Introduction
- Location: Nubra in Ladakh, India, is known for clear skies, making stars easily visible.
- Characters: Yangdol and Dorjay, siblings, are fascinated by the night sky and star patterns.
Stars and Constellations
- Stars: Shine with their own light, and some are brighter than others.
- Constellations: Groups of stars forming patterns, used for navigation in ancient times.
- Example: Orion (Hunter), Canis Major (Dog), Taurus (Bull).
- 88 constellations have been officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
- Pole Star (Polaris): Appears stationary in the north and helps in navigation.
- Big Dipper and Little Dipper: Well-known patterns. The Big Dipper is part of Ursa Major, and the Little Dipper is in Ursa Minor.
Watching the Night Sky
- Best conditions: A clear, dark place with no city lights.
- Use apps: Like Sky Map to find constellations and stars.
- Preparation: Bring a compass and print out star maps for easy observation.
The Solar System
- The Sun: A star closest to Earth, provides heat and light, and is about 150 million km away.
- Diameter: 100 times larger than Earth.
- The Earth and other planets revolve around it.
- Planets: Large, nearly spherical objects revolving around the Sun.
- Inner Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars (rocky surfaces).
- Outer Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (mostly gases).
- Pluto: Reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
Natural Satellites
- Moons: Natural satellites that revolve around planets.
- Earth’s moon takes about 27 days for a full revolution.
- Features: Craters formed by asteroid impacts.
- India’s lunar missions: Chandrayaan 1, 2, and 3 (successfully landed on the Moon’s south pole).
Asteroids and Comets
- Asteroids: Small rocky objects, mainly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- Comets: Objects made of dust, gas, rocks, and ice that form a visible tail when near the Sun.
- Example: Halley’s Comet, visible every 76 years.
The Milky Way Galaxy
- Galaxy: A vast system of stars; the Milky Way contains millions to billions of stars, including our Solar System.
- Visible as a faint band of light in the night sky.
The Universe
- Beyond the Milky Way: There are many other galaxies. Scientists are exploring exoplanets to find evidence of life, but no proof has been found yet.
Leave a Reply