GO TO STARS - WESTERN NAMES ( STWN )
Acubens. Akrab. Akrabat. Albali. Alchiba. Alcyone. Aldebaran. Algeiba.
Al Gedi. Algenib. Algenubi. Alghorab. Algol, Allenah.  Al Nasi. Alrischa. Antares. Arctus. Ascllus Australis. Ascllus Borealis. Asterope. Atlas. Bellatrix. Boain. Castor. Celenoa. Dabih. Deneb Algedi. Denebola. Dschubba. Electra. Elnath. Gienah. Hamal. Hyades. Kaus Australis. Kaus Borealis. Kaus Meridonalis. Maia. Mankib. Marfak. Mebsuta. Merope. Mesarthim. Mirak. Muluizi. Nashira. Nunki. Pieione. 
Pleiades. ( Aries / Taurus / Cluster ). Pollux. Porrima. Regulus. Rukbat. Sadalchiba. Sadalmalik. Sadalsuud. Shaula. Sheratan. Skat. Spica. Taygeta. Vindamiatrix. Wasat . Zavijijava. Zosma. Zuban.
Zubenel Akrabi. Zubenel Genubi. Zubenes Chameli.   
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GO TO STARS - INDIAN NAMES ( STIN )
ZODIAC STARS ( ZSTIN )

 01 - Aswini. 02 - Bharani.  03 - Krithiga ( Mesham / Rishabam / Cluster ).
 04 - Rohini. 05 - Mriga Shirsham ( Rishabam / Mithunam ).
 06 - Aridhra / Thiru Athirai. 07 - Punarvsu ( Mithunam / Katakam ).
 08 - Pushyam / Poocham. 09 - Aslesha / Ailyam.  10 - Magham.
 11 - Poorva Phalguni / Pooram.
 12 - Uthara Phalguni / Utharam ( Simham / Kanya ). 13 - Hastham.
 14 - Chithra ( Kanya / Vrichigam ). 15 - Swathi. 
 16 - Vichagam ( Libra / Scorpius )  17 - Anuradha / Anusham.
 18 - Jyeshtam / Kettai. 19 - Moolam. 20 - Poorvashadam / Pooradam.
 21 - Uthrashadam / Uthradam ( Sagittarius / Capricorn ). 
 22 - Shravanam / Thiruvonam.
 23 - Dhanishtam / Avittam ( Makahram / Khumbam ).
 24 - Chathabishag / Chadhayam. 
 25 - Poorva Bhadhrapadha / Pooratathi ( Khumbam / Meenam )
 26 - Uthara Bhadhrapadha / Uthiratathi.  27 - Revathi.                          GO TOP
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                                                                  OTHER STARS ( OSTIN )
Abhayanthi.   Agni..  Amba. Anamika. Angushta. Chupunika.  Dhula.  Kakshi. Kanishtika.  Karthigeyan.  Madhyama. Tharjanee. Varshyani.    Vitani.       GO TOP
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          SEE : NEW LAW OF ENERGY/MATTER/LIFE/SPACE & TIME
          GO TO STAR MAPS  : MID-NORTH.  NEAR-NORTH.  ZODIAC
          DO YOUKNOW YOUR ZODIAC NUMBER ? ► ZONU

	SECTION - B ASSISTANCE
	OUR STAR - THE SUN

Life in the Earth continues to exist and progress forward over each Millennium, because of the existence of a  Star, which we call as the Sun. The solar family has the planets Mercury (nearest), Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and  Pluto ( farthest ) to support. All the planets except the Sun, the star supporter,  do not have any self generated energy.  

Like a grill, the Earth has a self-rotation to distribute the heat of the Sun over all its surface equally for each day, as well as a tilted movement by 23½ degrees towards North and South, at 6 Months each,  to distribute a fair share of the heat to the polar regions.

• The plant life on earth continues to exist, because it converts the solar energy directly into starch, the food, with the help of Chlorophyll, the green layer on each leaf.

• The human life on earth enjoys the day and night, as well as the seasons, because of the existence of the Sun.

• If the Earth goes nearer to the Sun by a few miles, all the species will be burnt, all the water on the surface ( both in the rivers and the sea ), and inside the earth, will evaporate.

