Volume 12

Republic Day, January 26, 2007

It gives me immense pleasure to have had the privilege of bringing out one more issue of TARA, this time as part of the Republic Day celebrations. All photographs appearing on the inside pages are in black and white, as usual. They will, however, appear in colour in the e-version of the issue which will be available on the IIA Intranet. I thank Prof. S.S.Hasan to have kindly consented to send a message to the readers of TARA when I requested him for one. I thank him for sparing his precious time amidst other more important engagements to prepare and send a nice message. The Director has also kindly set the date for the next annual day celebrations. The annual day of the Institute will be celebrated on April 21, 2007, with some of the sports events beginning about a week earlier. My thanks are due to Dr. R.Ramesh, Organizing Secretary, IHY 2007 Workshop, Dr. R.Kariyappa, Working Team Member, IIA Suvarna Karnataka Rajyothsava Committee, and Mr. H S. Nataraj, YAM Convener, for sharing the photographs taken during the programmes and functions in which they held responsible positions. I also thank Mr. T.K.Muralidas for the Independence Day photographs. I thank Mr. D.Kanagaraj and Mr. P.N.Prabhakara for their help in photocopying and binding this issue.

− R.M.Paulraj

Coordinator, Editorial Team Cover drawing: Mickey mouse, by B.R.Pranav, s/o Dr. Raghavendra Prasad

TARA, Vol. 12, January 26, 2007 Indian Institute of Astrophysics

Contents 1. From the Director’s desk 1

2. Welcome 2

3. Astronomical quiz 3

4. The PIN number to your rescue 5

5. Humour and health 6

Poetry

6. Realize 7

7. A loner 7

8. Neram othukkungal (Spare some time) - Tamil poem 8

9. Annadhaathana aadmahathye (The farmers’ suicide)

- Kannada poem 9

10. Thaayi (Mother) - Kannada poem 10

11. Vayassu (Age) - Kannada poem 10

12. Pahachaan (Identity) - Hindi poem 11

Functions and photos

13. Independence Day celebrations, 2006 13

14. Some scenes from the IHY Workshop, 2006 14

15. Suvarna Karnataka Rajyothsava Day celebrations 15

16. Some views of the Young Astronomers’ Meet, Jan.

3-5, 2007 16

17. And finally, Farewell! 17

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1. From the Director’s desk

I am happy to see the initiative taken to bring out TARA, which serves an important role in highlighting various activities and events at the Institute. We are currently involved in many new initiatives and programmes. Good progress has been achieved in the design and fabrication of UVIT, the main ultraviolet payload to be launched on India's first dedicated satellite ASTROSAT. The Institute has several national and international collaborative programmes which are progressing well. A major international conference was held in November at IIA as part of the international heliophysical year (IHY) with over 150 Indian and foreign participants. A fresh activity in the form of a series of schools at Kodaikanal for graduate students and young researchers commenced recently. The first school, held in December 2006, was on Solar Physics and had a distinguished international panel of instructors. Recently the Institute hosted the 10th meeting of young amateur astronomers (YAM). In addition IIA has launched a programme of education and public outreach as part of which our scientists have lectured extensively in schools and colleges across the country. Among our fresh initiatives are two major observational projects for setting up National Large Solar and Optical Telescopes. A new student hostel will soon come up near the Institute and plans are underway to build new laboratories and offices. We are also taking steps to strengthen the infrastructure of the Institute as well as address welfare issues. The Institute celebrated Annual Day and Suvarana Rajyotsava with a large participation from staff members and their families. With your support and co-operation I look forward to a very active and fruitful period in the life of our institute. I wish TARA all success.

− Prof. S.S.Hasan

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2. Welcome!

