We the students of Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College, v.v puram, Bangalore studying in 11th grade(2010) have formed this Astronomy club aiming in promoting and popularizing Astronomy as a Science and also as a hobby. This club also serves as a networking base for like minded individuals interested in various topics of Astronomy.The club acts as a base for all amateur astronomy related activities. All of us here are crazy about Astronomy and are here to explore our passion for Astronomy.
Hundreds of planets have been found beyond our solar system. Of these “extrasolar planets,” or “exoplanets” for short, one has remained perplexing and infamous 12 years after its purported discovery.
The object’s formal designation is TMR-1c. It lies about 450 light-years away in the Taurus molecular cloud. Back in 1998, astronomer Susan Tereby announced that this could [...]
TMR-1C appears to lie at the end of a strange filament of light.Hundreds of planets have been found beyond our solar system. Of these “extrasolar planets,” or “exoplanets” for short, one has remained perplexing and infamous 12 years after its purported discovery.The object’s formal designation is TMR-1c. It lies about 450 light-years away in the Taurus molecular cloud. Back in 1998, astronomer Susan Tereby announced that this could be the first exoplanet directly photographed. At the time, Tereby cautiously called it a “candidate planet.”Hubble’s infrared image was compellingly believable. A very red — and therefore cool — pinpoint object was at the end of a ghostly finger of illuminated dust stretching 135 billion miles from a young binary star system. The telltale finger was interpreted as being formed after the planet was gravitationally ejected from the binary system.But it was not clear ...
http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org/blogs/posts/view/79933/
New space research published this week (Thursday 21 October) in the journal Nature, has settled decades of scientific debate. Researchers from the University of California (UCLA) and British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have found the final link between electrons trapped in space and the glow of light from the upper atmosphere known as the diffuse aurora. The research will help us understand 'space weather', with benefits for the satellite, power grid and aviation industries, and how space storms affect the Earth's atmosphere from the top down.
http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org/blogs/posts/view/79919/
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded its first lunar transit when the moon passed directly between the spacecraft and the sun.
In this newly released image, the dark edge of the moon forms a partial eclipse of the sun. This sharp edge can be used to help calculate the effects of light diffraction on the telescope’s optics, allowing operators to correct for this effect.
Onboard the SDO is the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument. This measures magnetic fields, as well as visible ripples on the surface of the sun caused by the sun’s convection zone. This data helps researchers understand our star’s influence on Earth and near-Earth space.
October 15, 2010: NASA's Deep Impact/EPOXI spacecraft is hurtling toward Comet Hartley 2 for a breathtaking 435-mile flyby on Nov. 4th. Mission scientists say all systems are go for a close encounter with one of the smallest yet most active comets they've seen.
Artist's concept of the spacecraft's previous encounter with Comet Tempel 1. [more]
"There are billions of comets in the solar system, but this will be only the fifth time a spacecraft has flown close enough to one to snap pictures of its nucleus," says Lori Feaga of the EPOXI science team. "This one should put on quite a show!"
Cometary orbits tend to be highly elongated; they travel far from the sun and then swing much closer. At encounter time, Hartley 2 will be nearing the sun and warming up after its cold, deep space sojourn. The ices in its nucleus will be vaporizing furiously – spitting dust and spouting gaseous jets.
"Hartley 2's nucleus is small, less than a mile in diameter," says Feaga. "But its surface offgasses at a higher rate than nuclei we've seen before. We expect more jets and outbursts from this one."
EPOXI will swoop down into the comet's bright coma – the sparkling aura of debris, illuminated by the sun – shrouding the nucleus. The spacecraft's cameras, taking high-resolution (7 meters per pixel at closest approach) pictures all the while, will reveal this new world in all its fizzy glory.
"We hope to see features of the comet's scarred face: craters, fractures, vents," says Sebastien Besse of the science team. "We may even be able to tell which features are spewing jets!"
The spacecraft's instruments are already trained on their speeding target.
