Comet close-up

"Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science."— Edwin Hubble

A 2.5 mile little dark body of rock, ice, dust, frozen gases, uneven and pitted, hurtling at a velocity more than 30,000 miles per hour. Bold enough to catch it? 

Start with a vision. Put in the best science and engineering skills at work. Launch a spacecraft. Let it play with the gravity of a couple of planets and swing far away. Wait for 10 years. After a lot (lot of) travel, and a quick sleep (hibernation) of three years, you get a rendezvous with a cosmic snowball! Definitely after nerve cracking moments that might seem Eons for the team behind such a mission. 

Yet again, we witness a whole new level of science and engineering. 10 years and four billion miles of travel, Philae Touchdown on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (Jupiter family of comets with periods of less than 20 years). Philae bid goodbye to its mother spacecraft Rosetta and took a seven hour drop to reach its target. Rosetta was launched in March 2004, using the gravity of Earth and Mars to sling and achieve the required velocity. A decade long journey brought it close to its ultimate destination. A destination so far, that signals take approximately 30 minutes to reach home. Rosetta was named so after an engraved stone (black basalt) which led in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. While Philae, is named after an island (now submerged) in the River Nile, on which an obelisk was found that gave clues to decipher the Rosetta stone.

While the probe has landed and is reported to be stable, it has not securely anchored to the surface. While millions pray for its well being, let us wait and watch while Philae readies itself for some science. A science that will take us close to the origin of the family of the Sun by studying the fundamental building blocks of solar system. Philae is intended to study the structure and composition of the comet through its suite of ten instruments. These include an alpha proton X-ray spectrometer, cameras, isotopic composition study, radio and electric sounders, gas analyzer, magnetometer and plasma monitor and an instrument to drill upto 8 inches,  Meanwhile, Rosetta continues to reveal information of the Comet as it would escort the comet as it travels towards the Sun and approaches perihelion in August 2015. 

There was a time when comets alarmed people and today humanity dares to reach upto them. Some one did think of catching a comet. Well, literally.

Audacious. Incredible. Exciting. 

Comet 67P                                                                       Rosetta/ESA

* The first comet I saw through the telescope was Ikeya-Zhang 12 years back, I could only be awed by its sheer beauty! Truly heavenly. 

Some Links:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/sets/72157638315605535/

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?Sort=Target&Target=Comets&MCode=Rosetta&Display=Dates

Time

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare. - W. H. Davies

Time - a very complex thing to talk about, yet spoken of daily, by one and all. Quite sure, understood by none. While we blame it for every cause, saying it was harsh and difficult, we also expect that time will heal us and time will change.  

It is strange how we all get the same amount of hours and minutes and seconds per day. But what we do of it is a matter of choice.Often called as priorities.

There is no time to meet friends. No time to water the plants.

No time to lay down under the sky and watch the stars.

No time to savour each moment with your loved ones.

And within a wink, it would be a past. Casting its shadows, lingering on the present. 

People are separated not by distances but by Time.

Whatever it is, is now.

For the dance you always wanted to learn, for the flowers you always wanted to nurture, for the book you wanted to write, for catching up with a long lost friend. For being with the one. For falling down and starting again. It is here. This lifetime. To dream with open eyes, to care carelessly.

Life is too short for fights and shorter for regrets.

There will be no music, the flowers will wilt, friends would be gone.

Time does not stop, it does not return, it does not repeat. It has a mind of its own and just flows.It cannot be chained. It is free yet priceless.

Sooner than you realize, it will be late.

Time has existed since billion of years, no one has made it so complicated as the human species. 

Let there be light!

Let the light be from within.

Sky is the limit

Every success starts with a crazy dream. 

We witnessed a proud moment today, as the Mars Orbiter Mission entered the Mars orbit. 300 days back the words ‘Lift Off Normal' were echoed. We patiently waited. The Mars Orbiter began its long journey towards planet. Who thought that the once red little planet imagined with canals built by Martians would indeed be a place where Earthlings would leave an indelible mark of their existence and their ability to prove their scientific temper.

Great success comes with greater challenges. 

The main challenge for MOM was to get into the Mars orbit at just the perfect moment. All this IS rocket science. We comfortably switch on our television set, expect a Diwali fireworks show for launches. But, PSLV, the most trusted workhorse of the ISRO stayed true to its name and did offer a brilliant and perfect show. By perfection it means not a deviation from the lift off time, the propellant, the ignition, the take off, the orbit and umpteen big and small details. Precision, accuracy, timing are the key parameters. It’s all a play of vision, hardwork and well, gravity. It was out of all this that MOM set out into Space. While there have been several missions to Mars, this is first for India. One of the most critical aspects was to put the craft into the Mars orbit. Most missions have been unsuccessful at this stage. 

However even a failure is a successful step telling us what is wrong. And unless tried we will never know our capabilities. 

Leaving aside statistics (whatsapp forwards are enough to remind us that :) ), I believe its just a beginning of an era of Interplanetary travel for India and contribute enormously for the scientific community. Inspite of several limitations, we dared to dream, we hoped and prayed with anxiety! A new level is now achieved, widening our horizons (literally). To all those who are a part of making this dream come true and to all those whose wishes for them are so true! Cheers! 

Go MOM, the Red Planet is yours to explore!

-----------------------------------------

October 2008, India had a similar reason to cheer about! Chandrayaan was successful. September 2014 Mars Orbiter Mission in orbit of Mars. 

Mars is a very special Planet for me. Reading Patrick Moore's colorful book on Mars and wondering about this little Planet often left me in awe, even as a child! But over the years, it continues to surprise!  Today is definitely a beginning of an adventurous journey. Many young Indian students look up to these events with a sparkle in their eyes, with an urge to work for India, to work for ISRO, to work for their love of Space; where boundaries dissolve, where imagination is the only limit. ISRO, it is your turn now to live up to the expectations and imaginations of these young minds!

:) Congratulations, and now the SKY is the Limit, but just that those are Martian skies!

!! गणपती बाप्पा मोरया !!

There is a reason why HE is called the Lord of the Lords. There is a reason why he is worshiped before any new beginnings. HE enters majestically and leaves with equal pomp. And just how He touches our lives in few days of his presence!

The otherwise cozy city transforms overnight to welcome. The true essence of Pune witnessed during these ten days. A wave of energy and optimism grips all. Every one wants the best for their Bappa. Flowers and flavours, for him. His favourite Modaks become each ones favourite! The only sound--Dhol Tasha, the only chant- Morya! Morya! The narrow lanes of the city become huge khau gallis. Colour, glitter, shimmer, rangolis! All roads lead to the 'temples of honour' ( मानाचे गणपती ) and to the very adored Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati

And just as you wink, the celebration comes to an end. Its time to bid goodbye. But not all good things come to an end, they continue, teaching us to patiently wait. There is hope and a promise to come back soon ! The only words soothing the ear are पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या ! ! HE remains true to his word. 

( Not to be missed: 

मानाचे गणपती- Kasba Ganpati, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibaug, Kesariwada

Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati

Mahatma Phule Mandai, Market Yard Mandai, Hatti Ganpati, and many many more, each one beautiful in own way)

Witnessing the entire festival after years is indeed overwhelming! Come soon Bappa <3  We promise to be better. :) No camera can capture the magic. Yet some glimspes.

!! गणपती बाप्पा मोरया !!

Happy ME Day!

Its Teachers Day! And for the first time, I am on the to-be-wished side of the class. With less than a year of choosing to be a Teacher over a Scientist, I did not know what was in store for me. Just few months later, I discovered something so amazing- teaching! I was lucky enough to be at one of the best colleges/University/Institute. And with students varying from absolutely multifaceted undergraduates (who are professional even with their hobbies), to curious Cadets (who want to know about everything from Blackholes to Bermuda triangle), to responsible Officers (sharing their work experiences), to extremely dedicated University students (asking about jobs, projects from Day-1), I have something new to learn from them, every single day! 

Teaching does not age with years passing by! 

It takes you in a higher energy level. It works as a therapy, as soon as you enter the class, all you know is that you have to teach. And for those moments, all you know is that you are a teacher. And yet, you realize that you don't teach, you learn in the process. Learn from the students who come from all parts of India and world, learn from their smart questions, learn about the same old world, but from their perspective! You are in your own kingdom, with the subject you chose to be with you forever. For those who love to learn and be up-to-date with changing times, it is the best way for certain. In the process we learn our own weaknesses, and strengthen our skills. It isn't a profession, it becomes a way of Life. Couldn't be better right?

Teachers are those lucky few, who remain students for Life!

Just as I begin this new lease, I Thank my wonderful teachers, who influenced me in small and big ways, beyond books and beyond classes. For being that bridge between the known and unknown, for appreciation and motivation at all times. I hope I can carry their legacy of imparting knowledge and nurturing minds with similar dedication. 

Perfectly imperfect!

Imperfections in us are like little impurities in mineral, they add colour and beauty!

Stay imperfect. Stay beautiful. Accept yourself. 

Rains

The wait is over.
Yes, rain is here!
Pitter, patter, drop by drop
and then a drizzle turns into a shower.
 
All senses coming alive,
hear the rain as it sings a song
see the rain as it cleanses all
smell the freshness
and feel the drops.

Sometimes with a cool breeze,
sometimes with a thunderstorm,
and a rainbow if you are lucky enough!

The wait is over, rain is here!
 
Only if it could wash away sorrows too!

 

A year wiser!

A year that was..

Yes, I am the one whose new year begins from today! :) and my resolutions 'revised' now! We love to ponder about the past year before we begin the new one. Its often perplexing and incredible how a year in life has so much to offer! 

Hearing my own thoughts,

taking that huge leap of faith,

hopping places,

choices made,

decisions unregretted,

Believing in non believing

Yet miracles hoped.

While I can't thank the Universe enough for the innumerable blessings I have received as family and friends and this Life itself, I do have a few complaints too! (Yes, I am a normal human). We have heard a lot about the Universe conspiring to fulfill your truest and deepest of wishes, but what if it conspires against it (wicked, ah?). Well, then it makes sure it gives you abundant resilience, and another belief to cling on! 

Year after year,

way finds it way,

some lost

some straight

and there you are again.

Well, its no end

its a new beginning

and we cleverly say,

it was not a mistake

it is an experience!

A year wiser, realizing 

that some questions will always remain unanswered,

that some things need not be won, just accepted,

that even losing, teaches you humility

that Yesterday is stubborn, it makes sure of taking your present peace and future dreams,

That you cannot unlearn to love and hope

and that 'time' will love to play strangely.

With this, you guide yourself,

be your own lighthouse

and follow your bliss. 

Its also been a year for ' I, my Kaleidoscope and the world' :) (Definitely I can do better than this, !).

Another journey around the Sun begins. 

Of old places and old friends

When the monsoon seems far, chasing the clouds will take you places. 

And if those are old places you often visited, the feeling is filled with nostalgia.

Even the barren Deccan landscape seems bright!

The winding roads seem adventurous and steep climb fun. Clouds hover, breeze blows and craziness takes over. 

Yes, you've made sure to take an old friend to old places.

<3

Fossils : The Frozen Time

"No fossil is buried with its birth certificate" - Henry Gee, in Search of Deep Time: Beyond the Fossil Record to a New History of Life.

Fossils, the preserved remains, traces or impressions of life, are the physical evidences of past life and the environment. They freeze the time, many a times capturing the conditions a million years away from where any human began! These humble things speak volumes. A tiny shell can recite about the environment conditions and composition. Huge information is derived from them- past geologic time, mode of life, palaeoecology, how our Earth was, how life has evolved, and why we can relate or correlate one place to other. They even help us to 'categorise' or break the vast span of 4.6 billion years since Earth formed thus providing the 'Relative time'. The geological events are best described on basis of fossil content and a 'staircase' of time can be constructed. 

http://www.stratigraphy.org/index.php/ics-chart-timescale

The Hadean Eon is the 'hidden'portion of geologic time with negligible rock record or diagnostic fossils. The Archaen Eon often called as Eon of first life shows oldest know fossils. The first life forms probably arose around 3.8 billion years ago in the form of primitive organisms resembling bacteria and cyanobacteria. The Proterozoic saw multicellular life, colonial algae, sponges, and soft bodies invertebrates. The Ediacaran fauna dominated from 635 to 541 Ma.  The Phanerozoic came with complex life. The Palaeozoic Era saw a dramatic explosion of life, during Cambrian (Cambrian explosion), where most widespread diversification of life occurred, especially in oceans. Trilobites dominate the Cambrian fossil record. Life's quest on land too began by end of Ordovician. Plants began to colonize land. Jawless fishes, molluscs and corals flourished in oceans. First land plants, first amphibians, appearance of first reptiles characterizes Palaeozoic. Huge forest swamps occured in Carboniferous and Permian (that is how we get most of the coal from this strata).  What started with a great explosion of life ended with a dramatic extinction in Palaeozoic. The Permian extinction, the greatest extinction event in history of Earth, devastated marine biota-corals, echinoderms, graptolites, crinoids, trilobites. The lineages that survived went ahead in evolution and spread. 