• If the Earth goes away from the Sun by a few miles, then all the species will be frozen to death, all the water on the surface ( both in the rivers and the sea ), and inside the earth will freeze.

• Then the Earth will become a dead planet like our moon, continuing its rotation around the Sun. It will be a catastrophe !!!

• Will this happen ?.... Yes !!! At some far distant future, may be in some millions of years after. This is based on the  assumption that the current relationship and environments between the Sun and Earth will continue as it is now. In case it is disturbed within the solar system or due to any external celestial environment, the catastrophe could take place at any moment.

This is one of the motivation for the mankind to find a way to travel into space, for a future lively-hood and safety.

The details about our Sun

Radius = 6.960 X 10⁸ Meters = 4.326 X 10⁵ Miles. Mass = 1.99 X 10³⁰ KG.
( It is about 100 times the size of our Earth ).
Surface area = 6.087 X 10¹⁸ Square meters.  Energy Production = 3.90 X 10²⁶ Watts per hour.
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THEME PICTURE & QUOTATION

01. NATURE IN LIFE
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Are they Blooming Flowers in a    Winter Tank,
Or they be Mini Coins Minted for a Ruler's Bank. 
Jasmines scattered by Attractive Eyed  Maidens, 
And Later gathered for Accurately Made Garlands.  
May be the Pearls on a Beautifully Woven Silken Garment,
Could  be  the  Peony  laid  on a Golden   Satin   Raiment.
  Perhaps Carefully Cut and Sharpened Diamonds of Divinity,
Possibly   Skillfully  Put  &  Decorated    Lanterns   at Infinity.  
They are the Star Clusters. 

" VIN MEENKAL KOOTTAM " ( Star Clusters )  By Vani Dhasan
( Ranga Swamy. 1915 - 1974 )
Translated by Dr.VSRS from the original Tamil Version written in a
Beauty Descriptive ( Ezhil Viruththam ) Tamil Poetic Style, by the Author.
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SEE : NEW LAW OF ENERGY/MATTER/LIFE/SPACE & TIME
 GO TO STAR MAPS  : MID-NORTH.  NEAR-NORTH.  ZODIAC
 DO YOUKNOW YOUR ZODIAC NUMBER ? ► ZONU
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STARS : Stars are incandescent ( burning ) balls of gas similar to our Sun, but at far away distance. They are in wide range of brightness, colours, temperatures, shapes, sizes etc... A far away bright star may appear faint, and a closer faint star may appear bright, because the intensity of light varies inversely as the square of the distance.

Because of the rotation of the Earth, a Star is rising in the eastern sky at every moment. Within a day and night, all the stars rise in the eastern sky and set in the westrn sky.Hence they do not have any fixed position in the East-West direction. But they appear over head in a fixed North-South point.
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• ASCENDANT : The circumference of the Earth along the equator is is about 40,090 Kilo Meters ( KM ). The self rotation of the Earth covers this distance in 24 Hours. Hence the speed of rotation is about 1,670.48 KM per Hour on the Equator region. Since the Earth is Egg shaped, the diameter decreases from 12,756 X 10⁶ KM in the Equator to Zero in the North and south Pole. Hence the lateral speed of rotation varies from 1,670.48 KM per hour in the Equator region to 0 KM per hour in the poles !!! Because of this, the length of Day and Night varies at different latitudes ( Inclination from the North and South poles towards the Equator   on the Earth ).

Also, the Earth  completes a rotation of 360º in 24 Hours, or it covers 15º per Hour.  This angular speed is uniform from the Equator to the Poles !!!.

Because of this rotation, a constellation is rising in the Eastern sky, at every moment. In the night one can see the rising constellation. But during the day time, one cannot see it because of the Sun's light. Within a day and night, all the constellations rise in the eastern sky and set in the westrn sky. But the rising constellation, seen from the Earth varies with the angle in which it is viewed from the Earth. This angle is decided by the angle of the Latitude ( North to South ) and the angle of the Longitude ( East to West ). 

The rising constellation on the eastern sky at any point of time is known as the Ascendant. The equivalent Indian term is Lagnam.

