discipline

Image of the Day….” Record-Setting Space walk on May 13 1992…”

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Three astronauts on a spacewalk maneuver a satellite into space shuttle cargo bay, with Earth visible in background

On May 13, 1992, following the successful capture of the Intelsat VI satellite, three astronauts continue moving the 4.5 ton communications satellite into the space shuttle Endeavour’s cargo bay. A fellow crew member recorded this 70mm still frame from inside Endeavour’s cabin. Left to right, astronauts Richard J. Hieb, Thomas D. Akers and Pierre J. Thuot, cooperate on the effort to attach a specially designed grapple bar underneath the satellite. Thuot stands on the end of the Remote Manipulator System’s (RMS) arm while Hieb and Akers are on Portable Foot Restraints (PFR) affixed to Endeavour’s portside and the Multipurpose Support Structure (MPESS), respectively. The sections of Earth which form the backdrop for the scene are blanketed with thousands of square miles of clouds.

The Intelsat satellite, stranded in an unusable orbit since its launch aboard a Titan vehicle in March 1990, was equipped with a new perigee kick motor. The satellite was subsequently released into orbit and the new motor fired to put the spacecraft into a geosynchronous orbit for operational use. The capture required three spacewalks: a planned one by astronaut Pierre J. Thuot and Richard J. Hieb who were unable to attach a capture bar to the satellite from a position on the RMS; a second unscheduled but identical attempt the following day; and finally an unscheduled but successful hand capture by Pierre J. Thuot and fellow crewmen Richard J. Hieb and Thomas D. Akers as Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein delicately maneuvered the orbiter to within a few feet of the 4.5 ton communications satellite.

The STS-49 mission, the first flight of shuttle Endeavour, set records for the first (and only, to date) spacewalk involving three astronauts; first shuttle mission to feature four spacewalks; first shuttle mission requiring three rendezvous with an orbiting spacecraft; first attachment of a live rocket motor to an orbiting satellite and first use of a drag chute during a shuttle landing.

Image Credit: NASA

Source…….www.nasa.gov

Natarajan

Image of the Day…Milky Way …

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Milky Way against a bright moon

Even in bright moonlight, astrophotographer Justin Ng captures amazing shots of the Milky Way. Here’s one from May 6, during the peak of a meteor shower.

View larger. | Milky Way against a bright Moon at Mount Bromo during the peak of Eta Aquarid meteor shower, by Justin Ng of Singapore.

Justin Ng wrote to EarthSky, with this photo attached. He captured it on May 6, 2015 at 5:30 a.m. local time in East Java, Indonesia. He wrote:

Just led my first full moon astrophotography expedition to Mount Bromo, one of the active volcanoes in Indonesia. It would have been easier to unveil the Milky Way against the bright moon on our first night there, but the sky was cloudy and we could only do this on our last night, which was more challenging as the bright moon was located nearer to the Milky Way’s galactic center.

The moon and Saturn made a close approach on May 6, passing just within 2° of each other, at around 35° above horizon at 5.30am (GMT +7). It was a cold night, and alsowhen the Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaked. The large and bright waning gibbous moon, with its illumination at 97%, managed to obscure both the Eta Aquarid meteor shower and the spectacular Milky Way. Although I was able to see a few faint Eta Aquarid meteors on that night, I was unable to see the Milky Way with my unaided eye because the bright moon was so close!

Nonetheless, using the method that I have shared in this tutorial, I managed to unveil the Milky Way that’s obscured by the moon.

So it’s still possible to unveil the Milky Way against a large and bright moon! Give it a try.

Justin pointed out that the circular feature in the photo – on the lower left side – was not a real object in the sky over Mount Bromo. It’s an internal reflection from his camera, known as a lens flare, often seen (although usually not so beautifully!) in photos of bright objects like the sun and moon.

Thank you, Justin!

Bottom line: Milky Way in bright moonlight, by Justin Ng of Singapore.

Source…..www.earthsky.org

Natarajan

” Meet the World’s First Octographer…” !!!