The following people have joined the Institute in the last four months. Let us extend a warm welcome to all of them. Staff

Dr. Stalin C.S., Scientist ‘C’, CREST PDF

Dr. Kathiravan C., Post Doctoral Fellow, Bangalore Dr. Varendra Das, Post Doctoral Fellow, Bangalore JRF Mr. Amit Shukla, Junior Research Fellow, Bangalore Ms. Sumangala Rao S., Junior Research Fellow, Bangalore Ms. Roopashree M.B., Junior Research Fellow, Bangalore Ms. Anusha L.S., Junior Research Fellow, Bangalore Associates Dr. Malay Kumar Nayak, Research Associate, Bangalore Trainees Mr. Jaikumar C., Trainee Draughtsman, Bangalore

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3. Astronomical quiz

(The first two all correct entries, received within 3 days, to get special prizes)

1. Which object in the solar system has the fastest frequency of rotation? What is its oblateness?

2. Who printed the first map to show the path of totality of a solar eclipse and during which eclipse was this?

3. What is special about the star R 23? 4. Asteroid No.7189 Kuniko, is named after which person? Who is

known for what discovery? 5. Which is the coldest known white dwarf and how far away from earth

is it? 6. A Japanese barber discovered a nova during the total solar eclipse of

19 June 1936. Name him and the nova he discovered. 7. During which solar eclipse were prominences clearly identified with

the sun and who was the observer? 8. Which French astronomer, who was mayor of Paris, was executed

during the French Revolution and for what reason? 9. He was an editor of Astronomical Journal and first estimated the

mass of Titan. Who was it? 10. Which total solar eclipse played a decisive influence in Spanish

history, marking the victory of Charles III over Philip V in the war of succession

11. Who introduced the Julian Day Calendar and for what purpose? 12. The amateur astronomer who identified the Crab Nebulae and also

observed a rare occultation of a planet by another planet. Who was this and when did he observed the phenomena?

13. Name the brewer who set up a telescope in Malta and discovered many satellites of the giant planets, among other things.

14. Where would you find Arago’s ring and objects Larissa, Prometheus and Bianca?

15. Name two satellites of Uranus which are not named after characters in Shakespeare’s plays.

16. Stony-iron meteorites named after a town in Pakistan? 17. Jupiter XIX is also known as -- -------? 18. British Astronomer who during Venus transit of 1869 measured earth

– sun distance to 1% and also from plumbline deviation got density of the earth?

19. Neumann bands are found emanating from which celestial objects? 20. The only celestial object to be named after a part of the human body.

How did it come about?

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21. In which story does the planet `Lukash’ occur and what is special about this Object?

22. The object Joo2E3 was later identified as? 23. Which celestial object has the name of a person in Pope’s `Rape of the

Lock’? 24. `A neutron star found at F sharp’. What does this mean? 25. Who discovered the first of a class of objects called Damocloids and

what are they? 26. Where would you find the following clusters (a) IRS 13 (b) Datura

− C. Sivaram

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4. The PIN number to your rescue

It is not uncommon these days to hear about people getting waylaid on the way back home after dusk.

Credit cards and ATM cards are among the main items the ingenious robbers look for in a victim. They bundle him into a car or auto and take him to an ATM outlet and force him to withdraw money and flee the place with the cash. Sometimes they force the victim to reveal the PIN number and check out whether he had given the correct number. If a person pretends to have forgotten the PIN number (to avoid losing money) he gets beaten up till he gives out the correct number. The modus operandi is so simple. There is no escape.

There is a security feature incorporated in the design of the card that will be of great help in such situations.

If you are forced to withdraw money by someone you can inform the police by entering your PIN number in the reverse order. For example, if your number is 1234 just key in 4321. The ATM recognizes your identity and gives you the amount requested and simultaneously informs the police, without the knowledge of the robbers. (I don’t know how this would work in case of palindromic numbers). The police will be immediately dispatched to the spot and in all likelihood the culprits will be caught.

I can not give any assurance about the efficiency of this security feature as I never had the opportunity to test it. I only wish that none of you ever happen to use it either.

− R.M.Paulraj

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5. Humour and health

Dhyaana, praanaayaama, yoga, homour and morning walk are meant to keep the person in good health and happiness.

Life is like a journey by bullock cart with its ups and downs on a rutted road and it is humour that plays the role of lubricant that makes the axle run smoothly. The more the sense of humour the richer is the health. Laughter is good for health and it lightens the load of routine problems. A minute’s laughter makes a day happy and smoothens out that day’s work.