• AUTUMNAL EQUINOX : This is the point where the Sun crosses the Celestial Equator, moving from North to South. This  left ascension
  ( downward ) takes place on 23 September each year. It is the celestial equivalent of 180º opposite to the Greenwich meridian in the Earth. This point is in the constellation Virgo ( on the star Spica - Chithra ), the second largest constellation on the sky. This is diametrically opposite to Vernal Equinox, where the Sun crosses the Celestial Equator from South to North.

• BLACK HOLES : Region in space occupied by the collapse of a star. It has a very high mass compressed into an un-imaginably small space. It is extremely high in gravitational pull, to the extent that even light cannot escape out of it. Hence these are invisible. A black space in the constellation Cygnus, near the star  Eta-Cygni ( in the northen sky ) is considered to be the black hole first ever identified, based on the
  strong X ray emerging out from there. ( Black Holes : M-87 )

• CONSTELLATIONS  : The sky is divided into 88 areas or Constellations, each having a group of stars, within its boundary. This is similar to our Political Map of the Earth. This is to easily locate any star or any other object (like Comets, Planets etc...) in the sky. They are in different shapes and sizes. The largest constellation is HYDRA or the Water Snake. This occupies about 19 times greater area in the sky, than the smallest constellation CRUX, the Southern cross. Some constellations have one or many bright stars, while others may have only small and faint stars.

The 12 constellations through which our Sun passes every year, is known as the ZODIAC.

The tradition of division of sky into Constellations began 1000s of years before. The Greeks recognised about 48 Constellations including the Zodiac. Constellation shapes and boundaries frequently overlapped and some times the same star was shared between 2 constellations. In 1930, the International Astronomical Union ( IAU ) adopted a list of 88 Constellations. Every Constellation is identified by a generic name in Arabic, Greek, Latin or Sanskrit origin.

Constellations in this Web-Site are assigned an unique number by me, in addition to their names, to easily search their location and understand about them. I call it as SUC (Subramaniam Constellation Numbers ).

Zodiac or the  12 constellations through which our Sun passes every year, are the constellations within the lines of the Earth's Equator
( 00 ), Tropic of Cancer ( 23½ Degree North ) and  Tropic of Capricorn ( 23½ Degree South ) are assigned numbers from  001 to 012
( 12 Constellations )

The 29 Constellations in the North of Zodiac are assigned as  :
Near North -  101 to 114 ( 25° to 55° N ).
Mid North   -  201 to 212 ( 55° to 75° N ).
Far North   -  301 to 303 ( 75° to 90° N ).
The 47 Constellations in the South of Zodiac are assigned as :     
Close South  - 501 to 515  ( 00° to 20° S ).
Near South   -  601 to 615 ( 20° to 50° S ).
Mid South     -  701 to 707 ( 50° to 65° S ). 
 Down South -  801 to 809 ( 65° to 80° S ).
Far South      -  901  ( 80° to 90° S ).    
 Total constellations = 12 + 29 + 47 = 88. 

In the Indian system, 27 Stars are designated in these 12 zodiac constellations, and named. Each star name may represent one or a group of stars.

• CELESTIAL EQATOR : The circular equator line on the sky and universe over our head, through which the Sun and the stars appear to move around us ( due to the Earth rotating around the Sun in 1 year, as well as its self-rotation in 24 hours  ). These is exactly above the equator on the Earth.

• CELESTIAL POLES : The North and South poles of the sky and universe over our head. These are exactly above the North and South poles on our Earth.

• COMET : A relatively small celestial body, travelling around the Sun in a highly elleptical orbit. It visits the Sun at fixed or variable intervals of time. It consists of frozen mass. When it approaches near the Sun, some mass burns and the evaporated gases project like a tail. The tail is always in a direction opposite to the Sun.

