Mars will make its closest approach to Earth in recorded history on August 27th, coming within 34.6 million miles. This is the closest Mars has been in over 60,000 years, and it may not happen again for another 65,000 years. At its closest approach, Mars will be brighter than any star in the sky, appearing 25 times wider than usual through a telescope. It will be visible all night long from early August to late August, rising earlier each night.
India Post: Themes and Biases in Commemorative Stamps Issued From 1994 To 2016Raamesh Gowri Raghavan
The author has been an avid collector of Indian postage stamps since 1995. Next only to currency, stamps have born the unique imprimatur of the state and have rightly been described as ‘little ambassadors’.
But in a democratic dispensation such as India, do they also serve as vehicles of subtle or overt propaganda for the people in power? This paper will examine the distribution of themes reflected in commemorative and definitive stamps issued by the Department of Posts, Government of India over a twenty-year period from 1995 to 2016, during which period India has been governed by parties adhering to multiple ideologies.
Themes studied include:
a. National icons vs. Regional icons
b. Statewide distribution of regional icons
c. Nature of icons: military, political, social, religious and literary
d. Human vs. institutional icons
e. Domestic vs. international icons
‘Icons’ here are defined as any person, institution, event, monument or living being that is considered noteworthy or important enough to be commemorated.
Preliminary Explorations at the Cave Complex at Kothaligad, Taluka Karjat, Di...Raamesh Gowri Raghavan
Herein we report preliminary archaeological explorations of a complex of 5 caves and other rock-cut architecture associated with the fort of Kothaligad, in the village of Peth, Karjat Taluka, Raigad District, Maharashtra, India.
1. Check it out, guess no one will get much sleep in
August.
Mars
The Red Planet is about to be spectacular!
2. This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in
an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach
between the two planets in recorded history.
The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.
Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on
Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be
certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth
in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as
60,000 years before it happens again.
The encounter will culminate on August 27th when
Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and
will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in
the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9
and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide.
At a modest 75-power magnification
3. Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked
eye.
4. Mars will be easy to spot. At the
beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10p.m.
and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.
By the end of August when the two planets are
closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its
highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. That's pretty
convenient to see something that no human being has
seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at
the beginning of August to see Mars grow
progressively brighter and brighter throughout the
month.
5. Share this with your children and
grandchildren.
NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS
AGAIN