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A photographer, who was also a confirmed athiest, decided to go into the woods to get photos of the fall foliage. It was a beautiful day: Fall colors, birds chirping, babbling brook, and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves.
While snapping shots, the photographer heard a noise behind him, and whirled around to see a huge bear coming through the bushes
 He dropped his camera and ran. And kept running and running… and looking behind him, he noticed the bear was gaining on him! He was so scared that tears came to his eyes. He ran faster, but the bear was closing in on him. He ran faster yet, and tripped over a root. Rolling over onto his back, the man saw the bear rise to his full height and raise a huge paw… and the athiest cried out, “Oh, God, no!”
And everything stopped. The birds stopped chirping. The brook stopped babbling. The gentle breeze stopped. And the bear froze with his paw in the air. And the man heard a booming voice say, “Young man. For years you’ve doubted my very existance, but now that your life is in peril you call my name to help you. Why should I do so?“
And the man thought for a moment, and said, “Yes, you are right. If you are God, then it would be hypocritical of me to become a Christian at this point in my life. But, do you think that you could at least make the bear a Christian for today?” And the booming voice was quiet for a moment and then said, “Done.”
And everything started again. The birds chirping, brook babbling, and gentle breeze rustling the leaves. And the bear slowly lowered his paw. Then the bear put his paws together, and bowed his massive head and said, “Dear Lord, please bless this food we are about to eat.“
Source….www.ba-bamail.com
Natarajan
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Art
Message for the Day…” Place all Your burden on God…You will then be Care-free and Grief-free…”
You are not a despicable creature, born in slime or sin, to eke out a drab existence and be extinguished forever. You are immortal and eternal. So when the call comes, respond with your whole heart. The Principle of Divinity must be experienced, for it is beyond expressions and explanation. The richness, fullness and depth of that experience can never be communicated in words. You must feel that it is your highest destiny to attain that experience. You are a mixture of Deha and Deva – the mortal and the immortal. Liberation means stoppage of grief and acquisition of joy. All that you have to do is to place all your burdens on God. It makes you care-free and grief-free. Then you will take everything as a divine play of the Lord you love and live in bliss just as He is, when His plans are going through!
A Green Taxi of Kolkata…”Rooftop Garden on an Ambassador Car.”..!!!
Dhananjay Chakroborty, a taxi driver in Kolkata, has decided to use his green hands and transform his taxi into a miniature, mobile garden. A green crusader on the move.
Imagine our surprise when we came across Mr. Dhananjay Chakraborty, a taxi driver in Kolkata, who has created a rooftop garden on his cab and has a mini green cavern in the trunk of his car with potted plants. It was truly an amazing and awe-worthy sight. He calls it the ‘subuj rath’ or the green chariot.
The car has metal containers on the rooftop whose bottom is laid with soil, white sand and stone chips and the original green grass grows up with the aid of those mechanizations. It weighs about 65 kgs and cost Mr. Chakraborty about Rs. 22000 to build. It continues to cost him with the increased fuel consumption because of the added weight. However, Mr. Chakraborty said he does not mind it.
The Kolkata cabbie is 40 years old and works from the taxi stand at Tollygunge Karunamoyee in Kolkata. In fact, he has planted flowers at the taxi stand too.
His Taxi, an Ambassador, apart from having a green grass-bed on the roof, has eight potted plants in the trunk and has a green interior completely to promote the message that trees and plants should be planted and taken care of.
Mr. Chakraborty’s project came to fulfillment in parts. It began three years ago when he potted a money plant in a beautiful glass bottle that a passenger had left behind in the back seat. Mr. Chakraborty took care of it and nurtured it, while keeping it in the Taxi.
The bigger idea of a green garden taxi, came from one of his friends who found something similar on Internet and suggested the initiative to Chakraborty. He, being so much in love with nature and trees, decided to give it a try.
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Making of the green taxi. Mr. Chakrobarty, with help, adjusting the metal tray onto the roof. His inspiration also came from fellow passengers who appreciated the small money plant that he had begun with. –
The painting of the metal tray on the Subza Rath. He has also been distributing leaflets with messages and sketches that he has made to passengers who are curious and delighted by his initiative. –
He has also been distributing leaflets with messages and sketches that he has made to passengers who are curious and delighted by his initiative. –
However, Mr. Chakraborty does not own the Taxi that he has morphed into a mobile awareness masterpiece on environmental preservation and conservation. He had to sell his taxi, about eight years ago, when he required funds for his treatment post an accident.
But the owner, Mr. Amrish Singh, who owns some five more taxis, has stood up in full support of Chakraborty’s efforts. He says that Dhananjay is one of the safest drivers out there, and since this is for a good cause, he cannot do anything but extend his full support
- This is how the Taxi looked before it underwent the transformation to become a miniature mobile garden.
Although, it was not an easy ride, some fellow drivers ridiculed him. In fact, most people before looking at it in a deeper perspective thought he was crazy to even think of such a thing. But Mr. Chakraborty did not pay it any mind, and decided to go on with the project anyway.
Mr. Chakraborty gives an added message. According to him, planting trees is not enough; taking care of them and nurturing them is crucial. Because tree planting initiatives keep happening but most of the saplings just wither away due to lack of water. It is time people, all of us, begin doing our bit.
Apart from being an eye opener on environment, there are other benefits of the plants and the grass in the car. Mr. Chakraborty drives a Non- AC Taxi and because of the plants, his taxi remains much cooler than any other non-AC taxi. –
Also, we believe people would be fascinated with such an idea. We know we are. So, the next time you are in Kolkata, do not miss a ride in the green taxi, or as Mr. Chakraborty likes to call it, the ‘sabuj rath’. –
Source….Surabhi Katyal….www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
” Eat With it…and Then Eat it…” !!!
When Narayana Peesapati became aware of the harmful effects of plastic, not only to the environment but also to our health when used as cutlery, he was stunned. But he did not stop there. He came up with a solution that most of us wouldn’t have thought of, and actually made it happen!
“Whenever I travelled, I used to feel terribly guilty about using plastic cutlery because it created so much plastic waste. Why couldn’t we create an alternative?” asks 48-year-old Narayana Peesapati, the founder and Managing Director of Bakey’s Food Private Limited. Today, he has found a way to replace plastic cutlery with edible cutlery.
Ok, so plastic is bad for the environment. Everyone knows that. But what’s wrong with not washing plastic cutlery and putting it in one’s mouth? Narayana says it is because we “abuse and misuse plastic; plastic should not be applied to food.” He has said as much in this talk, where he gives many reasons as to why plastic, especially cutlery, should be taken out of our lives. Some of these reasons have to do with the manufacturing process for plastic cutlery (explained further down) and others with hygiene.
So does he have an alternative then? He does, and Narayana has been developing it since 2010. Bakey’s manufactures edible cutlery, including spoons in different shapes and chopsticks.
Edible spoons
Bakey’s edible cutlery is made from a mix of jowar (sorghum), rice and wheat flour. The spoons and chopsticks do not get soggy if placed in water and food. They only soften after some time (10-15 minutes), and thus can be eaten easily at the end of the meal. Even if discarded, they decompose within five to six days, if not eaten by insects or rodents.
The idea about how to make the cutlery struck Narayana during a flight from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad, when he saw a passenger using a piece of Gujarati khakra as a spoon to eat dessert.
Why is plastic bad for your health?
Narayana Peesapaty at a Bakey’s stall.
Plastic consists of many chemical components which are toxic and carcinogenic, and can leech into food. Narayana, who has been to several manufacturing units of plastic cutlery in the country, has observed that the way in which it is manufactured is not very safe for use with food.
“The irony is that there are very stringent food safety norms in India. But there are no norms when it comes to manufacturing the utensils in which we consume food,” he says.
In this very competitive market, he says, hygiene has become the first casualty of cost cutting. The process of cleaning the cutlery by manufacturing units in India that he visited, involved just a rag of cloth being used to wipe the final products that came out of the mould in which molten plastic was injected.
This, he feels, leaves consumers at the risk of plastic intake.
“Even after scraping the extra plastic, there are chances that some micro-granules of plastic get dislodged and can enter the body with our food if a spoon is not washed,” he says.
A thought even scarier than this struck Narayana when he noticed that in spite of such a huge consumption of plastic spoons, they are nowhere to be seen in the same numbers after disposal. This, he found, was because they were being reused, which makes plastic cutlery a source of bacterial contamination as well.
Why edible cutlery could be good for you
The spoons do not get soggy in food.
Prior to becoming a manufacturer of edible cutlery, Narayana was a researcher at the International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad. Here, he undertook research on groundwater management, studying why groundwater levels were reducing. He concluded that producing less rice and more dryland crops like jowar would help stabilize the levels of groundwater. It was soon after this that he started thinking about creating a huge market for jowar, and this is one of the main reasons why jowar is the chief ingredients in edible cutlery.
With the product being widely acclaimed, Narayana has been able to communicate the ill effects of plastic to a wide audience.
Bakey’s cutlery has made a mark in the international market as well, with orders coming in from the US and UK.
Being a new concept, working on the idea was a challenge initially, as there was no established technology. Everything had to be developed with learning and research. According to this report, it cost Narayana more than Rs. 60 lakhs to develop the prototype machines and moulds and get started (he had to sell two homes he owned to raise the money). But one of the bigger challenges now is to create an awareness about the harmful health effects of plastic. The use of plastic is also a behavioural issue according to Narayana—people accustomed to using plastic products will not find it easy to switch to edible cutlery.
Other than selling the cutlery directly from their website, Bakey’s also sets up stalls at places like organic bazaars and exhibitions. The company is only breaking even as of now and has not started making a profit, says Narayana.
Once it does, he hopes to develop an automatic machine for manufacturing the cutlery.
Based out of Hyderabad, the manufacturing unit is an all-women enterprise, which Narayana’s wife, who is currently working as a director in the company, will soon be taking over.
To know more about this initiative, you can write to Narayana at info@bakeys.com or visit their website here.
– See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/30465/edible-cutlery-in-india/#sthash.i0VEdVb7.dpuf
Source….www.thebetterindia.com
Natarajan
How an Artist is Changing Bengaluru Streets, One Pothole at a Time….
Baadal Nanjundaswamy’s art work is incredible and delivers results. Image Courtesy: Facebook/Baadal Nanjundaswamy
As Bengaluru preps for the upcoming civic body polls on Saturday, it will be interesting to see how the scary crocodiles and gigantic anacondas that have appeared on the city’s water-logged and pothole-ridden roads recently will affect voters.
The city has been struggling with polluted lakes, garbage crisis, bad roads and crippling traffic management for a while now. Fed up with the state of affairs, local artists took it upon themselves to make sure the problems spoke for themselves, using imagination and art as their tools.
The charge has been led by Baadal Nanjundaswamy who shook up social media and local authorities (into making amends) by creating a life-size crocodile and swamp as an installation to highlight a pothole that hadn’t been fixed for days.
The crocodile did the trick and the pothole was filled. Since then, Mr Nanjundaswamy has been changing the face of Bengaluru pot holes, one brush stroke after another.
From transforming broken dividers into sutli bombs in one place and wrapped gifts in another, to painting huge faces around uncovered man holes, his art work is incredible and delivers results.
Check out some of his work below:
A little Diwali gift – major social media explosion in 3-2-1:
Photo Credit: Facebook/Baadal Nanjundaswamy
Bengaluru’s Secret Santa leaving them colorfully wrapped gifts for Christmas:
Photo Credit: Facebook/Baadal Nanjundaswamy
How about this Valentine’s Day proposal to civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)?
Photo Credit: Facebook/Baadal Nanjundaswamy
Or these fearsome faces with gaping mouths?
Photo Credit: Facebook/Baadal Nanjundaswamy
They needed a zebra-crossing, so that’s what they got – a zebra crossing the road:
Photo Credit: Facebook/Baadal Nanjundaswamy
Would you like a game of Hopscotch on one of Bengaluru’s streets? It could be fun but also might be the only thing you do for a while:
Photo Credit: Facebook/Baadal Nanjundaswamy
source…..www.ndtv.com
natarajan
6 Weird Facts About Gravity…
Credit..NASA
Gravity: You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone
Here on Earth, we take gravity so for granted that it took an apple falling from a tree to trigger Isaac Newton’s theory of gravitation. But gravity, which draws objects together in proportion to their mass, is about much more than fallen fruit. Read on for some of the strangest facts about this universal force.
It’s all in your head
Credit: © Paul Simcock | Dreamstime.com
Gravity may be pretty consistent on Earth, but our perception of it isn’t. According to research published in April 2011 in the journal PLoS ONE, people are better at judging how objects fall when they’re sitting upright versus lying on their sides.