• DARK FORCES : Astronomers have discovered a mysterious phenomenon that is making the Universe expand at ever-faster rate, says  a report in The Independent. In a series of experiments using the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, a team of British and American Scientists has confirmed the existence of a "Dark Energy" by measuring the amount of light from distant star like objects that is bent by this hidden force during its long journey through space.... Cosmologists have known for some time that about 90 per cent of mass of the Universe is missing because it cannot be seen by telescopes. They call it "Dark matter" but its existence cannot explain the anti-gravity forces causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate.... Now the team at Jodrell bank has found hard evidence of this dark energy by looking at distant quasars, quasi-stellar objects emitting intense amounts of radiation.... Dark energy only affects the properties of the Universe over very large distances, which has made it hard for astronomers to study it using more conventional techniques of optical telescopes. But by using "gravitational lensing" in which light and radiation from distant objects are distorted by gravitational pull of an intermediate object, the astronomers were able to discriminate between the forces of gravity.

  ( From "Panorama", the Friday supplement of Gulf Today, a Daily News paper from  UAE.   Pages 8 and 9. "Astronomers find evidence of mysterious "dark forces" )
   

• DISTANCE OF STARS : The distance of stars are measured in Light Years. This is the distance traveled by a ray of light in 1 year. Light travels at a speed of 299,792,459 Meters per Second.

1 Light Year = [ 299,792,459 X 60 (Min) x 24 (Hrs) X 365.25 (Days)] =  9.460 Million Million ( 10¹⁵ )  Kilo Meters.

• DECLINATION  : To locate a star,  Declination is measured in Degrees North and South of Celestial Equator as 0 Degree, and +90 Degrees at the North Celestial Pole, and - 90 Degrees at the South Celestial Pole. The Celestial Poles lie exactly above the poles of the Earth.

• DOUBLE STARS : Some stars appear in close pair. This could be due to two stars at different distances may be on the same line, or one star is going around the other star.

Some double stars were catalogued and assigned a number by the Russian astronomer F.G.W.Struve. This is known as Struve Number.

• ECLIPTIC : This is the great circle representing the annual path of our Sun. The orbit of the Earth is at an angle of 23½ degrees to the ecliptic.

• EQUATOR : An imaginary line of greatest length around the Earth, at equal distance from the North and South poles. It is considered as the 0 Degree, and North and South poles are at 90 Degrees in their respective directions.

• GALAXY : Collection of Millions or Billions of Stars held together by the gravity attraction between them is a Galaxy. They are faint and gazy. They are either Spiral or Elliptical. Spiral galaxies are further divided into Normal and Barred.

Normal Spiral Galaxies have a central bulge of stars and arms curve outwards in a spiral  from the centre.

Barred Spiral galaxies have a straight bar of stars across their centre. Spiral arms emerge from the ends of the bar.

Our Solar system is in a Spiral galaxy. The entire galaxy is rotating. The centre of our galaxy is in the direction of the Constellation Sagittarius, the region in which the Milky way stars are dense. Our Sun takes about 250,000,000 ( 250 Million ) Years to complete one rotation around the centre of the Galaxy.

Elliptical galaxies are small or massive. They have an Elliptical outline, and do not have any arms.

Galaxies are assigned M or NGC numbers.

M numbers are from a catalogue of over 100 clusters and nebulous objects compiled in the 18th century by the French astronomer Charles Messier.

NGC numbers are from the "New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars" published in 1888 by the Danish astronomer J.L.E.Dreyer. There were 2 supplements to this catalogue in 1905 and 1908, called the Index Catalogue, having IC numbers.

• GIANTS / SUPER GIANTS : These are stars of very large sizes of about 100 times the size of our Sun. They are at advanced stage of evolution than our Sun.

• HISTORY IN ASTRONOMY : 1608 - Telescope installed in Holland.
  1609 - Galileo invented that Milky way is a cluster of stars.
  1755 - German philosopher Immanuel Kant found that Solar system and Milky way are part of one galaxy. 1923 - Edwin Hubble at Mount Wilson observatory, using a 100 Inch  telescope calculated the distance of the constellation Andromeda. 1969 - John Bahcell and Lyman Spitzer of Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies, found that the border of the galaxy is a Halo ( Ring of light ) of invisible matter.

