Saturday, July 14, 2012
Day and night cycles on Earth
We live on Earth depending mostly on daylight. After sunset we stop our main activities, take rest and go to sleep at night. This refreshes, repairs or rejuvenates us for the next day activities. These daily activities prolong our life on Earth. How these day and night are formed in a day's time?
Friday, December 23, 2011
Merry-go-round, Earth and train are interrelated!
Science teacher at school explained why trees grown along the sides of railway track seem to 'run' back as one travels in a train. But I did not expect at that time that that explanation and my realisation will help me later in life to understand easily a mega event that happens daily! What is it?
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Belt Stars of the Heavens
Orderly objects attract all of us, especially if they are seen among the disorderly things. Such objects are also seen on the night sky. They are the ‘Belt Stars’ of the Orion constellation (The Belt of the Hunter). They are three in numbers, and are peculiarly arranged one after the other in a slanting manner as though they are in a line. They are Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitaka. If they are joined by an imaginary line and that extended further leads us to another bright star Sirius in the South East of Orion (the Dog Star)! They are also seen enclosed in an (imaginary) square with bright stars in its corners such as Betelgeuse and Rigel. These all stars make up the Gemini zodiac (Mithuna raasi). They can be easily identified in winter as they are in the eastern sky at convenient hours. They were used in ancient times in navigation to find out the directions at seas.
From my childhood memories: I remember my mother saying to me, pointing to these three stars, that they are called ‘Water pots - on stand - stars’ (‘Thaunni chaal natchathiram’ in Tamil)!
Thanks to my mom who inspired me with astronomy by showing these wonder stars!