டிசம்பர் மாத இரவு வான்
உபயோகிக்கும் முறை:
தலைக்கு மேலாக இவ்வரைபடத்தை அதில் உள்ள திசைகளுக்கு நேராக பிடித்துக்கொண்டு பார்க்கவும்.

June 2009 sky chart for Tamil Nadu

Night Sky Map for Tamil Nadu- June 2009

2009 ஜூன் மாத தமிழ் நாட்டிற்கான வான் வரை படம்
படத்தினை தெளிவாகக் காண அதை சொடுக்கவும்

Night Sky Chart for TamilNadu in May 2009

தமிழ் நாட்டிற்கான மே மாத இரவு வானம்

World Book Day Apr 23 2009

உலக புத்தக தினம்








உலகம் விரும்பும் கவிஞர் ஷேக்ஷ்பியர்ரின் பிறந்த தினம் உலக புத்தக தினமாக கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது . தமிழ் நாடு அறிவியல் இயக்கம் காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டத்தின் சார்பாக நம் மாவட்டத்தின் பல் வேறு இடங்களில் நிகழ்ச்சிகள் மற்றும் விற்பனைகள் ஏற்பாடுகள் செயப்பட்டு உள்ளன.

100 hours of Astronomy in our District

Day 1:
Apr2. 9am-10.30 am :Inaugurtion of 100hours of Astronomy -Introduction on International Year of Astronomy"Eyes on the skies" - DVD show for KV1, Kalpakkam Students

7pm-10pm : Sidewalk astronomy- Saturn and Tritan through our 5' Newtonian Telesope for around 1000 persons at minishopping complex, Kalpakkam.

Day 2:
Apr3. Cheyyur 7pm - 11pm : Film show on Chandrayaan 1 followed by Telescopic view of Saturn and introduction of constellation to 150 children and 200 adults.

Day3.:
Apr4. Kalpakkam 9am - 10.30am : Introduction on IYA2009 and DVD show " Eyes on the Skies" to the students of KV2, Kalpakkam

9pm - 3am : 24 hours Global Star Party Around 10 persons participated in the event.
Telescope Used: 5' Newtonian Reflector
The objects Seen:
THE MOON: the Craters Copernicus, Aristotle, Plato, Archimedies, Tycho & Eratanothenes, the Mountains Caucus, Alps and Apennines

Nakshatras and some constellation then some openclusters like jewelbox,nebula like Orion , Globular Clusters like Omega Centauri and Hercules, M13.

The Saturn and Titan

Day4
Apr5: 10am -12noon "History of astronomy" presentation at Manavalakalai Mandram, kalpakkam.

Sembakkam 3pm-4pm : Film show "Chandrayaan1"

"100hours of Astronomy" Started in our District

"The 100hours of astronomy" programme is being carried out thropught the world, from Apr2-5.
Apr2nd,9am:
Yesterday we inaugurated the event with a DVD show "Eyes on the Skies"-400 years of Telescopic Discoveries to the students of kendriya Vidyalaya No.1, Kalpakkam. Around 300 students participated in the Programme. Dr. N. Suriyamurthy and S.Parthasarathy of TNSF, Kalpakkam gave introduction about TNSF and IYA2009 respectively.
Apr.2nd, 7pm to 10pm:
We conducted a Sidewalk Astronomy programme to around 1000 residents of DAE township in a shopping complex. They first time witnessed the Saturn and its moon theTitan through our 5" Newtonian Telescope.

Statel Level Workshop On Astronomy - IYA 2009

This year has been declared as International Year of Astronomy by UNESCO. To bring this in our state,TNSF Kancheepuram Dist. conducted statlevel workshop on Astronomy to train the resource persons from the 28 districts of Tamil Nadu at Rettaimangalam village, Uthiramerur Block on 28 - 29 March, 2009.
The local MLA Mr.Sundar, chairman Mr.Thuraivelu, Mr. Ravi, State co-ordinator,Human Rights Organisations participated in the Inauguration and Felicitation functions.
Lectures:
Introduction to IYA2009 : S.Parthasarathy, Scientific Officer, IGCAR, Kalpakkam
Astronomy Vs Astrology : C.Ramalingam, Ex-state Secretary, TNSF
A History of Astronomy : S.Parthasarathy, Scientific Officer, IGCAR, Kalpakkam
Galileo and His Works : Prof.Dr. Murugan, Dept. of Physics, Vivekananda College, Chennai

Videos:
Eyes on the Skies - 400 years of Telescopic Discoveries

Practical Sessions:
NightSky Watch : 28th 6.30pm to 29th 6.30 am
Resource Person : Prof.Dr. Rameshkumar, Jain College, Chennai & EC member, TANASTRO

Telescopic Observtions : S.Parthasarathy, Scientific Officer, IGCAR, Kalpakkam

Day time Astronomy : Finding the directions at the noon, Analema, Sundial etc.
Making Astronomy kits : Mr. Umashankar, TNSF, Erode & Mr. Gavanagan, TNSF, Nagapattianam.

Constellations identified:
Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Carvus, Auriga, Great Bear, Centaurus, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Delphinus, Northern and southern crowns, Bootes and Hercules
Stars identified:
Rohini, Thiruvathirai, Posam, punarpoosam, Aayilayam, Magam, Uthiram, Kirthikai, Chitrai, Hastam, Visagam, Anusham, Kettai, Moolam, Thiruvonam, Swathi etc., and Sirius, Canopus, polaris, Rigel, Mizar etc.
Objects seen with Naked Eye:
Milky way and the Galatic Centre, Orion nebula, Eta Carnina nebula, Omega Centauri, Saturn, jupiter, Beehive cluster, Butterfly and Ptolamy clusters, Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae etc.

Objects seen with Telescope (5' Newtonian Reflector) :
All the above plus following deepsky objects:Gemini & Canis Major clusters, M4 and M13 Globular clustres, Sombrero Galaxy.

Planets' Movements

National Science Day 2009 Celebrations

Today and yesterday we celebrated the National Science Day with the children of Atomic Energy Central School-1, Kalpakkam. 

Yesterday, Dr.N.Suryamurthy, our kalabakkam branch vice-president, gave an introduction about the National Scienday and his experience on his visit to the Sir C.VRaman's laboratory at Calcutta.

Then I demostrated some simple science experiments to the children of standards 6th- 8th.

Today around 500 children  watched  the Venus, the Moon and the Saturn through our 5inch Newtonion Reflector Telescope. They amazed to view the Venus as a crescent and the ring of the Saturn  as Galileo experienced 400years ago.

Partial Solar Eclipse at Kalpakkam

On the Republic Day 26 th Jan., we witnessed a Partial Solar Eclipse (PSE). Tamil Nadu Science Forum & NESCO had arranged a programme for public to view the phenomenon through a 5' Newtonian Telescope.

The eclipse started around 2.26pm. The disc of the moon moved from SouthEast to NNE over the Sun. i.e., It passed through the ascending node. The maximum occured around 3.18pm (~16%). The phenomenon ended around 4.05pm. Many persons and children witnessed the event.
At Pudupattinam TNSF had arranged for the villagers to view the natural phenomenon through a welding glass.

Partial Solar Eclipse 2009 at Tamilnadu

This year on the Republic Day Tamil Nadu will witness a Partial Solar Eclipse (PSE), while Indonesia and Philippines will have an Annular Eclipse.
1. Why annular eclipse is formed?
The orbit of the moon is eliptical with one near the Earth(perigee) and other point away from the Earth(apogee).Near the perigee position the moon's apparent size will be equal to the apparent size of the Sun while in the apogee position it will be slightly less than the Sun's. On 26th Jan 2009, the moon is near the apogee and the apparent size of the moon is 9% less than that of the Sun. So during the centre of the eclipse the black moon's disk cannot hide the whole disc of the Sun leaving the outer rim of the Sun visible. This make an annular appearance.

2. Where the annular eclipse visbile on Jan26?
The trajectory of the eclipse will start at 11.30 in the atlantic region and passes through the south of the africa continent , the sumatra ilands and finally end in Philiophinnes covering 14,500km in 3hours 46 min. The most of the of the path lie in the sea area.

3. How the eclipse will appear in India?
In India eclipse will appear as a Partial Solar Eclipse and the size if the eclipse will gradually decrease from Kanyakumari. Thus the PSE will be 21.5% in Kanyakumari and 6% in Calcutta. In the northmost region there wont be any ecplise at all.

4. When will the eclipse start in our district?
In kancheepuram district it will starts around 3.26pm and ends around 4.04pm. The maximum will occur around 3.18pm.

The TNSF and NESCO has jointly organised a programme to view the PSE through telescope in the NESCO open theatre ground on this occation from 2.30pm to 4pm. All are welcome.

TNSF Kanchi Dist. launch Universe Awareness programme

The UNESCO has declared the year 2009 as International Year of Astronomy to celebrate the 400th year of the first use of the Telescope for the systematic observation of celestial bodies by Galileo Galilei, in the Year 1609.
Universe Awareness (UNAWE) is one of the activities of IYA2009 and its aim is to propagate astronomy among very young children.
As a part of launching this programme, we conducted district level Colouring Event for 1st standard children(age 6) with the theme 'Appearance of the earth from the Space' on 20th Dec 2008. We provided the picture and crayons for the state govt. primary school children. Around 1000children participated eagerly in the event from various schools of the district.
This programme will be continued throughout the year. The interested schools from the district may contact kalpakkamtnsf@gmail.com.