Universe for little kids

PROLOGUE It was around 2008 one sunny day Iwas out in the book shop looking for some good books to read.Eventhough the trend of reading books in fast decline .But iam sticking to my old gun its been almost 25 years since I started to have a passion for books.But now a days the virtual world is engulfing the real world in alarming rate..and its pretty hard to predict where we going to end. Let me come back to my story ….I was inside a book store a well known book store chain in Malaysia I was going through many books going through a rack to rack.Finaly for my amusement I found Mark Garlicks book …and the cover page read expanding universe so after flipping through the few pages which gave a me a rapid glan ce in to the contents of the ,with out a second thought I bought the boo gang never regret for that. There are thousands of astrophysists around world working tirelessly to understand the universe and its existence and creation. The modern sophisticated technology and the instruments helped us a lot to shed light in the know. But understanding astronomy is not easy as selling cakes for this one must have the passion and time. Ou r quest for understanding our existence in this world and heavenly worlds presence always bothered us and for few thousand years we never understood it all.But atleast now we are in the eara we can understand part of the mindboggling vastness of the universe. The book which I bought in Selayang really helped me to understand some of the complex events that is the evertdays or every moments of our universe. It is every important for the educated persons responsibility to understand atleast the basic.things and the natural phenomena around us including heavenly bodies above us . After reading that book it was on mind that I must try to help others this natural phenomena in a very simpler for so that there would not be any room for confusion. I hope that My article will be very useful for the beginners .as Iam trying to narrate It in a very simpler form.If there are any errors or if any one find it deemed to be unfit or irreverent it would be great pleasure for me to correct my self. I would assure that I have not taken any online contents to confuse the readers. The Universe That we Know Our universe is too big and it is very hard for the primitive human brain to comprehend it .When we peer deeper and deeper in to the space with the help of the telescopes like hubble and other radio telescopes we have realized that there are billions of galaxies around and each of them housing around 100 billion stars.The distance beween them sounds unrealistic.so to make it easier we count the distance between them in light years.That means the distance the light travels in a year. Our nearest Star behond the sun is alpha cetuari to reach this with the current fastest speed of the rockets it takes 40000 years.if this distance is reduced to SIZE of grain wheat the further Arround us every where you find stars ,galaxies ,galaxy clustersets etc The stars we see in the night sky belongs to our native galaxy where we live which is Milk way. One or two smudgy patches that appear in the sky are galaxies. Andromeda It’s a gigantic island of stars ant it is furthest largest object that we can see .Andromeda is 1 2.9 million years and it is more than 100 thousand light years across. that means from one end of the galaxy to other end light takes 1000 years. Planets Before last few centuries be we thought there are only 8 planets. but with the help of the currently available telescopes ,radio telescopes,and also by observing the brightness of the stars and itd variations we found out that that is attributed to the planet that transits the star and that causes slight variation ,by critically analising the brightness during the transit scientist could calculate how big is the palanet.its probably exists through out the universe.smaller planets are called terrestrial planets and they have a solid surface.the larger planets are gas giants.they are Jupiter Uranus and Neptune. Stras There are plenty of planets going around the stars.they are really very massive. Star Formation The small stars are calle d Drwfs among them red dwarf the temperature is around 4000 ``centegrasw At the highest end of stars are the blue giats .they are really massivethey are extremely rare and expetinally hot with the surface temperature of more than 50,000degres .However all these stars burns in a same way ,but when they get older they undergo some astonishing changes .But it it depends on the mass of the star.More massive stars burns fuell very quickly and when there is no more hydrogen is there for the nuclear fusion the star collapses so quickly resulting in a supermassive explosion and we call it as supernova.resulting in a black hole.we do not know much about the black hole but it devours everything and even the light cant escape from it. But our sun is a medium sized star and it eventually begins to die by increasing its size and becominga stellar nonster.and when it becomes a red giant our earth would swallowed by sun.This stage is followed by collapse and death leaving behing a tiny dwarf which is 100 time s smaller than the conventional star. Nuclear fusion The main ingredients of the stars are hydrogen. If the hydrogen fuel burns like a normal fuel what we use here in earth the life of the star does not last billion of years. but here is the catch,for an example almost 99 % of our solar system’s material is accumulated in Sun and only .7 % left for Planets .The material what sun has is tremendous.the weight exerted by the material on the sun puts tremendous pressure on centre of its core that results in the fusion of two hydrogen atoms in to heliem during this process enormous amount of energy is released .That is the energy we get from Sun in the form of heat and light. The suns presence is very important for the survival of all the living beings .the energy come from in the form of heat and is very important ,where plants use sunlight and co2 for the photosynthesis the food we eat the fuel we burn all are from its amazing right? Nebulae The clouds of dust and gas are called nebula It is the hugee reservoir of Hydrogen and helium. How massive they are ? how big they are the answer as to do with the euipmentts they use but important clues also comes come from the way which the astronomical objects behave and intract. The basic activity any one can do is watch the objects and caluculatehow thw light level changes over the period of time this method we call it as photometry .If a star changes brightness over a period of time with regulr intervals this could be a sign of planet rotating it The fascination for the astronomy triggered by galileos invention of telescope it was the first telescope with refracting telescope containing two lensesthat refracted or bent the light entered it.qnd in 20 th century astronomy witnessed remarkable advancement with the radio telescope .for the further study hubble telescope was launched in 1990 Spectroscopy: As useful it is ,phometry nevertheless has its limits a more powerf techniue isspectroschopy The light is passed through a narrow slits and spits by this nethon one can observe the spectral line . A particular element absorbs light ,at its own particular range these likes Another future of spectoroscopeis that cab rekieve Nebulae The clouds of dust and gas are called nebula It is the hugee reservoir of Hydrogen and helium. Nebulae The clouds of dust and gas are called nebula It is the hugee reservoir of Hydrogen and helium.