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If you give an octopus a camera

… she’s going to want to take pictures. An octopus at a New Zealand aquarium trains a camera on visiting tourists.

Meet the world’s first octographer. An animal behavior expert at Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium in Auckland City, New Zealand trained an octopus named Rambo to take photos using a Sony Cyber-shot TX30 camera. Octopuses are super intelligent and Rambo learned quickly. Mark Vette is Rambo’s trainer. He said:

When we first tried to get her to take a photo, it only took three attempts for her to understand the process. That’s faster than a dog. Actually it’s faster than a human in some instances.

Rambo charges $2 to take your picture. The small donation goes directly to the aquarium to help offset expenses.

Source….www.earthsky.org

natarajan

 

Message For the Day…” It is HE who Holds the String of Your Life…”

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When you face hardships and struggle in life, cling and hold on to the Lord. To instill courage in an infant, its mother persuades it to walk a few steps and turn, but she won’t allow it to fall. If it totters and is about to lose balance, she hurries behind and catches it! The Lord too has His eyes fixed on each individual (jivi). He has in His hand the string of the kite, which is humanity! Sometimes He may pull it, and at other times He may loosen the grip! Whatever He does, be confident and carefree, for it is He who holds the string of your life. That solid faith will fill you with the essence of love (prema-rasa). The string is the bond of love and grace and every individual (kite) is thus bound to the Lord. All you must do is to walk the path so that the bond of love and grace is strong.   

Sathya Sai Baba

 

” Ink Splattered Paintings…” !!!

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Beautiful Ink Splattered Animal Paintings
Talented Chinese artist Hua Tunan creates original art work using ink splattering. The beautiful animal paintings he produces are breathtaking. His chaotic style combines traditional painting techniques with a modern street art approach. This young artist has a studio in Foshan, China but is now exhibiting his first solo show at Chicago’s Galerie F. You can see more of his work on his website or Behance, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr.

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Source……..www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

 

Message For the Day…” Infuse Every Moment of Life with Love…”

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Twenty hammer strokes might not succeed in breaking a stone, but the twenty-first stroke might break it. Does this mean that the twenty blows were of no avail? No. The final success was a result of the cumulative effect of all the strokes. Your mind is constantly engaged in a struggle with the world, both internal and external. Needless to say, you may not succeed always. But by immersing yourself in good work and saturating your mind with the love of God, you will attain everlasting bliss. When your mind dwells on the Lord, you will be drawn only toward good deeds automatically. The object of all spiritual practices is to destroy the mind, and some day, just as the twenty-first blow broke the stone, one good deed will succeed in destroying your mind. So no good deed is a waste, every little act counts. Infuse every moment of life with love. Then evil tendencies dare not hamper your path.

Sathya Sai Baba

” அகரத்தில் ஒரு ராமாயணம் …” !!!

