Astronomy – a subject of interest

Astronomy – a subject of interest

 **Celestial events lined up for sky enthusiasts – A news in THE HINDU news paper today ( 26.4.2013 )

This news takes my memories  43 years before , when I was a student of Astronomy Club in Vivekananda College, Mylapore.

As I was about to write a blog on the topic of  my  interest linked to the past my site “ Chander’s Memory lane “ , a above  topic or title came to my mind . This was and is an interesting subject since 1969 soon after I joined B.Sc,Mathematics , under graduate course , in SRM Vivekananda College , Mylapore.  Astronomy is a subject  taught to us  as a part of major subject and in examination, we have to write a separate paper for this subject. As a science student I am deeply interested in Astronomy and I was a student member of Astronomy Club of our college.

In weekends we go to the terrace of our Math dept. by twilight , where a large Reflecting Telescope was installed to observe the celestial objects.



Pirate's Telescope



I have seen the planet Mars ,  Jupitor and its few moons, Saturn’s ring , Moon at the closest range  with the craters  so close to our eyes , and the different  planets  of Zodiac signs. It was  also a great experience to  see the starry night sky from our Mylapore home terrace  after midnight. Falling star is a daily phenomenon and watching it was linked with a myth !

In our scouting days also we do star watch and  plot the  night sky with zodiac signs.



Moon



Moon's craters

Saturn's ring



Jupitor through the lens of an ordinary telescope



**”The coming one month will be marked by interesting celestial events, starting with a lunar eclipse on April 25 and 26, and a daily meteor shower that will last through the month of May.

The planet Saturn will be at opposition with the Sun, and visible at its closest, biggest and brightest from the Earth on April 28. One can see the planet rising from East or South-East, after the Sun sets in the west.

At midnight, one can see it overhead while in the morning it can be spotted between West and South-West. People can also witness the annual meteor shower of Eta Aquarids between April 19 and May 28. Meteors have their origin in flakes of dust left by Comet Halley during its 1986 visit into the solar system.

This year, the shower will peak on May 6 at 6.30 a.m., and continue to be brightly visible in pollution-free skies up to May 12. It can be spotted up to May 28, the PSI informed.

To have a glimpse of the shower, one must look at the constellation of Aquarius above East, starting from 4.30 a.m.

These apart, the conjunction of Planet Saturn with Moon will occur on April 26, when both the celestial bodies will be visible very close to each other. This can be spotted by the naked eye.

People can also witness the annual meteor shower of Eta Aquarids between April 19 and May 28. Meteors have their origin in flakes of dust left by Comet Halley during its 1986 visit into the solar system.”

 In the subject of Astronomy , we used to solve mathematical problems by finding the dates of future Solar Eclipse or Lunar Eclipse. Distance between planets , speed of the celestial body and so on were topics in Astronomy. No one in our batch  miss Astronomy class, because of the interest in that subject and the practical sessions.

It was my long time wish to have a small telescope like the one we see in sea pirate movies. I found many such in the Antique Stores in Spencer Plaza and old Moore Market ( now no more Moore … “

But still today I could not own one such telescope. May be I have not tried to own or the loss of interest in getting one or lack of funds to acquire a new one costing beyond capacity.

When my son was in schooling at San Thome,  I made a SPUTNIK model  with open solar panel wings , for his school science fair and of course his model won a prize.

When Neil Armstrong put his first step on the moon in July 1969, the entire world was listening to Voice of America and I was one with great interest on the achievement of mankind , and the live talk of the first man on the moon – “"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."  Is an inspirational sentence for achievers.

In the same year , in  Madras , US Consulate and the American Library displayed a life size Lunar Module's model , which landed  on the Moon and allowed the visitors to go up in the ladder from one side and get down on the other. The inside is a replica of the original Lunar module with control panels. Many photographs and miniature models of the Apollo Mission were in display.  An exhibition, which I cannot forget. The feeling of  mine when I entered the Lunar Module cannot be expressed  in words.The stone pieces brought from the moon , in original were in display.

Apollo 11 Lunar Module " Eagle "

My eye sight is deteriorating with cataract and I do not know when I will have my own telescope to see the starry night’s celestial bodies!!! Let people who are interested to see the celestial bodies may try  with a telescope and do not delay to regret at later days like me !!!