Working Abroad..............an epic flow with the flow.

young Indians always dream studying and working abroad.The paradox that dreaming is more happier than being actually in a foreignland.


What a contradictory statement that iam giving!. My friend Dr.Ramakanth almost yells at me


"everybody seems to be happy and having a gala time but whats wrong with you? you look in the pink but your statement throws a sence of discomfort and unhappyness,why?"


ok now listen to me he says " you have stirred my curiosity and please dont fail to justify your statement"


When I look back in to the long road that I have traveled- other end seems to be very far that I cant go back for ever .sometimes I remember old English poem by Robert Frost


The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,


And sorry I could not travel both


And be one traveler,


long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I could


To where it bent in the undergrowth;


Then took the other, as just as fair,


And having perhaps the better


claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;


Though as for that the passing there


Had worn them really about the same


,And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.


Oh, I kept the first for another day!


Yet knowing how way leads on to way,


I doubted if I should ever come back.


I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:


Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference


I wrote to Ramakanth dear friend other day you wanted me to talk about my ten years experiances away from India if you have the patience please read-----my story abroad begins here


Unlike many other wealthy young Indian youths who aspires for higher eduction in well known universities abroad I did not dream for that since my parents were not rich enough to accomodate the demands of the universities abroad,fact is that I never dreamt anything beyond the horrizon .


when I had to be in Banglaore for my degree I was always waiting for the moment to get back to our sweet family home in coorg. which is wedged between the serene greenery of western ghats.It is in heggala sitting on the edge from where the land drops to 200 feet sea level from the lofty 3400 feet,due to the sheer prominece we almost had fog gliding through our windows most of the days of mansoon....one can just imagine the beauty of the nature where my house is cocooned.


....during my high school days , I still remeber the days when we used to get back home half drenched shivering ...the moment I reach home I just used to leave my cloths to dry near the fire place where my mom always used to light the charcoal to keep the house worm and dry. The pleassure I used to get by sitting near the kitchen firewood fire while sipping the black coffee was incredible. Then comes the Mansoon break- the break that really needed where we could help our parents during transplantation of rice crops.working in the wetland used to be different experience every moment was a moment of learning as my dad was a teacher I always indulged in a converstaion with him at work ,our discussion topics used to be everything from a Star to Mountains ,then to history.When he was ploughing the land using his beloved cattles Subramani and Manikka I used to squat on the on the walking ridgeways(airy) some times having fun by seeing the small grass blodes voilently switching directions and moving swiftly in the direction of wind when thier lower inward bent was used like a sail.the play continues some times just by splashing water, diging in the muddy marshy soil all were the part of everydays business all these activities were carreid out most of the time with a big black umbrella. Some times I used to spend time all alone watching differnt types of Dragon flies and admire its splendid colours and astonishing flying ability (that used to perch on the grass blades or on coffee palnts)......Rainy seasons in coorg always remembered with the flavours of different types of mangos..with my cousins we used to look for ripend mangos by climbing trees like Monkeys ( sujecting ourselves to the danger of folling down as the tree trunks used to slippery due to the thick growth of mosses(paachi or paamangi)fuelled by the rain.....once we start eating the mangos right on top the tree using the crude primate method one could have a wild imagination of peeping back in to the life of our ancestor primate...but we were thougtless with only one goal for that moment to enjoy the taste of the mango fully untill our stomachs are full.WOW the mangos ,jackfruits,oranges,prunes,passion fruits..pamelo moosambis...everything with in our estate...just imagine the wonder time that I have spent ..in coorg. if there is a place that is like a heaven for me in this earth there it is .......In my coorg. I miss all these when I see my Son getting aquainted with Screaming jumping,Playing video games.....My Dad tells me in my secluded luxurious appartment- gone are the days Son...December Iam getting back to India please send your son with me...let him atleast breath the smell of the holly soil learn our culture feel our people ... this is the time he should atleast know why his dad and grandpa always finds a eternel peace in the Sacred place of my ancestors ......