"We're still pretty far out, so we don't yet see a nucleus," explains Besse. "But our daily observations with the spectrometer and cameras are already helping us identify the species and amounts of gases in the coma and learn how they evolve over time as we approach."
Comet Hartley 2, photographed on Oct. 13 by Science@NASA reader Nick Howes using the 2-meter Faulkes North Telescope in Hawaii.
The aim of the mission is to gather details about what the nucleus is made of and compare it to other comets. Because comets spend much of their time far from the sun, the cold preserves their composition – and that composition tells a great story.
"Comets are left-overs from the 'construction' of our solar system," explains Besse. "When the planets formed out of the 'stuff' in the solar nebula spinning around the sun, comets weren't drawn in."
Researchers study these pristine specimens of the primal solar system to learn something about how it formed, and how it birthed a life-bearing planet like Earth.
"These flybys help us figure out what happened 4 1/2 billion years ago," says Feaga. "So far we've only seen four nucleii. We need to study more comets to learn how they differ and how they are the same. This visit will help, especially since Hartley 2 is in many ways unlike the others we've seen."
EPOXI will provide not only a birds-eye view of a new world but the best extended view of a comet in history.
"This spacecraft is built for close encounters. Its instruments and our planned observations are optimized for this kind of mission. When, as Deep Impact, it flew by Tempel 1, it turned its instruments away from the nucleus to protect them from debris blasted up by the impactor. This time we won't turn away."
The EPOXI team will be waiting at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
"We'll start diving into the data as soon as we receive it," says Feaga. "We'll work round the clock, on our toes the whole time, waiting for the next thing to come down."
Sounds like it could be intense.
"It's already intense," says Besse. "We're getting more and more data, but at encounter we'll be flooded!"
And that will be only the beginning.
TMT has made a commitment to develop a comprehensive community benefit package as part of its pledge to be an engaged corporate entity on Hawaii Island.
One of the key components of this community benefit package is the development of scholarships and other educational opportunities for Hawaii Island students and teachers, particularly in the core areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) across grades K-12, secondary and post-secondary education.
The Hawaii Island New Knowledge (THINK) Fund is the first of many steps
in the journey toward educational excellence.
TMT will give $1 million per year to the THINK Fund over the life of the TMT lease on Mauna Kea. Funding will commence with the issuance of the project's Conservation District Use Permit by Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources in conjunction with the start of construction.
THINK's vision is to raise STEM education as a core community value. In doing so, THINK initiatives will pave the way for the academic, physical, emotional and social success for Hawaii Island students so they may become self-directed, lifelong learners who think critically and creatively, and function as responsible productive members of society.
Engineering students engage with TMT architects
THINK projections include direct, long-term positive impacts on:
* Graduation rates
* College acceptance rates
* Scholarship award rates, secondary and post
* Academic achievement, including GPA
* High School completion
* Teacher instruction, including curriculum that increases relevance and rigor
THINK will be administered by community volunteers on a yet-to-be-formed Board of Advisors from Hawaii Island. Collectively, the advisors will be representative of the various segments of the Hawaii Island community with the goal of achieving geographical, gender, private/public,and experiential diversity.
Generating Much-needed Jobs
Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2011 and will take approximately eight to ten years to complete. Plans also include building the TMT headquarters within the UH Hilo Science and Technology Park.
Building the Thirty Meter Telescope will create more than 300 local construction industry jobs. During certain phases of construction, crews of more than 100 would be working at the site. Construction will be scheduled six days a week. Of course, winter weather conditions at the TMT Observatory site could interrupt construction at times.
Once the telescope is built, the operations of the observatory will require approximately 120 full-time jobs and TMT is committed to hiring as many members of the local workforce as possible. The project team has been meeting with groups on Hawaii Island to plan for a Workforce Pipeline Program to achieve this goal.
It is anticipated that a collaborative partnership with the Department of Education, independent and charter schools, Hawaii Community College and UH Hilo would initiate development of education and training programs that will get our local workforce ready for these jobs in 2018.
