Supermoon V/s Perseid meteor shower - the battle Begins !!

On Aug. 10, the moon turns full at 2:09 p.m. EDT, and just nine minutes earlier it will arrive at its closest point to the Earth in 2014 at a distance of 221,765 miles (356,896 km), making this a so-called "supermoon." Expect a large range in ocean tides (exceptionally low to exceptionally high) for the next few days.

The biggest and brightest supermoon of the year is also to coincide with the biggest and brightest meteor shower. The two cosmic shows will "face off" between 10 and 13 August, resulting in what should be a beautiful night sky.

A supermoon occurs when the full moon is closer to Earth in its normal orbit than normal, making it look brighter and larger than normal. August's supermoon is when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in 2014 and it will appear in the night sky on 10 August. The Perseid meteor shower, which takes place between 9 and 14 August, is one of the best showers of the year, with at least 100 meteors appearing every hour.

On August 10, 2014, just as the Perseids are set to peak, the Moon will become full. Moreover, it will become full just as it reaches the place in its orbit (perigee) that is closest to Earth.  The perigee full Moon of August 10^th –also known as a supermoon– will be as much as 14% closer and 30% brighter than other full Moons of the year.

"This is bad news for the Perseids," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.  "Lunar glare wipes out the black-velvety backdrop required to see faint meteors, and sharply reduces counts."

The debris stream of Comet Swift-Tuttle is broad, and it is possible to see Perseids as early as late July, well before the Moon becomes full.

Also, notes Cooke, "the Perseids are rich in fireballs as bright as Jupiter or Venus. These will be visible in spite of the glare."

Using a network of meteor cameras distributed across the USA, Cooke's team has been tracking fireball activity since 2008, and they have built up a database of hundreds of events to analyze. Their data show the Perseids are the undisputed 'fireball champion' of annual meteor showers.  "We see more fireballs from Swift-Tuttle than any other parent comet," he says.

A warm summer night, a moonlit landscape, and an occasional fireball cutting past a supermoon: that's an ensemble with a special beauty all its own.  Enjoy the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkKzMAzT5fs&feature=youtu.be

OTBA - Open Text Based Assessment - A move towards Application Based Assessment !

1. Why has OTBA been introduced in only three subjects of Class XI; Why not in all subjects?
It has been decided to introduce OTBA in Class XI in only three subjects. Based on the feedback from teachers and students, the decision to extend it to more subjects will be taken.

2. The Board has been placing more importance on assessment of higher order thinking skills. Is recalling and remembering not important for students?
The importance of recalling and remembering cannot be denied in the teaching learning process. Based on knowledge of facts, figures, events, etc., that the learner is able to further process it, derive meaningful information and apply to new situations for further enrichment and extension of his learning. Hence it is very important that knowledge of facts and events should be very integral to the teaching learning process and should be used as a base to acquire more indepth information and skills.

3. Are students allowed to carry the Open text material with them to the examination Centre? Whether questions will be based on the same text material supplied to the schools?
As specified in the Circular No. 53, the question paper in each main subject will have a separate section of 10 marks for open-text-based assessment (OTBA). The OTBA section will comprise of text material
accompanied by 2-3 questions based on that text. Hence, there is no need of carrying the Open Text material to the Examination Centre.

4. Will the questions in examination be based on the open text material supplied to students?
The questions under OTBA Section will not be directly based on the text material supplied. Rather it will test the students’ ability to apply the learnt concepts to given situation. The students will be tested on their ability to comprehend, analyze and interpret, the given situation, offer suggestions and opinions on the given issues based on their knowledge of concepts.

5. The sample questions on OTBA uploaded by the board for classes IX & XI is final or the board will again supply questions for annual examination?
The Questions given along with the Open Text Material in different subjects are only as Samples. The teachers are expected to use them as base and develop more such open ended questions for use by students. The Examination Questions will be different from the ones given as Samples.

6. The board has announced that there will be OTBA on all main subjects in class IX, but questions on Sanskrit is not there. So whether OTBA will be only on Hindi or the board will supply the same for Sanskrit also?
The OTBA has been introduced at present in the five main subjects of Secondary level, i.e., Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science.

7. How should teachers take up open text material in class room situation.
The teachers should read, discuss and analyze them with respect to:
• Their objectives.
• Concepts involved
• Application of concepts to situation
• Description and further explanation of the Case/problem
• Higher Order thinking skills involved.
• Analysis with different perspectives.
They should then assign them to students in groups for further analysis and discussions.

8. How questions for the OTBA section will be supplied by the CBSE and when?
The questions for the OTBA section will be supplied by the CBSE through Integrated Test Management System (ITMS) in the months of February/March 2014.

9. Please mention the mark allotment for Geography, Biology and Economics to be conducted for the annual exam 2014.
With the inclusion of OTBA section of 10 marks the weightings of marks assigned to various units of the Geography, Biology and Economics Syllabus will proportionately reduce as shown in Circular No. Acad-78/2013 .- Source Mycbseguide.com

The Mound of the Dead - Mohenjo-daro

(IPA: [muˑənⁱ dʑoˑ d̪əɽoˑ], Urdu: موئن جودڑو‎, Sindhi: موئن جو دڙو, lit. Mound of the Dead;English pronunciation: /moʊˌhɛn.dʒoʊ ˈdɑː.roʊ/),

is an archeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2600 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, and one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, contemporaneous with the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. Mohenjo-daro was abandoned in the 19th century BCE, and was not rediscovered until 1922. Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.^[1] 

Mohenjo-daro, the modern name for the site, simply means Mound of the Dead in Sindhi. The city's original name is unknown, but analysis of a Mohenjo-daro seal suggests a possible ancient Dravidian name, Kukkutarma ("the city [-rma] of the cockerel [kukkuta]").^[3] Cock-fightingmay have had ritual and religious significance for the city, with domesticated chickens bred there for sacred purposes, rather than as a food source.^[4]

The ancient Indus Valley Civilization of Northwest South Asia, including Pakistan and parts of India, was prominent in hydraulic engineering, and had many water supply and sanitation devices that were the first of their kind.