Dear Ram for me the most beautiful place in this world is none other than my coorg......... ....

When I first arrived in Columbo Srinka..that was the first time I set my foot in a foreign land on my own..I was just transiting in Katunayke Airport, still had to get out of the airport for a days stay ...It was a fun n joy I loved it as a stayed in one of the best of the resort in Srilanka...the Golden Sandi Resort.The private beach is pristine.The sounds of the waves which keeps tickling your ears in regular intervals was soothing and relaxing.
Next day afternoon I was arrived in KL international airport.The Airport was flashy the beauty of the airport infrastructure makes one to stand still.The concept of the massive airport was the co-existance of rainforest and the modern building ...no wonder why the airport won most beautiful airport for few times.
I was greatly impressed by the infrastructure..where the man made things co-existed with the nature .
over the years I found my self working in a airline industry it gave me great oppertunity to experience the different cultures, exotic cusines.It was very exiting initially but over the period as the time passed I found my self lost in the midst of synthetic world where nothing is natural initial eitment lost its appeal now iam in jucture of retracing the routes.I lest my son would forget or even fail to understand our own culture.
After being exposed to various several cutures and societies my love for India and coorg tremendously increased.I have some great hope that our culture ultimatly thrives .......Hoping for good luck waiting for that day

with eternal love for my Motherland Coorg India.

Kodavas as a Community.

Being a Kodava like many other kodavas I am always puzzled with our ancestry,unlike many other races of India whose History is filled with certainty with historical scripts giving the proof that they were here for thousands of years and they have great stories to tell us . When we look deeper in to kodavas History and our previous existence in India we do not find any hunches that satisfies our curiosity,may be that is attributed to lack of ancient literature that sheds limelight in to Kodava's life. kodavas culturally and traditionally do not have any similarities with other south Indians but amazingly our appearance and our dress code has a pretty much resemblance with the middle eastern people. Perhaps our ancestors were from middle east.Other than our similarities in appearance and traditional dress we do not have any solid proof to declare that our ancestors were migrated from Middle east.
Its been few years since I heard that DNA samples been taken ??was it a rumour?.Anyway no news from the Gregor Mandel's team...?
But it has been determined by Scientists that human race originated from Africa,each and every human being living in this planet originated from a Single mother and a father around seventy to eighty thousand years ago. I have no doubt in this since its been proven with the genetic research and results that followed.
Since than human population has grown to few thousands than to million than to billion... The dispersal of the population , their migration and Isolation over the thousands of years has resulted in birth of new races,cultures ,languages,traditions etc.
My Findings:I had a strong determination to participate in the genograhic project spearheaded by DR.Spencer Wells from LONDON UK -who was collaborating with the indigenous people to learn more about where they came from? and how they got to the place they live today.

The Test:With a simple and painless cheek swab one can sample His or Her own DNA and submit it to the lab. they will test either mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down each generation from mother to child and reveals direct maternal ancestry; or Y chromosome (males only), which is passed down from father results will reveal your deep ancestry along a single line of direct descent (paternal or maternal) and show the migration paths they followed thousands of years ago. Your results will also place you on a particular branch of the human family tree. Some anthropological stories are more detailed than others, depending upon the lineage.
Furthermore, this is not a genealogy study. You will not learn about your great-grandparents or other recent relatives, and your DNA trail will not necessarily lead to your present-day location. Rather, your results will reveal the anthropological story of your direct maternal or paternal ancestors—where they lived and how they migrated around the world many thousands of years ago.
I got the stunning initial result that shows that my ancestors are closely associated with Eurasian people.In this regard thousands of DNA samples of ethnic coorgies have to be collected and tested to make sure that our ancestors lived in eastern asia near Turkey.
I would like to hear from likely minded fellow coorgies so that at least we can discuss in this regard.

Chottemanda Krishna Poovaiah
Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia