IIT-Kanpur to launch nano satellite by December

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Rashid Faridi

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) has received the ISRO nod to launch its first and country’s lightest nano satellite, Jugnu,  December,2009.  The satellite will be launched in the polar orbit from Sriharikota.A team of 12 professors and 40 IIT-K students led by professor and mechanical engineering department head, Nalinaksh S Vyas, have been working on the project since last December. A technical team of ISRO led by D Madhav Murthy, director (small satellite), said they had informed ISRO authorities about the details related to the release of Jugnu by mother satellite in polar orbit, and also provided the details regarding the satellite antenna set up in the institute premises.

Source : http://www.business-standard.com

Posted in India, Satellites | Leave a comment

Big Quakes Trigger Small Quakes

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Rashid Faridi

Seismologists found that L-waves, slow-moving seismic surface waves, from larger earthquakes can trigger smaller earthquakes as they travel through the ground. Different from aftershocks because they can happen farther away and hours or days later, the triggered tremors rate much lower on the magnitude scale–often undetectable without a seismograph.

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Yosemite’s giant trees disappear

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Rashid Faridi

The oldest and largest trees within California’s world famous Yosemite National Park are disappearing.Climate change appears to be a major cause of the loss.The oldest and largest trees within California’s world famous Yosemite National Park are disappearing.Climate change appears to be a major cause of the loss.

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Posted in BIODIVERSITY, climate change | Leave a comment

From Cup to Drain :Artificial Sweeteners Linger in Groundwater

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Rashid Faridi

Artificial sweeteners pass through our bodies and end up in wastewater virtually unchanged. Some sweeteners are particularly widespread in the environment, according to a new study, making them ideal markers for following pollution from treatment plants and other sources into the environment.

Contaminated groundwater is both an environmental and public health issue. Once run-off gets into the environment, though, it can be hard to know whether it came from industry, agricultural fields, traffic, homes or other sources. Scientists have been looking for marker molecules that might help them track down and possibly reduce some of these inputs.

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