Showing posts with label Wonderful Universe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wonderful Universe. Show all posts
ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission a
GRAND SUCCESS!
 |
| Mars meets MOM! |
India's name was engraved in the history books when Indian Space Research Organization's Mars Orbiter Mission was successful in it's maiden voyage to enter into Mars' orbit. India also became the first every Asian country and the fourth country on the globe to reach Mars. A key feature of this mission was its cost efficiency. India was able to successfully launch this mission at a cost of just $72 million! This amount is relatively less as compared to the $672 million MAVEN Mars Orbiter launched by NASA and even less than the Hollywood Oscar-Winning film Gravity which costed a $100 million. Not only this, India's Mars mission was completely indigenous. The entry into Mars' atmosphere was India's first attempt to enter into the Elite Space Club which included powerful space organizations like NASA, ESA and Soviet Space Program.
 |
| Artist's rendering of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) |
This achievement of the developing nation and largest democracy in the word - India was acknowledged all of the world. India also has plans of sending an Indian-Astronaut on the Moon in the year 2020.
The Mars Orbiter Mission or MOM is special as well as incredibly important for India in order to march towards becoming a developed nation. MOM was launched on 5th November 2014 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre situated in Sriharikota, India. The scientists at ISRO were successful in entered the orbiter into Mars' orbit on 24th September 2014. It was a historic moment for all the Indians as well the whole world. India became the first every country on the planet to be successful in its first ever mission. This also proved that developing countries like India with with not-so-modern technological equipment's and a tight budget and can send indigenous spacecrafts to Mars!
The Mars Orbiter even started tweeting after its insertion into Mars' orbit.
The orbiter's first tweet? "What is red, is a planet and is the focus of my orbit?"
Second tweet? "I'll be back after breakfast. Good ol' sunlight. It's good for your battery."
The Orbiter also tweet to NASA's Curiosity Rover:
"Howdy @MarsCuriosity ? Keep in touch. I'll be around."
The Rover replied: "Namaste, @MarsOrbiter! Congratulations to @ISRO and India's first interplanetary mission upon achieving Mars orbit."
The Mars Orbiter also sent back some high definition pictures of Mars from its orbit:
Not only this, but the Orbiter has also sent a 3-D image of Mars!
Being an Indian, it's a very proud moment! The Indian Gov. received criticism for spending INR 450 crore(about $75 million) on this mission when people in the country are suffering from malnutrition, unemployment and lack of basic facilities.
To such people : Please read the facts provided below.
The fact that Mangalyaan was funded INR 450 crores by the Indian Govt. is true. But it is also true that the amount above is only 0.0039% of India's GDP. For a country like India in today's world, it is essential to develop as well maintain growth which are two completely different factors. Any government must allot a certain amount of money for scientific research and development. The Indian Govt. provides just 0.038% of it's G.D.P to ISRO which is comparatively nil compared to the thousands of crores being spent of the initiatives for upliftment of the Indian society.
- U.S and India to collaborate on Mars Mission:
 |
| Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Barack Obama |
The newly elected Prime Minister of the 1.25 billion population country- India visited the United States of America. PM Narendra Modi meet the United States President Barack H. Obama and the two nations have agreed to collaborate with each other for Mars Exploration Missions. This is a huge step for both countries as well as the world for the growth of space-exploration. This will also hopefully strengthen the Indian Economy.
My personal opinion is that whatever happens, the scientific community should strive in the name of SCIENCE! It is science that will continue to exist but not political parties, nations, governments even public opinion! Explore the wonderful universe without any vicarious intentions by simply being altruistic.
Theory Of General Relativity Passes TOUGHEST Test Yet...
 |
| Theory of General Relativity - Gravity |
It's been almost 100 hundred years since the one of the greatest theoretical-physicist, Albert Einstein published his Theory Of General Relativity(1916) which laid the foundation of modern physics. Before I write further, here's what General Relativity means :
The Theory Of General Relativity helps explain the force of gravity in terms of a four dimensional space-time. It was based on the idea that the laws of science should be the same for any observer irrespective of their velocity.
The BOSS(Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey) studied more than 600,000 galaxies(only a small fraction of whats out there) to measure the interaction of their gravity. These are said to be the most precise calculations of the gravitational interaction between galaxies. This was the toughest test that the theory of relativity had to face due to its scale of observation and precision. That's what makes it special, because the General Theory of Relativity has succeeded in explaining this phenomenon too!
The Theory Of General Relativity helps explain the force of gravity in terms of a four dimensional space-time. It was based on the idea that the laws of science should be the same for any observer irrespective of their velocity.
Like the name suggests, general relativity is a "theory" and not a fundamental law. A theory is considered a law when it can be applied to every single thing it talks about. This is obtained by experimental observations. Scientists have been making calculations and studying macro-objects like galaxies,etc. since the past century only to find that Albert Einstein's General Theory has been consistent with them(not Special Relativity). But you can't take anything for granted because the next finding could contradict what a proposed theory suggests and therefore refute it(which has happened with many!)
