Galileo Teacher Training Programme 2012 ( GTTP-2012) in Nepal

The Global Hands On Universe(GHOU) Chapter for Nepal has announced the Galileo Teacher Training programme on March 31, 2012. The application for the participation has now open and closes on March 14, 2012. The programme is a partnership between GHOU Nepal Chapter, Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) and Espro Foundation, Nepal.

If you are teaching science in school or doing science with public in Nepal, do not wait to apply for the event. This training is the unique platform for all science teacher where they will be taught astronomy and space science so that they can give these knowledge back to their students at schools.

As the deadline is less than two weeks away ( Wednusday,March 14, 2012), Spread news to those whom you think to be interested to this programme.

All the best for those who have already applied and those planning for.

Hope to see you all in Kathmandu!

Clear skies!!

5th International Meeting of Astronomy and Astronautics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 19-21, 2012

Louis Cruls Astronomy Club has announced the fifth version of the international meeting. The 5th International Meeting of Astronomy and Astronautics will be held in Reo de Janeiro, Brazil during April 19-21, 2012.

If you wish to participate, then start planning for it. For Nepalese you have to apply VISA from New Delhi so it takes some time. So, don't wait, start now if you want to meet some of the world's best known personalities in Brazil this April.

Please visit the conference website for more details on the event http://meeting.passeiopeloceu.org/

Louis Cruls Astronomy Club is now co-orporate member of EurAstro Association. At this moment, I would like to congratulate my friend Prof. Marcelo de Oliveira Souza
President of the Organizing Committee of the 5th International Meeting of Astronomy and Astronautics.

Um fraterno abraço :)

Waxing Crescent Moon besides Swayambhu Temple

Dear valued readers,

I am presenting you the work of Sajani Manandhar who has started doing photography for last couple of months and getting towards professionalism. Here I present her work and her quotes for the moments. I am very thankful to her for taking this blog for reaching the world with her creative and innovative work. I found it as one of precious piece of landscape astrophotography done in Nepal by such female photographer.



She writes "It’s not that we always get lucky. When the moon is just besides the great Swayambhu Nath Temple, there might be no light and when there is light, the moon might not be in the right place. But, last Sunday, 26th February 2012, I got very lucky. Actually I always wanted to caputre the moon and Swayambhu Nath Temple together. That day I waited for around one hour in the cold weather for the moon to travel all way round towards temple. I am an amateur photographer, I have not decided on my genre yet. I click whatever I feel like clicking but being Buddhist myself I had a desire to catch this mesmerizing view in my camera. When I got this image, I was very happy but then I felt like I don’t know much about the moon. These days I am busy learning more about planets and satellites."

Congratulations Sajani for this wonderful work. Looking forward to get more work in coming days.

All the best with your landscape astrophotography in Nepal :)

Edinburgh Global Development Academy Master's Scholarship

The University of Edinburgh will offer 2 Master's scholarships covering the overseas rate of fee for students from less developed countries and 2 Master's scholarships covering the "home" rate of tuition fee for UK/EU students for eligible Master's programmes offered by the University.

Scholarships will be available for students pursuing one of the following Global Development Academy programmes:
MSc Africa and International Development
MSc Environment and Development
MSc International Development
MSc Science, Technology and International Development
MSc South Asia and International Development

Each scholarship for students from less developed countries will cover the overseas rate of tuition fee, while a further two scholarships will cover the UK/EU rate of tuition fee only.

If you are citizens of any countries listed below ( Least Developed Countries as defined by United Nation), you are eligible to apply for the programme.
Afghanistan
Angola
Bangladesh
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gambia
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Haiti
Kribati
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Niger
Rwanda
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Sudan
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Vanuatu
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

The deadline for the application is April 2, 2012.

For more information, please visit the offical website of university:http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-funding/postgraduate/international/global/development

Thanks for being updated with me :) All the best for your applications!

Nepali Movie “Challenge” : Young Inputs to the Kollywood!

