 232–237 Impact of a noon-time annular solar eclipse on the mixing layer height and vertical distribution of aerosols in the atmospheric boundary layer Manoj Kumar Mishra,  K. Rajeev ,  ,  Anish Kumar M. Nair,  K. Krishna Moorthy,  K. Parameswaran For full paper, click this link:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2011.10.012 , Abstract Impact of the long duration noontime annular solar eclipse on 15 January 2010 on the vertical distribution of aerosols and mixing layer height ( H M ) in a well-developed convective atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) has been investigated using continuous Lidar observations over a tropical coastal station, Thumba (8.5°N, 76.9°E). This study shows that  H M  has decreased from its peak value of ∼1800 m at 12:00 h to ∼1000 m following the annular phase of the eclipse (13:17 h), whil...

Photographer :  Anthony Ayiomamitis At  apogee , the  Moon  is on average approximately 406,500 km (252,587 mi) away from Earth with an apparent diameter of about 29.5  arc-minutes  (about one half degree); whereas at  perigee , the Moon is approximately 356,500 km (221,500 mi) distant and has an apparent diameter of about 33.6 arc-minutes. This difference of 50,000 km (31,069 mi) between apogee and perigee results in a dramatic change in the apparent diameter as illustrated by the two  full Moons  above, photographed in 2010. These particular full Moons were strategically selected to have the full Moon as near as possible to its minimum perigee and maximum apogee when crossing the local meridian in Athens, Greece. The Moon photo at left was taken on January 30, 2010 (at 00:31:28 local time) and the Moon at right was snapped on August 25, 2010 (01:26:33 local time). Courtesy: http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2011/03/full-moon-...

My colleague Mr.Sobhan Kumar Kompalli, Scientist in Space Physics Laboratory has clicked more than 100 snaps of the beautiful 'Lunar Eclipse' that entertained earthlings on 10-Dec-2011. Here is a matrix of few selected snaps by the  amateur  photographer. Also have a view of the Simulated Lunar Eclipse ( animation)  which I generated using the open source software 'Stellarium'. You are welcome to watch  the drama unfold......! Photograph by Mr.Sobhan Kumar Kompalli (sobhan1urs@gmail.com)

LRO Camera Team Releases High Resolution Global Topographic Map of Moon. click on the image to go to the official website and high resolution image. Source: NASA-LRO http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/lro-topo.html

First images of the Asteroid which came close to earth has been released... You can watch the video Team of astronomers decided to animate an entire sequence of their high-resolution radar images of YU55 to make a short movie clip from the data from  Deep Space Network antenna in Goldstone, California. you can watch it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIwX0Qeid9o&feature=colike Courtesy: Nasa You can download the first images video http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=119737731

An Asteroid named   2005 YU55 will have a flyby near earth and moon on 8-Nov-2011. NASA scientists will track asteroid 2005 YU55 from the agency's Deep Space Network. At the point of closest approach, it will be no closer than 324,600 kilometers or 0.85 the distance from the moon to Earth. Look at this animation. More details and videos: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/overview/yu55.html   http://youtu.be/ucuegbwT8MU 

    As the Moon blots out the Sun during a solar eclipse, the patch of the Earth that is cast into darkness cools. Meanwhile, the surrounding regions continue to receive the full brunt of the Sun's energy.     This temperature difference causes waves in the atmosphere to build up behind the leading edge of the moon's shadow, like the bow wave of a ship.    Although scientists have hypothesized about the moon's atmospheric wake since the 1970's, it wasn't until a July 22, 2009 eclipse in Japan and Taiwan that they observed the phenomenon directly. Read details: http://news.discovery.com/earth/moon-makes-waves-during-eclipse-111007.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1 The research was published in Geophysical Research Letters. J. Y. Liu of the National Central University of Taiwan led the research.

                World Space Week  Resource Material prepared by our Team has been uploaded in the official WEBsite. here is it . http://www.vssc.gov.in:8080/ wsw2011/index.jsp http://www.vssc.gov.in:8080/ wsw2011/wswatschools.html Download PDF http://www.vssc.gov.in:8080/ wsw2011/downloads/WSW_2011_ Resourcematerial.pdf http://www.vssc.gov.in:8080/ wsw2011/downloads/WSW_ Handbook.pdf Materials for Media already sent...  ...... will be published/ relayed soon...! Celebrate the 'Golden jubilee of Human Space Flight'

How about taking part in World Space Week Competitions....? Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre VSSC, the lead centre of ISRO coordinates World Space Week activities in Kerala to motivate students  and teachers. Many competitions for School children...... Mars Habitat design competition for College Students...! http://www.vssc.gov.in:8080/wsw2011/index.html http://www.vssc.gov.in:8080/wsw2011/essay.html http://www.vssc.gov.in:8080/wsw2011/mars_habitat_design.html SPACE QUIZ                   As part of the World Space Week celebrations, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram is organising a Space Quiz during first week of October 2011.                  Students of Class 10,11 and 12 can participate. Only one team is allowed to represent a school.                   Schools can send the details of the particip...

Why should humans go to Space ........?                                 Exploration is the inquisite nature of human mind, which has historically led to the discovery of new continents and development of new habitats. Looking back, without these discoveries and advances, living on Earth would have been completely different from what we see today. Rapid developments in human race, limitations in resources on Earth, and the potential threat from weapons of mass destruction necessitates that we will have to boldly go far beyond the Earth's boundaries if the human race has to continue for thousands of years forward. More importantly, space explorations hold the key to unravel the secrets behind the origin and evolution of life and environment surrounding us. These drive the quest for space exploration and colonization. Where else can earthlings colonize?               ...