Need A Group Presentation?
Contact Laura Aquino (326-7820 laquino@current-events.com) if your group or community organization would like to schedule a presentation by Sandra Dawson, Site Manager, Thirty Meter Telescope to discuss the progress of TMT, project updates and upcoming milestones.
Astronomy
has always been a fascinating subject for all, because of its many unsolved
mysteries. A single life time entirely devoted to sky would not be enough for
the investigation of a vast subject like Astronomy. Astronomy reserves the
discoveries for the ages still to come. Our universe has been a big affair for
the reason that, it has something for every age to investigate. Nature does not
reveal her mysteries once and for all. India has a great history in the field
of astronomy, Right from the times of Aryabhata to Chandrasekhar. Currently
India is achieving great success in the field of rocket Science. But in the
space research India is not up to the mark.
We
the students of India can change this and make India a leader in the field of
Astronomy. Keeping this in mind we the students of Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain
College, V V puram have formed an astronomy club for the first
time in the Pre-University level, in India.
This
club is aiming in promoting and popularizing Astronomy as a Science and also as
a hobby. This club also serves as a networking base for likeminded individuals
interested in various topics of Astronomy. The club acts as a base for allAmateur
Astronomy related activities. Here we exchange information and spread
general awareness about various Astronomical events.
All of us here are crazy about
astronomy! Its mysteries enthrall the professional and the Amateur Astronomers.
Observations and research in this field has drastically changed the way we
understand nature. 'Amateur Astronomy' offers a great opportunity to learn the
basic fundamentals of this science along with enjoying the way in which nature
presents itself.
Our aims are:
·TO
LEARN AND DO HARDCORE ASTRONOMY
·PROMOTE
AND POPULARIZE ASTRONOMY
·PROMOTE
INDIAN ASTRONOMY
·CONTRIBUTE
TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY
·MAKE
INDIA A LEADER IN THE FIELD OF ASTRONOMY
Some
of our activities are as follows:
1. Astro-theory
Sessions: These sessions are held on every Wednesdays and they provide a
perfect platform for the students to learn deeper aspects of Astronomy. During
these sessions students give seminars on various topics of Astronomy.
2.
Monthly Guest lectures.
3.
Conducting events (Contests) on Astronomy, Where students can exhibit their
imagination about the Universe.
One
such event was "CREATIVE COSMOS", which we conducted
on 11th of august in our college where students exhibited their
talent in sketching and painting. The theme was “REVEAL YOUR UNIVERSE”.
4.
Conducting Outreach programsto colleges where we give a
presentation on 'Astronomy' and organize Sky show for the students.
5. Organize Expeditions to view special
events such as Eclipses, Occultation and Meteor showers.
OBSERVATION
SESSIONS
We
also go out for Star parties where will travel about 40 km away
from Bangalore to our huge Jain Global campus ( bangalore south ) for
dark skies which are free from light pollution and then do observations through
our telescopes.
We
are planning to have a sophisticated observatory with all scientific devices,
i.e. An Amateur Observatory for the first time in India and do basic research
under the guidance of Professional Astronomers.
We also publish Astronomy magazines. The
contents of the magazine are:
·A
theoretical aspect clearly explained,
·Article
on any one of the celestial objects,
·Quiz,
· Amazing
facts,
·Crosswords,
·An
article on one of the Indian Astronomers,
·Updates
on our club activities,
·Astro-activities
going on in the city,
·Sky
updates, in which we give information about the night, like what we can observe
with naked eyes and with a simple binocular or a telescope, we also update
about events such as occultation, meteor showers etc. and we also give sky
charts.
*As one of our main aims is to make
India leader in the field of Astronomy, we are having a huge project starting
this december (2010) till next december (2011), which basically is aiming to
promote and popularize Astronomy.
As a part of this project we are
trying to inspire young minds and develop interests about Astronomy in them. So
we will be going to 40 to 50 colleges and some schools which have agreed to be
a part of our project and give seminars on astronomy and organize a sky show.