Reptiles flourished and dominated the next era to come- Mesozoic. Dinosaurs ruled (remember Jurassic Park?) . Invertebrate life was dominated by the Ammonites and Belemnites along with Sponges, Crinoids, Echinoids. Crustaceans such as the first crabs made their appearance. Brachiopods declined, while Bivalves become more abundant. Amphibians were represented too. Flowering plants, or angiosperms also first appeared during this span. The famous Archaeopteryx, appeared in the upper Jurassic. The end of Cretaceous saw another huge event in geologic history with extinction. Dinosaurs were wiped out along with some marine invertebrates. The Cenozoic Era began with extinction of dinosaurs and is called "Age of Mammals". Whales, Saber tooth cats, horses, apes, elephants, giant sloths and finally humans appeared ~ 2-1.8 Ma. 

So, the way life has evolved and formed this complex staircase is extremely important in Palaeontology. The study of these fossils and their various aspects of formation, characteristics, types, evolution, etc. converges into a branch called Palaeontology. Fossils include everything from skeletons, teeth, impressions, parts preserved, cast or mold, tracks, bores, etc. From micro fossils to massive mammoths. A very small amount of life is preserved as fossils, as most of it decays. This process of preserving or fossilization in itself is complex yet wonderful. Rapid burial of the life form, undisturbed conditions, quick accumulation of sediments are some basic necessities. Best preserved in sedimentary rocks, on rare occasions unaltered remains or entire form may be preserved (extreme cold, dryness). Most of the times, it may be altered, or a cast or mould is formed. We  have mega fossils, which may be from animals or plants. Then there is Micropalaeontology, which deals with study of remains of micro organisms preserved as micro fossils. It is a 

huge weapon with numerous applications and scope. Summed beautifully as " The microscopic organisms are very inferior in individual energy to lions and elephants, but in their united influence they are far more important than all of these animals. " (Kennett, 1988). Ichnofossils, includes tracks & trails, bores-borings, footprints, coprolites, etc. 

 Fossils-the connecting links, the guiding tools, and literally a data chip holding information several 'GB' in a single place, maybe primitive but modern day geology and discoveries are still based on them. 

Some things last forever, no not just diamonds :) 

And Nature ensures it has created good impressions- the footprints in sands of time, the geologist's clock!

P.S: My love for fossils is pretty 'recent', ever since I own one gifted by a dear friend <3 Thanks!

 

Starry Starry Night

Astronomy, inarguably the oldest science known to us, is ever fascinating and ever mysterious! From the realms of our planet to the outer worlds, from the ocean of stars to the clouds where the stars themselves are born, astronomy is wide in its platform, having something for all. For me, it simply means the love for stars. Where these tiny twinkling points mean happiness and hope, a reason and beyond reasons. Most important, I feel, its extent and scope cannot be limited by human imagination or scientific definitions! Infinite, unlimited, unknown. Yes, it is indeed for those who don't work within boundaries!

Astronomers Without Borders is a global astronomy community where astronomy lovers and educators interact and participate in observing, outreach and arts in astronomy. One People, One Sky is what they believe in. 

http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/

The ongoing Global Astronomy Month is its annual celebration and their Global Star Party the ultimate observing event! April 5th was the set date for the event. It means that on this day people all over the world come out under the stars and skywatch! A wonderful concept of connecting and true to 'Astronomers Without Borders' theme that boundaries vanish when we look skyward. As a part of this Global celebrations and monthly scheduled public skywatching event, India's oldest amateur astronomy association and Pune's one of the most active- Jyotirvidya Parisanstha (JVP) organised a star party. 

http://www.jvp.org.in/

The event saw a great response with curious Punekars participating in it. It was held at Karandi village, near Nasrapur. JVP, equipped with it telescopes and a team of enthusiastic volunteers did an excellent show. Sky show, constellation identification, star lores, comet presentation, astro antakshari and of course telescopic viewing of Moon, Mars (with polar caps visible), Saturn (rings a stunner as usual), Jupiter (and its 4 huge moons) and the Orion Nebula, until the clouds played a spoil sport! It doesn't dampen the spirit, in fact it gives a reason to go the next time too! Its exciting as much as informative to attend the public star parties, with fun, friends and stars!

Go out, look up, appreciate the beauty!

You are bound to connect. 

Clear skies :)
On a lighter note, 

Black and White

Some thing here and there,
some thing black and white!