SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

                                             SOLAR ECLIPSE DEMONSTRATION KIT   Nikunja Bihari Sahu   A Solar Eclipse is a rare celestial spectacle of nature when the Sun vanishes from our sky, completely or partially, for some time from our view. It occurs when the three celestial bodies, the Sun, the Moon and the Earth comes in a straight line. In that case, the Moon blocks the Sun from our view and the shadow of the Moon falls on the Earth. People living in this shadow region on the Earth are able to see the Solar eclipse.  There are mainly three types of Solar Eclipses: Total, Partial and Annular. Although the actual size of the Sun is much larger compared to the size of the Moon, due to the former’s vast distance from the Earth, the apparent size of both the bodies as seen from the Earth looks the same. Hence, in a Total Solar eclipse, the Moon can completely bock the Sun from our view.  While during a Total Solar Eclipse, the Sun completely vanishes from the sky causing a temporar

ALARM BELLS FOR A GRIM CLIMATE                                                                                                                Nikunja Bihari Sahu        The summer this year has been exceptionally hard and harsh with temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius  in most parts of north-western India including the capital city of Delhi breaking all previous temperature records. The weather station in Delhi's Mungeshpur area recorded India's hottest-ever day with 52.3 degree Celsius last Wednesday.  Most parts of northern and central India are now reeling under intense heatwave conditions unprecedented by any count. This time around the year, the temperature is expected to increase by a little in northern parts of India as the Sun moves from the equator towards the Tropic of Cancer. However, the current temperature trend baffles all known geographical and climatic interpretations.       This has brought about untold hardship and miseries to people and animals