The Moon Science...

The Moon - Earth's only natural satellite has always fascinated the human being. The mythical stories that we have been hearing from our childhood where Moon has been thought of as an Uncle, (Male) or as a beauty (various goddesses in various cultures across the world), or even as some big delicious food items like a Pappadam (or Papad) or a dosa or other popular items. In India, moon has always helped mothers to feed their reluctant children with stories and songs and lullabies around moon and its charm. 

One of the beautiful celestial events that have always fascinated us has been the lunar eclipse. Again, there are several stories and mythical events built around how a lunar eclipse happens and ancient cultures thought that the lunar eclipse - or for that matter any eclipse - also solar eclipse - was a bad omen. Cultures around the world have strange traditions built around the eclipses.

Times have changed. Now we have sent several probes and even human beings to our nearest celestial body. Now we know a lot more about the moon than our ancestors did. Now we know that moon is just another tiny planet which goes around our earth and that it gets its lights and shades from our own light source which is the Sun. The Sun along with its other planets, their moons, even smaller celestial bodies called exp-planets make what we now call as the Solar System. A tiny family of planets and their moons revolving round the little star which is the Sun.

Interestingly, even in this 21st century, a lot of people are still reluctant to shred their belief systems that revolve around the eclipses. Many still are comfortable in believing that the eclipses have much severe negative impacts on our health, the food, the life forms etc. Many people still think, one could not observe the eclipses or travel or eat or drink anything during an eclipse. Anyway, it may still take more time for people to come out of their safe comfort zones and as religion and its strong linkages loosen further with more education, scientific information being reached to the common man, before such superstitions are done away with.

Anyhow, another lunar eclipse is coming. A super moon which would be about 14% bigger than the normal moon we see (since the moon is a bit closer to the earth due to its elliptical orbit) and a red moon (some times also called copper moon or blood moon -see the different terms used - though it has nothing to do with either copper or blood) on the 31st January 2018. Some also call it as a Blue moon as it is the second full moon day in the same month of January 2018 which is again some what rare and hence called as a blue moon - as used in the literary sense where we say once in a blue moon - meaning happens only once in a while. But this is also not very correct.  Two full moons in a single month happens quite often - something like once in every 2.5 years or so, but may be because all such moons we may not see..

Anyway, dont miss out the opportunity to watch the lunar eclipse of 31st January 2018 as it would be a beautiful event with the red coloured moon rising just after about 6 pm that day. Do watch it and continue to wonder about the beauty of the universe, being part of an infinite universe, how each of us are not even a dust particle size compared to the vastness of the universe. How short lived we are, and how we due to our ignorance and arrogance, are destroying our own home, the Earth.. Keep appreciating and wondering and start respecting our infinitesimally tiny life spans and how we can come together and cultivate peace, love, friendship and all good things..

March 9, 2016: A partial solar eclipse fully eclipsed by the clouds..

March 9, 2016 had a partial solar eclipse which was partially visible from the east coast of India and we at Pondicherry Science Forum had hoped to catch a glimpse this which was supposed to have 24% obscuration from 6.20 to 6.47 am. We had informed the Science Centre attached to the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of Puducherry and Mr.Sathish and Sivakumar had also come to the Puducherry beach by about 6AM in the morning. We could see that the Thanthi TV had already set up their camera for uplinking to their channel.

The Gandhi Statue was a beautiful spot for all those who have visited Puducherry and against the morning sky, the silhouette of the statue was a beautiful site.






We could see thick clouds at the horizon but we hoped that by the sunrise time, they would move away or at least as the sun rises, we will be able to get at least a partial glimpse of the partial eclipse.  Though there were only about 20 minutes left for the sun to rise, the wait seemed to so long. The clouds stayed still thick at the horizon.








People seeing the TV camera, the telescope and the PSF team which included Aravindraja, Dakshinamurthy, Meena, Sengodethevan, Hemavathi, Maran etc started gathering near the beach front.


Looking at the sea and the clouds, I took a couple of shots which was interesting patterns of clouds.

I could also see a couple of catamarans which has started their fishing activity early in the morning totally oblivious of the eclipse going to happen. For most people, there are not much superstitions around the eclipse. Interestingly it is the religious middle class who give too much importance to these eclipses and the superstitions around them. For ordinary labourers, I dont think, they have the luxury of keeping themselves closed in their homes, or deciding to cook only after the eclipse is over etc. For them, even a day's wages lost is a huge loss.

It was already 6.20 am, then 6.21 am..and still there was no sign of the Sun emerging from the clouds. The eclipse was already on and was its maximum of 24% but the clouds would not oblige. Finally by 6.45 am, the top portion of the Sun emerges from the clouds but we knew that the moon would be blocking only the bottom hemisphere of the Sun's disc. THere was just 2 minutes left for the eclipse to get over and the chances were very meagre to catch a glimpse.

Anyhow, there was already a long que at  telescope to view the emerging sun and with a solar filter fitted, it was of course an amazing visual to watch the sun through the telescope which everybody do not get a chance...

And there, at 6.48 am just when the eclipse was completed and the moon would have moved out of the earth-sun line, the Sun emerged out of the clouds and here is the photo on the left side.

Anyhow, solar eclipses are still going to occur many more times, and I may still get chances to view them and even photograph them.. IT was a good day, to interact with lots of people, public and explain to them that it was the moon just crossing in between the sun and the earth and there was nothing to worry as proclaimed by the temple authorities all over India. IT is indeed an occasion to be cautious since viewing the eclipse with naked eyes could take away your precious eye sight..

A memorable day, though the clouds did the eclipsing , the one hour spent on the Puducherry beach road was satisfying and a couple of photos made my day too..

Death and Rebirth

We die momentarily 

When dear ones depart us
But we are reborn 
with their energies 
transferred to us
and may be 
they live in us, 
through us
Provided 
we are worthy 
of being the carrier of 
"their" lives..
for what
they stood 
in their lives,
the values they fought for
the virtues which they cultivated ...

Quite, still and serene...