For years now, Nepali movies have been continuously bashed for being low quality Bollywood copies lacking soul and identity. New movie Challenge is getting positive reviews, it seems once in a while Kollywood does manage to break the mould and present something news and refreshing. The promo embedded here looks interesting, and I must admit unlike any other Nepali movie I have seen.



For more information the movie Challenge, visit their Facebook page. You can send them mail at challenge@nepalmax.com.

We can say our movies are getting better :)

Chinese forest minister, Japanese deputy minister now in Nepal

China's Minister of State Forestry Administration, Jia Zhibang and Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Koro Bessho Wednesday arrived in Kathmandu.

Talking to reporters at Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival, the Chinese minister said that his Nepal visit would be fruitful to strengthen cooperation between China and Nepal for forest and wildlife conservation. He also said that China would extend assistance for forest and wildlife conservation in the northern part of Nepal bordering China.

During his four day stay, he will also visit Shivapuri National Park located in the northern part of valley.

Similary, Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Koro Bessho said that his visit would help enhance relationship between Japan and Nepal.

Chinese forest minister, Japanese deputy minister now in Nepal

China's Minister of State Forestry Administration, Jia Zhibang and Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Koro Bessho Wednesday arrived in Kathmandu.

Talking to reporters at Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival, the Chinese minister said that his Nepal visit would be fruitful to strengthen cooperation between China and Nepal for forest and wildlife conservation. He also said that China would extend assistance for forest and wildlife conservation in the northern part of Nepal bordering China.

During his four day stay, he will also visit Shivapuri National Park located in the northern part of valley.

Similary, Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Koro Bessho said that his visit would help enhance relationship between Japan and Nepal.

International Conference on Astrophysics & Cosmology (ICAC), March 19-21, 2012!

Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Group Nepal (ACRG-Nepal) has announced an international conference on Astrophysics and Cosmology in Kathmandu, Nepal during 19-21 march 2012. The registration details are available now available at http://astronepal.webs.com/icac2012.htm

According to the organizer, the purpose of this conference is to bring together experienced as well as young scientists who are interested in working actively on various aspects of astrophysics & cosmology, to exchange their research findings and to expose young minds in the field of astrophysics & cosmology from Nepal. The lectures will address major theoretical issues and current observational successes in the field. The lectures will be arranged in such a way that the young researchers will have ample scope of interaction with the speakers who are both nationally and internationally leading experts in their respective field of research. Besides the special invited talks, there will be contributing presentations such as oral and poster presentations, exchange events and information about the status of different amateur groups in the field organizing various events. This conference covers observational, computational and theoretical aspects of A&A.

The conference will have two main sessions: Theme session and Technical session. In the Theme session, a set of lectures will be delivered from the distinguished invited professors about the current issues and research findings in their relevant field. Researchers and students would have an ample opportunity to present their research findings in the Technical session.

Looking forward to see you in Nepal 

International Conference on Astrophysics & Cosmology (ICAC), March 19-21, 2012!

Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Group Nepal (ACRG-Nepal) has announced an international conference on Astrophysics and Cosmology in Kathmandu, Nepal during 19-21 march 2012. The registration details are available now available at http://astronepal.webs.com/icac2012.htm

According to the organizer, the purpose of this conference is to bring together experienced as well as young scientists who are interested in working actively on various aspects of astrophysics & cosmology, to exchange their research findings and to expose young minds in the field of astrophysics & cosmology from Nepal. The lectures will address major theoretical issues and current observational successes in the field. The lectures will be arranged in such a way that the young researchers will have ample scope of interaction with the speakers who are both nationally and internationally leading experts in their respective field of research. Besides the special invited talks, there will be contributing presentations such as oral and poster presentations, exchange events and information about the status of different amateur groups in the field organizing various events. This conference covers observational, computational and theoretical aspects of A&A.