A smile should be a clean and genuine expression of the spirits and should not hurt the feelings of others. It is worth to cultivate a sense of humour. A sense of humour helps to counteract continuity in daily life. A smile, in a scientific sense, expands the nervous system and helps the free flow of blood in the body. With an inviting smile at a visitor one can make the visitor feel happy even without a cup of coffee.

A smile should be as natural and spontaneous as breathing. We like people who always smile, even before we smile at them.

A smile a day keeps the doctor away. Maintain an atmosphere filled with smiles in the house so that the entire life will be peaceful. No doubt, some persons may not know the meaning of laughter; that is a manufacturing defect. Laughter should not be reserved to be flashed only in front of a photographer. It should be ever green. Do not feel shy to laugh, do not underestimate laughter. Let others think whatever they like - but give a smile.

Humour also influences personality of people. Humour between wife and husband weld them together for a long and healthy life. There is a proverb “the man with a good sense of humour can hardly go to hell”.

Let us realize that the value of humour is much higher than that of other riches and wealths and cultivate a good sense of humour in our day to day life. Forget your worries, forget your misunderstandings, forget your past days, start a humourous life now onwards so that the rest of your lives will be filled with happiness and good health.

− A.Narasimharaju

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6. Realize

A person without Smile Is without Life!

A person without talk

Is without thought! A person without music

Is without lyric! A person without Laugh

Is always with a fall! A person living alone

Is always standalone! A person having all

Of Course! Is without Ball!

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7. A loner

Loner You are owner

of what? Obsession Depression Suppression Frustration Addiction

or Perfection.

− Saroj Ishwarlal

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8. Neram othukkungal (Spare some time)

ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்!

சிரிப்பதற்கு ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்

அது இதயத்தின் ஓைச! சிந்திப்பதற்கு ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்

அது சக்தியின் பிறப்பிடம்! விைளயாட ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்

அது இளைமயின் ரகசியம்! படிக்க ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்

அது அறிவின் ஊற்று! நட்புக்கு ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்

அது மகிழ்ச்சிக்கு வழி! தியானத்திற்கு ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்

அது ெதளிவுக்கு வழி! உைழப்புக்கு ேநரம் ஒதுக்குங்கள்

அது ெவற்றிக்கு வழி!

வின்ெசன்ட் ஏ. Vincent A.

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9. Annadhaathana aathmahathye (The farmers’ suicide)

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10. Thaayi (Mother)

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11. Vayassu (Age)

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12. Pahachaan (Identity)

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13. Independence Day celebrations, 2006

Prof. Vinod Krishan, Dean (A), hoists the tricolour

Prof. Vinod Krishan releases the Independence Day special issue of TARA

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14. Some scenes from the IHY Workshop, 2006

L – R: Prof. S.S.Hasan, Director, IIA, Dr. Madhulika Guhathakurta, NASA, Prof.

B.V.Sreekantan, Chairman, IIA Governing Council, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Director, NIAS, Prof. Hans Haubold, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs in

Vienna, and Dr. N.Gopalswamy. Dr. Joseph Davila, NASA, is partially seen.

A moment to cherish, the participants of the IHY Workshop

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15. Suvarna Karnataka Rajyothsava Day celebrations

The Director lighting the Suvarna Karnataka Rajyothsava deepa. Dr. R.Kariyappa is seen lending a helping hand.

A song in praise of the Karnataka maathe

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16. Some views of the Young Astronomers’ Meet, Jan. 3-5, 2007

The Director addressing the young astronomers

A section of the audience

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17. And finally, Farewell!

The Following employees have retired from service since August 2006. Let us wish them all a very happy and healthy retired life. Mr. R.Raju Cook ‘D’, Kodaikanal, Retired on 31-08-2006 Mr. N.Raju Gardener ‘B’, Kodaikanal, Retired on 31-08-2006 Dr. D.C.V.Mallik Professor, Bangalore, Retired on 30-09-2006 Mr. R.Perumal Lab. Asst. ‘B’ Kodaikanal, Proceeded

on VR 01-10-2006

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