The finding means that our perception of gravity may be less based on visual cues of gravity’s real direction and more rooted in the orientation of the body. The findings may lead to new strategies to help astronauts deal with microgravity in space.
Coming down to Earth is tough
Credit: NASA Kennedy Space Center
Speaking of astronauts, their experience has shown that a switch to weightlessness and back can be tough on the body. In the absence of gravity, muscles atrophy and bones likewise lose bone mass. According to NASA, astronauts can lose 1 percent of their bone mass per month in space.
When astronauts come back to Earth, their bodies and minds need time to recover. Blood pressure, which has equalized throughout the body in space, has to return to an Earthly pattern in which the heart must work hard to keep the brain nourished with blood. Occasionally, astronauts struggle with that adjustment. In 2006, astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper collapsed at a welcome-home ceremony the day after returning from a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
The mental readjustment can be just as tricky. In 1973, Skylab 2 astronaut Jack Lousma told Time magazine that he’d accidentally smashed a bottle of aftershave in his first days back from a month-long sojourn in space. He’d let go of the bottle in mid-air, forgetting that it would crash to the ground rather than just float there.
For weight loss, try Pluto
Credit: nullPluto may no longer be a planet, but it’s still a good bet for lightening up. A 150-pound (68 kilogram) person would weigh no more than 10 pounds (4.5 kg) on the dwarf planet. The planet with the most crushing gravity, on the other hand, is Jupiter, where the same person would weigh more than 354 pounds (160.5 kg).
The planet humans are most likely to visit, Mars, would also leave explorers feeling light-footed. Mars’ gravitational pull is only 38 percent that of Earth’s, meaning a 150-pound person would feel like they weigh about 57 pounds (26 kg).
Gravity is lumpy
Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFCEven on Earth, gravity isn’t entirely even. Because the globe isn’t a perfect sphere, its mass is distributed unevenly. And uneven mass means slightly uneven gravity.
One mysterious gravitational anomaly is in the Hudson Bay of Canada (shown above). This area has lower gravity than other regions, and a 2007 study finds that now-melted glaciers are to blame.
The ice that once cloaked the area during the last ice age has long since melted, but the Earth hasn’t entirely snapped back from the burden. Since gravity over an area is proportional to the mass atop that region, and the glacier’s imprint pushed aside some of the Earth’s mass, gravity is a bit less strong in the ice sheet’s imprint. The slight deformation of the crust explains 25 percent to 45 percent of the unusually low gravity; the rest may be explained by a downward drag caused the motion of magma in Earth’s mantle (the layer just beneath the crust), researchers reported in the journal Science.
Without gravity, some bugs get tougher
Credit: CDC/Janice Haney Carr
Bad news for space cadets: Some bacteria become nastier in space. A 2007 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that salmonella, the bacteria that commonlycauses food poisoning, becomes three times more virulent in microgravity. Something about the lack of gravity changed the activity of at least 167 salmonella genes and 73 of its proteins. Mice fed the gravity-free salmonella got sick faster after consuming less of the bacteria.
In other words, Michael Crichton’s “The Andromeda Strain” had it wrong: The danger of infection in space may not come from space bugs. It’s more likely our own bugs grown stronger would strike us.
Black holes at the center of galaxies
Credit: April Hobart, NASA, Chandra X-Ray ObservatoryNamed because nothing, not even light, can escape their gravitational clutches, black holes are some of the most destructive objects in the universe. At the center of our galaxy is a massive black hole with the mass of 3 million suns. Scarier thought? It might be “just resting,” according Kyoto University scientist Tatsuya Inui.
The black hole isn’t really a danger to us Earthlings — it’s both far away and it’s remarkably calm. But sometimes it does put on a show: Inui and colleagues reported in 2008 that the black hole sent out a flare of energy 300 years ago. Another study, released in 2007, found that several thousand years ago, a galactic hiccup sent a small amount of matter the size of Mercury falling into the black hole, leading to another outburst.
The black hole, named Sagittarius A*, is dim compared with other black holes.
“This faintness implies that stars and gas rarely get close enough to the black hole to be in any danger,” Frederick Baganoff, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was involved with the 2007 study, told LiveScience’s sister site SPACE.com. “The huge appetite is there, but it’s not being satisfied.”