The conference will have two main sessions: Theme session and Technical session. In the Theme session, a set of lectures will be delivered from the distinguished invited professors about the current issues and research findings in their relevant field. Researchers and students would have an ample opportunity to present their research findings in the Technical session.

Looking forward to see you in Nepal 

Join NASO the TLE celebration in Nepal at NAST on December 10, 2011!

As the second and last of two total lunar eclipses in 2011, the total lunar eclipse occurring on 10 December is posed to enthrall eclipse-enthusiasts from central and eastern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and northern Canada. The first total lunar eclipse was observed on 15 June this year. The eclipse’s total phase would last for meager fifty one minutes. Its faint penumbral shadow would begin to cover moon at 17:16 hours local time. The dark umbral phase would touch the moon at 18:30 hours. The moon would enter into totality at 19:51 hours and would arrive at the maximum phase of the greatest eclipse at 20:17 hours. The umbral eclipse magnitude would reach 1.11 at this stage. The totality end at 20:43 hours and the umbral shade would recede from the moon fully at 22:03 hours. The entire eclipse would be finally over at 23:16 hours.

On this occasion, Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) in collaboration with Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) would like to organize following events at NAST:

1. Talk programme: 4pm-5pm
2. TLE Observation programme: 5pm-11pm

NASO has extended it's invitation to all eclipse enthusiasts to attend the program. Enjoy The last TLE for the year 2011 :)

What are you planning on December 10 for Total Lunar Eclipse?

As the second and last of two total lunar eclipses in 2011, the total lunar eclipse occurring on 10 December is posed to enthrall eclipse-enthusiasts from central and eastern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and northern Canada. The first total lunar eclipse was observed on 15 June this year. The eclipse’s total phase would last for meager fifty one minutes. Its faint penumbral shadow would begin to cover moon at 17:16 hours local time. The dark umbral phase would touch the moon at 18:30 hours. The moon would enter into totality at 19:51 hours and would arrive at the maximum phase of the greatest eclipse at 20:17 hours. The umbral eclipse magnitude would reach 1.11 at this stage. The totality end at 20:43 hours and the umbral shade would recede from the moon fully at 22:03 hours. The entire eclipse would be finally over at 23:16 hours.

How can you do Lunar eclipse observation?

They are safe to watch with naked eyes. Unlike solar eclipse, which can only be gazed briefly from any specific place, a lunar eclipse can be perceived for several hours. It could provide enthralling targets for avid photographers as well.

How does eclipse occur?
A lunar eclipse takes place when the Sun, earth and moon are all perfectly aligned with the earth sitting in the middle of Sun and moon. When the moon passes behind earth, the Sun's rays are blocked from striking the moon. This can only happen when the moon is full and the moon is near or at the descending or ascending nodes (two points of intersection between the planes of moon’s orbit with that of earth’s path around Sun). This time the moon is at the descending node that lies in eastern region of zodiacal constellation Taurus (bull) four days after apogee (moon’s furthest point from earth).

Types of lunar eclipse
Astronomers recognize three basic types of lunar eclipses. In penumbral lunar eclipse the moon passes through earth's penumbral shadow. These events are of only academic interest because they are subtle and hard to perceive. In partial lunar eclipse a portion of the moon passes through earth's umbral shadow and can be admired easily with unaided eye. At total lunar eclipse the entire moon steeps into perplexing earth's umbral shadow of vibrant red color.

Why does not the lunar eclipse happen each month?
Even though the moon orbits earth every 29.5 days and lunar eclipses occur at full moon, lunar eclipses do not happen every month during full moon. It is because the moon's orbit around earth is inclined sparsely five degrees to earth's trajectory around Sun. There are two points (ascending or descending nodes) where the lunar path intersects earth’s track. Since earth's shadows lie exactly in the same plane, during full moon, our natural satellite usually passes above or below earth's shadows and misses them completely. No eclipse takes place. When two to four times each year, moon finds itself at or near the nodes to pass through some portion of the earth's penumbral or umbral shadows, one of the three types of eclipses can be witnessed. Everyone on the night side of earth can see lunar eclipse. Thirty five percent of all eclipses are of the penumbral nature. Another thirty percent are partial eclipses. Around thirty five percent are fascinating total eclipses.