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ஒரே எழுத்தில் ஆரம்பிக்கும் வார்த்தைகளைக் கொண்டு கதை எழுத முடியுமா? அகரத்தில் ஓர் இராமாயணம் இராமாயண கதை முழுதும் ‘அ’ என்று ஆரம்பிக்கும் வார்த்தைகளால் வடிவமைக்கப் பட்டுள்ளது. ” இதுவே தமிழின் சிறப்பு..” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ அனந்தனே அசுரர்களை அழித்து, அன்பர்களுக்கு அருளஅயோத்தி அரசனாக அவதரித்தான். அப்போது அரிக்கு அரணாக அரசனின் அம்சமாக அனுமனும் அவதரித்ததாக அறிகிறோம். அன்று அஞ்சனை அவனிக்கு அளித்த அன்பளிப்பு அல்லவா அனுமன்? அவனே அறிவழகன், அன்பழகன், அன்பர்களை அரவணைத்து அருளும் அருட்செல்வன்! அயோத்தி அடலேறு, அம்மிதிலை அரசவையில் அரசனின் அரியவில்லை அடக்கி, அன்பும் அடக்கமும் அங்கங்களாக அமைந்த அழகியை அடைந்தான் . அரியணையில் அமரும் அருகதை அண்ணனாகிய அனந்தராமனுக்கே! அப்படியிருக்க அந்தோ ! அக்கைகேயி அசூயையால் அயோத்தி அரசனுக்கும் அடங்காமல் அநியாயமாக அவனை அரண்யத்துக்கு அனுப்பினாள். அங்கேயும் அபாயம்! அரக்கர்களின் அரசன் , அன்னையின் அழகால் அறிவிழந்து அபலையை அபகரித்தான் .அந்த அடியார்களில் அருகதையுள்ள அன்பனை அரசனாக அரியணையில் அமர்த்தினர். அடுத்து அன்னைக்காக அவ்வானரர் அனைவரும் அவனியில் அங்குமிங்கும் அலைந்தனர், அலசினர். அனுமன், அலைகடலை அலட்சியமாக அடியெடுத்து அளந்து அக்கரையை அடைந்தான். அசோகமரத்தின் அடியில் , அரக்கிகள் அயர்ந்திருக்க அன்னையை அடிபணிந்து அண்ணலின் அடையாளமாகிய அக்கணையாழியை அவளிடம் அளித்தான் அன்னைஅனுபவித்த அளவற்ற அவதிகள் அநேகமாக அணைந்தன. அன்னையின் அன்பையும் அருளாசியையும் அக்கணமே அடைந்தான் அனுமன். அடுத்து, அரக்கர்களை அலறடித்து , அவர்களின் அரண்களை , அகந்தைகளை அடியோடு அக்கினியால் அழித்த அனுமனின் அட்டகாசம் , அசாத்தியமான அதிசாகசம்அனந்தராமன் அலைகடலின் அதிபதியை அடக்கி , அதிசயமான அணையை அமைத்து, அக்கரையை அடைந்தான். அரக்கன் அத்தசமுகனை அமரில் அயனின் அஸ்திரத்தால் அழித்தான். அக்கினியில் அயராமல் அர்பணித்த அன்னை அவள் அதி அற்புதமாய் அண்ணலை அடைந்தாள். அன்னையுடன்அயோத்தியை அடைந்து அரியணையில் அமர்ந்து அருளினான் அண்ணல் . அனந்தராமனின் அவதார அருங்கதை அகரத்திலேய அடுக்கடுக்காக அமைந்ததும் அனுமனின் அருளாலே. Source…..input from a friend of mine Natarajan

Message For the Day…” What is the Genuine Moment of Awakening…” ?

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Life is eternally stalked by death. Yet people don’t tolerate the very mention of the word ‘death’. It is deemed inauspicious to hear that word. Anything maybe uncertain, death is certain. It is impossible to change that law. However insufferable it is, every living thing received a ticket to death at birth and every moment is proceeding nearer and nearer to it. The samsara (life) train you are journeying on is taking you to that destination, whether you sit quiet or lie down or read or meditate or sing in the journey. Recognise this truth and turn your mind over to good mental tendencies (samskaras). Everyone must examine themselves rigorously, spot defects, and endeavour to correct them. When people uncover and realise their own defects, it is like being reborn. People then start anew, from a new childhood. This is the genuine moment of awakening.

Sathya Sai Baba

Message For the Day…”Use Your Hands and Feet to Perform Good Deeds…”

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When the rains pour on the mountain peaks and water hurries down the side, no river emerges. However, when the water flows in a single direction, first a brook, then a stream, a torrent, and finally a flooded river is formed, and the rains reach the sea. Water that runs in one direction reaches the sea; water that flows in four directions soaks in and is lost. Mental tendencies (samskaras) are like this. Of what use are they if they are all over the place? The holy stream of noble inborn desires must flow full and steady along the fields of holy thoughts and finally at the moment of death abide in the great ocean of bliss. Worthy indeed is the one who reaches such a goal! Hence from now on, use your hands and feet to perform good deeds selflessly and fix your mind on Him. Chant His name from within and practice your duty (swadharma) with utmost sincerity.   

Sathya Sai Baba