Source…www. livescience.com
Natarajan
Gifts Everybody Deserves to Receive…
| Everybody loves receiving gifts – For their birthday, for Christmas or randomly. There’s nothing more thrilling, but deep down the real treasured gifts are intangible. These gifts are priceless and everybody deserves receiving them at some point in their lives.
Source…www.ba-bamail.com Natarajan |
Message for the Day…” Every Single Unselfish Act is a Righteous Act…”
Sacrifice ignorance (ajnana) and ego (ahamkara) at the altar of wisdom (Jnana), and install righteousness(Dharma) therein” – this is the message of the scriptures. Every single unselfish act, which prepares the ground for the merging of the Soul with the Over-Soul, which broadens the vision towards the Divinity immanent everywhere, is a righteous act. Each such act is a tiny stream that swells the river of holiness rushing towards the sea of knowledge of Divinity. Your acts and activities are all rituals in the worship of the Paramatmathat pervades the Universe. Whatever is done in an attitude of dedication and surrender is a component of the Dharma, which leads to Realisation. The strategy of the ancient Bharathiya (Indian) way of life is directed towards the sanctification of every moment and every word, thought and deed as a step towards realising the Divine.
15 must-do road trips in India…….
Here, the journey is your destination…
Most of us have been bitten by the travel bug, or so we assume. These 15 road trips across India, are a must if you are one of those who believe, “To travel is to live.” Bad roads, hiccups en route and unknown terrain, only add beauty to our travels. So go ahead and put these road trips on your bucket list.
Rediscover your love for travelling. Experience the warmth of people you have never met before. Explore the country. Make memories. Get inspired.
Let the adventures begin…
1. Manali to Leh
Photographs: Stephane Viau/Creative Commons
From June to September, the 450+ km stretch, invites you to enjoy a picturesque drive. With panoramic views of the Himalayas, driving thousands of feet above the sea level, it is one unforgettable journey.
2. Mumbai to Goa
Photographs: abcdz2000/Creative Commons
Leaving early in the wee hours of morning, driving through the Western Ghats and later along the Arabian Sea coast — reaching Goa in time for a late night party! Can it get any better?
3. Chennai to Pondicherry
Photographs: Sanyam Bahga/Creative Commons
Great roads (a blessing in India), scenic view and the sea breeze invites you for a long drive to a destination that is a photographer’s paradise and a foodie’s haven.
4. Ahmedabad to Kutch
Photographs: Superfast1111/Creative Commons
Explore 400 kms of untamed roads and get a taste of wildlife in the land of contrasts. Get lost in the barren yet fascinating landscape of the Rann of Kutch. A drive to Kutch is incomplete without a visit to a few handicraft villages and the sight of the full moon in the Great Rann of Kutch.
5. Jaipur to Jaisalmer
Photographs: Adrian Sulc/Creative Commons
Visit the numerous forts, local attractions and eat at roadside dhabas as you embrace the warmth of the Rajasthani heritage.
6. Mangalore to Gokarna
Photographs: Jacob Abraham/Creative Commons
One beach destination to another. This four-hour long scenic drive along the Konkan coast, is for the beach lovers. With quaint unpopulated beaches and local sea food haunts along the way, pit stops are a must.
7. Guwahati to Shillong
Photographs: Sandydessert/Creative Commons
Spanning two of India’s beautiful states — Assam and Meghalaya, this road trip entices you with amazing views of green valleys, little villages and rich sights.
8. Visakhapatnam to Araku Valley
Photographs: Adityamadhav83/Creative Commons
The gentle elevation, greenery and away from the hustle bustle of cities, makes it another destination for a road trip. Don’t miss a visit to the Borra caves and Katiki Watefalls.
9. Cochin to Munnar
Photographs: Ben3john/Creative Commons
Manoeuvre through the twisty and curvy roads, as you enjoy the greenery of the vast tea plantations of Munnar. Once the summer resort of the British, Munnar welcomes you with fog, mist and lovely small waterfalls.
10. Darjeeling to Pelling
Photographs: Shahnoor Habib Munmun/Creative Commons
Driving through scenic valleys and mountains, you will wish that this journey doesn’t come to an end. Get spell-bound by the spectacular view of the Himalayan range, stop by the little village bazaars and sip a cup of locally brewed tea and get lost in the abode of the gods.