The BOSS(Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey) studied more than 600,000 galaxies(only a small fraction of whats out there) to measure the interaction of their gravity. These are said to be the most precise calculations of the gravitational interaction between galaxies. This was the toughest test that the theory of relativity had to face due to its scale of observation and precision. That's what makes it special, because the General Theory of Relativity has succeeded in explaining this phenomenon too!
 |
| Credit - BOSS / Univ. of Portsmouth |
Studying 600,000 galaxies isn't certainly an easy task. Almost all the galaxies are a part of a cluster called "galaxy clusters" which makes it even difficult to determine the individual gravitational effect as these galaxies tend to fall inwards. The BOSS team was able to calculate the force of the gravity with a precision of 6% which is a lot though it doesn't seem like. The predictions made by the General Theory of Relativity look to be "perfectly" consistent as written by Astronomy.com. The General Theory of Relativity has helped modern-physics reach the forever extending peak of science. The predictions made by Albert Einstein in his theories have been consistent everywhere and every time.
"Lets remember the man, Albert Einstein, one of the greatest thinkers to ever walk this planet and shape modern-physics thereby helping us open one of the many uncharted doors to this Wonderful Universe! "
VOYAGER - 1
 |
| Voyager 1 |
Voyager 1 is a space probe drifting through the vast, dark and never ending realm in the heavens. One cannot imagine the distance it has traveled,the silence it has observed and how lonely it has been for the past 36 years. YES! 36 YEARS...
Why would you want to know about it? NASA has sent out so many probes... how'd you be benefited from knowing about Voyager 1 ? Basically, what makes Voyager so special?
Speaking on it's "importance"... Voyager isn't just any ordinary probe which collects information and sends it back to our Planet Earth. It is an element of our presence in this universe(at least the Solar System). The probe is out there to make our presence felt! That there are HUMANS living somewhere, that we are more than just curious to know what's out there and that we want to know if we humans have any "neighbor(s)". The probe has provided us with such valuable information and some mind-boggling images that will make you ponder about our EXISTENCE!
Why would you want to know about it? NASA has sent out so many probes... how'd you be benefited from knowing about Voyager 1 ? Basically, what makes Voyager so special?
- THE STORY OF VOYAGER 1
This extra-ordinary piece of equipment(then) was launched by NASA. It was manufactured by JPL or Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The probe weighs about 722 kilograms.The intent was to explore the far reaches of our Solar System which is 1 light years across. The space probe sends data to and receive commands from the Deep Space Network[DSN]. The space probe has flown by Saturn , Jupiter and many and has encountered many other celestial object. Launched on 5th September 1977 the space-probe has been collecting data day-and-night since 36 years,6 months and 6 days(as of 11th March 2014). I don't think it'd be wrong to say that Voyager-1 is our "Cosmic Representative".
Speaking on it's "importance"... Voyager isn't just any ordinary probe which collects information and sends it back to our Planet Earth. It is an element of our presence in this universe(at least the Solar System). The probe is out there to make our presence felt! That there are HUMANS living somewhere, that we are more than just curious to know what's out there and that we want to know if we humans have any "neighbor(s)". The probe has provided us with such valuable information and some mind-boggling images that will make you ponder about our EXISTENCE!
- The Pale Blue Dot
 |
| The Pale Blue Dot by Voyager 1 |
That is "us"! Everything around you, and on this planet,is that hardly visible point in the frame! That is OUR Planet Earth.... Feel very small right? Voyager 1 took this AMAZING picture on 14th February 1990 from a staggering distance of about 6 Billion Kilometers(3.7 billion miles) Orbiting our star , the Sun within the deep darkness of the space. But the "pond-creatures" I wrote about in my first post still don't care to THINK about it, our existence and our uniqueness! This isn't the view from outside our Solar System or some very far-away place. If we're so "insignificant" on this scale, what would our importance be on a galactic level? HOW much there is to explore! The million dollars you possess is nowhere compared to this spectacle. Now think how small our sphere of thought is?!
- The Sounds Of Earth
 |
| The Sounds of Earth on Voyager 1 |
The crew behind the space probe Voyager also had something else in their mind. They wanted this probe to make our presence felt wherever it goes. So, they mounted a vinyl record containing almost most musical notes, languages, diversity,etc present on our Planet. It has images, natural and artificial sounds of the diversity on Earth. It's an attempt to make the extra terrestrial life(if any) provide information about our planet and ourselves beforehand. The possibility of this happening is almost negligible. But that's what makes us humans,we don't just give up! We hope for the "best" or at least try to! The space probe is supposed to work until 2025 when it will stop generating enough power for it's components which would certainly be a depressing moment in the lives of those who were behind the project. Because this is the probe that represents us in the vast cosmic "ocean" out there. The ocean we haven't ever physically voyaged. This Voyager, the creation of us human beings is our HOPE . It's our eyes to view the distant stars and stellar beauties.
— U.S. President Jimmy Carter The Blog Post was inspired by Cosmos : A Space-Time Odyssey hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. |