Among other things, they contain the world's earliest known system of flush toilets. These existed in many homes, and were connected to a common sewerage pipe. Most houses also had private wells. City walls functioned as a barrier against floods.

Mohenjo-daro has a planned layout based on a street grid of rectilinear buildings. Most were built of fired and mortared brick; some incorporated sun-driedmud-brick and wooden superstructures. The sheer size of the city, and its provision of public buildings and facilities, suggests a high level of social organization. At its peak of development, Mohenjo-daro could have housed around 35,000 residents.

Mohenjo-daro was successively destroyed and rebuilt at least seven times. Each time, the new cities were built directly on top of the old ones. Flooding by the Indus is thought to have been the cause of destruction.

Source: - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohenjo-daro

Is There An Underground UFO Base At Indo-China Border?

The Army troops deployed along the China border from Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh in northeast have reported more than 100 sightings of "Unidentified Flying Objects" (UFOs) in the last three months. Agencies including the Army, DRDO, NTRO and the ITBP have not yet been able to identify these luminous flying objects.
http://www.mysteriology.in/ufo-at-india-china-border.html
http://www.ufodigest.com/india.html

Jupiter, Venus and Mercury now within a 3-degree circle

Jupiter, Venus and Mercury are within a 3-degree circle on the sky’s dome on May 25-27, 2013. May 26 is the closest grouping of these three planets until the year 2021

The planetary trio has begun! That’s when three planets fit within a circle with a 5-degree, or smaller, diameter. Jupiter, Venus and Mercury meet that definition of a planetary trio from May 24-29, 2013. And they’ll be even closer – all be about 3 degrees apart – as evening dusk falls on May 25, 26 and 27. May 26 is the closest grouping of these three planets until the year 2021. If your sky is clear – and your horizon unobstructed – look for the planets in the west as soon as the sun sets on these May 2013 evenings. You’ll easily find the two brightest planets there: Venus and Jupiter. The innermost planet Mercury is fainter, but you’ll see it. Some are calling this late May 2013 event a triple conjunction, but a more fitting and descriptive name is planetary trio.

When and how do I look for the three planets? Start looking just after the sun goes down, about 30 minutes after sunset. Jupiter and Venus are now easily visible – both very bright – but they are low in the western twilight. Trees or tall buildings will block them from view. Mercury is also visible to the eye now. They are a very noticeable grouping, low in the twilight sky. Just be sure to look soon after the sun sets, because they’ll soon follow the sun below the western horizon.

Note that all three planets should be close enough together now for simultaneous binocular viewing. You can see them with the eye alone. Binoculars will enhance your enjoyment of the twilight scene.

Jupiter, Venus Mercury daily viewing guide

On May 24, Mercury passes Venus less than 2 degrees from Venus in right ascension. Around this time, the three planets will begin to look like a triangle in the twilight. Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury now all fit within a 5-degree circle and will stay that close together until May 29.

On May 26, the triangle of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will be most compact, closer than you’ll see them again until 2021. Your thumb at arm’s length will almost cover them.

By May 27, the triangle is beginning to disperse, but wait … keep watching.

On May 28, Venus passes Jupiter in right ascension, at a distance of 1 degree. The two brightest worlds 1 degree apart! It’ll be an awesome sight

http://earthsky.org/space/venus-jupiter-mercury-late-may-2013-triple-conjunction-planetary-trio-may-26

Shuttle "Discovery": Pre-Flight Activities, Rarely Seen by the General Public

These photos deserve a wide viewing audience: the amount of thought and engineering that goes into every launch is immense; each successful take-off represents the Mankind's finest effort, and is a wonder to behold.

 

External tank arrives by barge from Louisiana:






External tank approaches Vertical Assembly Building (VAB):



Removing external tank:












Preparing to lift the tank to vertical:



Lifting the tank:



Solid rockets are attached:



Orbiter: External tank with Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB):



Engines are attached to the shuttle in the Orbiter Processing Facility:












Shuttle in sling ready for lift in VAB:



Shuttle has been moved to VAB and will be attached to external tank:






Shuttle is attached:












Payload Preparation in Space Station Processing Facility:






Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM):



Payload carrier leaves Canister Rotation Facility:






Payload being moved to Launch Pad:






Lifting payload into position for insertion into "Discovery"
when it arrives at the pad:









Shuttle "Discovery" leaves VAB:






Trip to launch:
Length - 3 1/2 mi
Time - 6-8 hours
Arrow indicates the Launch Pad.






Crawler Control






"Discovery" arrives at Pad:



Payload is also inside the Launch Pad:












Ready for Launch:



We Have Lift Off !

 

Soure:  http://www.funonthenet.in/articles/space-shuttle.html