11. Mysore to Ooty
Photographs: Adam Jones/Creative Commons
Cutting through Bandipur, a national park, you will get to see wildlife in its natural habitat. While it’s beautiful, be careful not to drive fast — small wild animals tend to cross the roads suddenly. Also, there’s ban on driving this route in the night. Nevertheless, the journey is as beautiful as its destination.
12. Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar
Photographs: Rishabh Tatiraju/Creative Commons
After passing through the beautiful Lonavala, as you inch closer to Mahabaleshwar, the hill presents some amazing views. Also stop by a strawberry farm on the way. Driving during the monsoon, the experience is adventurous and something that should feature on your bucket list.
13. Dharamshala to Bharmour
Photographs: John Hill/Creative Commons
The journey laced with the beauty terraced fields reminds you a little of the Inca landscape in Peru. The pretty pined forest, dramatic now-capped mountains and the greenery extending to infinity, will mesmerise you.
14. Bangalore to Coorg
Photographs: Leelavathy B.M/Creative Commons
Beat the humdrum of the IT city, drive through coffee estates, hues of greenery, and enjoy the sounds of crickets coupled with some awesome Coorgi cuisine.
15. Chandigarh to Kaza
Photographs: nikkul/Creative Commons
Listed among the ‘world’s deadliest roads,’ this road trip is only for the adventurous traveller. Driving the dangerous and bad roads, you are gifted with spectacular landscape, rugged moonscape of Spiti and lush mountains.
This is not the end of the list, just the beginning. The rest is for you to discover.
This Ernest Hemingway quote just summarises, everything: It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
Source…Sindhu.M.V….www.rediff.com
Natarajan
How to spot the International Space Station….?
Every so often, the International Space Station (ISS) becomes visible in your night sky. Here’s how you can spot it.
A composite photograph of the International Space Station taken from Earth. Image Credit: Dave Walker.
Is it a meteor? Is it a plane? It might be the International Space Station (ISS).Every so often, the ISS becomes visible in the night sky. To us on Earth, it looks like a bright star moving quickly above the horizon. The ISS is so bright, it can even been seen from the center of a city. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappears. How do you know when you can see the ISS in your night sky?
NASA’s Spot the Station program lets you sign up to receive alerts to let you know when the ISS will be visible from your location – anywhere in the world. You can get alerts via email or text message. Typically, alerts are sent out a few times each month when the station’s orbit is near your location. Visit the Spot the Station website here to sign up, and view a list of upcoming sighting opportunities.
If you sign up for NASA’s new service, notices will be sent to you only when the ISS will be clearly visible from your location for at least a couple of minutes. If you live north of 51.6 degrees latitude (for example, in Alaska), you will likely have to visit the website to find sighting opportunities because notifications in this region would be rare.
The notices contain information on where to look for the ISS in the night sky. Just note where the sun sets and you can easily find the direction where the station will appear (for example, in the southwest or in the northwest). The height at which the station will appear is given in degrees. Just remember that 90 degrees is directly over your head. Any number less than 90 degrees will mean that the station will appear somewhere between the horizon and the 90 degree mark. The station is so bright that it is really hard to miss if you’re looking in the correct direction. Alternatively, you can stretch out your fist at arm’s length toward the horizon, which is equivalent to about 10 degrees. Then, just use the appropriate number of fist-lengths to find the location marker, e.g., four fist-lengths from the horizon would be equivalent to about 40 degrees.
NASA’s Spot the Station program is great. I’ve seen the station fly over twice now and it’s a pretty amazing experience—gets you thinking about how far our technology has advanced.
The first module of the ISS was launched into space in 1998 and the initial construction of the station took about two years to complete. Human occupation of the station began on November 2, 2000. Since that time, the ISS has been continuously occupied. The ISS serves as both an orbiting laboratory and a port for international spacecraft. The primary partnering countries involved in operating the ISS include the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Russia.
The ISS orbits at approximately 220 miles above the Earth and it travels at an average speed of27,724 kilometers (17,227 miles) per hour. The ISS makes multiple orbits around the Earth every day.
Photograph of the International Space Station taken from the space shuttle Endeavour on May 30, 2011. Image Credit: NASA.
Astronauts Robert Curbeam, Jr. and Christer Fuglesang working on the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA.
Bottom line: Check out the ISS in the night sky the next time it flies over your location. You can sign up to receive alerts with NASA’s Spot the Station program or visit that website to view a list of viewing opportunities.
Source….
Deanna Conners
Natarajan
Take off with Natarajan 