Future Total Lunar Eclipse
Though 2012 and 2013 are devoid of total lunar eclipses, they could be relished in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Source: Press release sent by NASO on December 7, 2011.

Apply now if you want to join SGAC!

SGAC has opened applications for multiple spots for three important roles to the organisation: Co-Secretary, Web Editor and Reporter on the Communications & Public Relations (PR) Team. These positions are offer challenging, rewarding, and professional skill-building experiences.

Be a part of leading and shaping the organisation! Benefits of these positions include meeting and working with young space sector leaders from around the world, having a higher chance of receiving SGAC scholarships to attend conferences around the world,being recognised internationally as part of the organisation's leadership on the SGAC Team webpage,being invited to attend United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space meetings and other conferences as part of the official SGAC delegation,building leadership skills and other skills that are directly translatable to your career

For more details and please visit the official website of Space Generation Advisory Council( SGAC)-www.spacegeneration.org . The deadline for those positions is December 7, 2011. So, don't wait, apply now!

Total Lunar Eclipse Observation Campaign 2011 in Nepal

The first Total Lunar Eclipse of 2011 brought great excitement among the amateur astronomers of Nepal.observe this historical eclipse,Nepal Astronomical Society(NASO), Kathmandu and Nepali Association for Astronomical Mission(NAAM) Birgunj,Nepal had organized doouble stationed observation of TLE from Nepal.before, NASO has spread the news among the nepalese through different media. " We have been busy answering the questions from the media as an live on FM radios from different parts of Nepal", said the Rishi Shah,Academician of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and President of NASO. We have tried to dissiminate the right information to every corner of Nepal through TVs, Radios and newspaper", explained Mr. Suresh Bhattarai, Secretary of NASO.



Through the observation from Kathmandu failed due to rain, Observers at other end had enjoyed the moments. "It was amazing to observe the moon passing deeply in the shadow of the Earth with in hrs,more interestingly to see the changes in the colour of the moon with orange to red and to black" explained Mr. Milan Rai, president of Nepali Association for Astronomical Mission(NAAM)
Birgunj,Nepal.

As we know that our solar system is a family of planets and their satellites which revolving around the sun on their orbit, so some time they come between a straight line while revolving around the sun. When the earth comes between the sun and the moon and they all are in straight path,the earth obstruct the light reaching to the moon causing shadow on it is known as lunar eclipse. Mr Rai further added, "In Birgunj the moon observation night was started from 8:00pm to the morning 7:00 am. According to local time ,the partial eclipse was begain at 12:04 a.m and total eclipse was begain at 1:06 a.m and total eclipse ends at 2:45 a.m morning at birgunj. After on wards we couldn’t recored the phases of eclipse of cloudy weather".

See you on in December, 2011!!!

I am Back now!

Hello friends,

It's been more than 5 years since I stop working for this blog which is supposed to catered many aspects of life! I will be working on this blog to give a new idea of expressions as much as possible! So, if you have any creation that you want to share with us, please send your creation which will be available to the wider like minded audience through this blog :-)

Wish you all a very happy time ahead:-)

!BE HAPPY and LET OTHERS HAPPY!

MAHARA CALLS FOR UNITY AMONG EIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES FOR NEXT 10-YEAR

After signing historic agreement with the seven party alliance, Maoist spokesperson and coordinator of the Maoist talks team Krishna Bahadur Mahara has said that the unity among eight political parties should continue until the end of feudalism in the country.
Addressing a victory meet organised in Pokhara by the Maoists, after the historic agreement between the SPA and Maoists, Mahara said the eight party alliance should continue for the next 10 years at least.
Stating that the Maoists are ready to maintain the alliance for 10 years, Mahara urged other political parties not to play competitive politics during these 10 years.
"The relation of the King with the Nepali Army is not going to break with simple decisions and cosmetic reforms," he said, adding, "Therefore a long-term coalition among political parties is essential."
He also warned that monarchy could attempt to take regressive steps if political parties did not remain alert in the days to come.
The success of summit talks is the beginning of the formation of a republican Nepal and the end of monarchy, said Mahara, adding that the agreement truly demonstrated the unity of the political parties.
Mahara further warned, “If the points of agreement are not implemented honestly, it will invite catastrophe in the country.”

AT LEAST 4O PEOPLE KILLED IN SALYAN ACCIDENT

At least 40 people were killed and over 40 others injured when a passenger bus met with an accident near Luham Bazaar in Tribeni VDC of Salyan district in mid-western region Saturday morning.
The ill-fated bus heading for Tulsipur of Dang district from Salyan skidded some 200 meters off the road and plunged into a gorge, police sources in Dang said. Most of the victims died on the spot.
Nearly 100 people were travelling in the Ra-1-Kha 185 bus belonging to Rapti Yatayat. Local people and police officials had rescued the injured passengers. Over a dozen passengers jumped off the bus and saved their lives.
Brake failure is said to be the reason behind the accident.
The injured passengers have been taken to Ghorahi in Dang and Nepalgunj for treatment. The death toll is likely to rise as a few the injured passengers are in critical condition.

THREE NEPALI WOMEN TO RUN MARATHON FOR CHARITY

Three Nepali women—Prerna Shrestha, Sworupa Khadka and Raksha Pant-- are running the US Marathons next month to raise funds for the Help Nepal Health Post in Haripurwa VDC, Sarlahi, in south-eastern Nepal.
Haripurwa VDC is a conglomerate of villages with approximately 13,000 people. The VDC does not have a health facility and the villagers have to walk long hours to the district hospital in Malangwa for minor treatments and check ups.
According to Help Nepal Network ( www.helpnepal.net), a global charity set up by Nepalis, Prerana, Sworupa and Raksha – all members of Help Nepal-- will attempt to raise at least $8,000 for the Health Post.
This summer, Help Nepal organised the US tour of the famous comedian duo, Madan Krishna Shrestha and Haribansh Acharya, and raised $10, 760.90 for the proposed 13-bed Sarlahi Health Post. The total initial estimated cost for the construction of the Health Post is approximately $19,000.
According to the organisers, Prerana will run the ING New York City Marathon on November 5, and Sworupa and Raksha will run the Philadelphia Marathon on November 19.
A PhD candidate in Neuroscience at The Rockefeller University in New York, Prerna graduated from Bates College in 2003 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biological Chemistry. She also serves in the executive committee of International Nepali Biomedical Society (INBS).
Raksha works in McKinsey & Company's Asset Management Research Practice in NYC. Raised in Thailand and the Philippines, she graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2002 with an Economics major/Math minor. Raksha and friends have also launched "Badi ko Sathi", a non-profit with the goal of educating Badi children and raising societal awareness about the Badi plight.
Sworupa works as an Assistant Operations Manager at Mellon Financial Corporation in its Consulting and Investment Solutions group. She graduated from University of Bridgeport, CT in 2001 where she served as a president of The Himalayan Club, a student organization. She is also the founding member of XMA (Xavier's Mary's Alumni Association).
"I urge all the Nepalis—living in the US and elsewhere—to participate in and spread the word about Help Nepal's "One dollar a month" online donation program and make it one of the most inclusive, therefore one of the most powerful donation tools to make a difference in Nepal," said Shailesh Gongal, chairman of Help Nepal Network USA. "Just imagine if 100,000 Nepalis living in the US give a dollar a month, we will be raising USD 1.2 million a year," he added.
The organisers said they have already raised over 1,300 US dollars so far in support of the cause championed by three courageous Nepali women. They said they welcome online contributions at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=5012
Set up in 1999, Help Nepal Network now has its chapters in nearly one dozen countries and is the largest charitable network of the Nepali diaspora. It has already provided assistance to implement projects mainly in education and health sectors targeting rural and underprivileged communities in Nepal.

SPECIAL RELATIVITY THEORY

The special theory of relativity was proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein in his article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies." Some three centuries earlier, Galileo's principle of relativity had stated that all uniform motion was relative, and that there was no absolute and well-defined state of rest; a person on the deck of a ship may be at rest in his opinion, but someone observing from the shore would say that he was moving. Einstein's theory combines Galilean relativity with the postulate that all observers will always measure the speed of light to be the same no matter what their state of uniform linear motion is.
This theory has a variety of surprising consequences that seem to violate common sense, but which have been verified experimentally. Special relativity overthrows Newtonian notions of absolute space and time by stating that distance and time depend on the observer, and that time and space are perceived differently, depending on the observer. It yields the equivalence of matter and energy, as expressed in the famous equation E=mc2, where c is the speed of light. Special relativity agrees with Newtonian mechanics in their common realm of applicability, in experiments in which all velocities are small compared to the speed of light.
The theory was called "special" because it applies the principle of relativity only to inertial frames. Einstein developed general relativity to apply the principle generally, that is, to any frame, and that theory includes the effects of gravity. Special relativity doesn't account for gravity, but it can deal with accelerations.
Although special relativity makes relative some quantities, such as time, that we would have imagined to be absolute based on everyday experience, it also makes absolute some others that we would have thought were relative. In particular, it states that the speed of light is the same for all observers, even if they are in motion relative to one another. Special relativity reveals that c is not just the velocity of a certain phenomenon -- light -- but rather a fundamental feature of the way space and time are tied together. In particular, special relativity states that it is impossible for any material object to travel as fast as light.

ABOUT THE SUPERNOVA

A supernova is a stellar explosion that produces an extremely bright object made of plasma that declines to invisibility over weeks or months. There are several different types of supernovae and two possible routes to their formation. A massive star may cease to generate fusion energy from fusing the nuclei of atoms in its core and collapse inward under the force of its own gravity to form a neutron star or black hole, or a white dwarf star may accumulate material from a companion star until it nears its Chandrasekhar limit and undergoes runaway nuclear fusion in its interior, completely disrupting it (note that this should not be confused with a surface thermonuclear explosion on a white dwarf called a nova). In either case, the resulting supernova explosion expels much or all of the stellar material with great force.
The explosion drives a blast wave into the surrounding space, forming a supernova remnant. One famous example of this process is the remnant of SN 1604, shown to the right.
"Nova" (pl. novae) is Latin for "new", referring to what appears to be a very bright new star shining in the celestial sphere; the prefix "super" distinguishes this from an ordinary nova, which also involves a star increasing in brightness, though to a lesser extent and through a different mechanism. However, it is misleading to consider a supernova as a new star, because it really represents the death of a star (or at least its radical transformation into something else).

LOCAL ADMINISTRATION LIFTS CURFEW AFTER FIVE YEARS

The local administration removed curfew orders in Dang district after five years citing improvement in the security situation of the district.
The local administration had been imposing nighttime curfew order in the district since November 26, 2001 following the Maoist attack at all government installations in Ghorai, the district headquarter of Dang district on November 23.
Maoists launched major attack on Ghorai, the district headquarter of Dang district following a break in a four month truce.
Talking to Nepalnews, acting chief district officer of the district, Sundar Raj Aryal, informed that they removed the curfew after five years keeping in view the recent political development of the country and improvement in the security situation.
Local administrations in various districts have been imposing curfew orders in the night to avoid probable attack of the Maoists.
The government on Wednesday removed terrorist tag and red corner notice from Maoists and reciprocated the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Maoists.