• HORIZON : The horizontal contact point of the Earth with the Sky. Or the line at which the Earth and the Sky appear to meet. There are four main horizons as Eastern Horizon, Northern Horizon, Western Horizon and Southern horizon. Normally the horizons are clear and visible on the sea-shores. Even the clouds obstruct the visibility of the horizon. In the inland areas they are not visible due to obstruction by the buildings, mountains, trees, etc...

• LATITUDE : Imaginary circles around the Earth parallel to the Equator, towards the North and South poles. It is at 0 Degrees at Equator and 90 Degrees at the North and South poles. These lines indicate the position in the North and South.

• LONGITUDE : Imaginary circles around the Earth passing through  the North and South poles, purpendicular to the Equator. It is at 0 Degrees at the Greenwitch mean line and 180 Degress on the diametrically opposite international date line. It is a complete circle of 360 degrees. These lines indicate the position in the East and West.

• METEORS : These are called as "Shooting stars". But they are not stars. They are stones or dust clusters floating in the free space. When they come closer to the Earth, they are attracted by the gravitational pull  at accelerating speed,  plunge into the atmosphere and fall into the Earth. By the friction with the air and gases in the atmosphere, they burn at a height of about 100 Kilo Meters, and leave a trail of light. These are called "Sporadic Meteors".

But each year, our Earth passes through a sea of inter planetary dust, and gets meteor showers, from one small area of the sky called the "radiant". It is named after the Constellation appearing behind the meteor shower. This is measured in terms of the number of meteors seen per hour or " Zenithal Hourly Rate ( ZHR )". The time table of such showers are as below :-

DATE / MONTH	SHOWER	CONSTELLATION	ZHR
03- 04  January	Quadrantids	Bootes	100
21 - 22  April	Lyrids	Lyra	12
16         June			8
05 - 06  May	Eta    Aquarids	Aquarius	40
28 - 29 July	Delta Aquarids		20
06       August	Iota   Aquarids		8
12-13  August	Perseids	Perseus	60
21      October	Orionids	Orion	20
03      November	Taurids	Taurus	12
17- 18 November	Leonids	Leo	10
13- 14 December	Geminids	Gemini	60

•  DO YOUKNOW YOUR ZODIAC NUMBER ? ► ZONU

• MILKY WAY : These are cluster of galaxies. More distant stars and galaxies scattered into a faint band of light, visible on clear nights. The diameter of the milky way visible to us is about 100,000 Light Years. The Sun lies at about 30,000 Light Years from the centre of the Milky way Galaxy.

• MOON SIGN :  Always one constellation forms a background to the moon at any given point of time. We can see it in the night time. But we cannot see it during the day due to Sun light. But it varies with the angle in which it is viewed from the Earth. This angle is decided by the angle of the Latitude ( North to South ) and the angle of the Longitude ( East to West ).   Since the moon goes along the path of the Zodiac signs, this constellation is known as the Moon sign. The Indian equivalent term for this is
  Chandhra Raasi. The Indian system is based on Moon Sign.

• MOON STAR :  Always one star forms a background to the moon at any given point of time. We can see it in the night time. But we cannot see it during the day due to Sun light. But it varies with the angle in which it is viewed from the Earth. This angle is decided by the angle of the Latitude
  ( North to South ) and the angle of the Longitude ( East to West ).   Since the moon goes along the path of the Zodiac signs, this constellation is known as the Moon sign. The Indian equivalent term for this is Chandhra Nakshthram. The Indian system is based on Moon Star.

• NEBULAE : These are clouds of gas and dust in space. There may be stars inside this clouds, and they glow as a White nebula. There are Dark nebulae, without any stars inside, but appear as a black patch in the light of stars behind them.

• Nebulae are assigned M or NGC numbers. M numbers are from a catalogue of over 100 clusters and nebulous objects compiled in the 18th century by the French astronomer Charles Messier.  NGC numbers are from the "New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars" published in 1888 by the Danish astronomer J.L.E.Dreyer. There were 2 supplements to this catalogue in 1905 and 1908, called the Index Catalogue, having IC numbers. Nebulae are also referred by IC numbers.

• PLANETARY NEBULAE : These are the gas and dust thrown out in space by an known or unknown Star, at the end of its life. It looks like a lighted disk in space. It has no connection or relation to any existing stars.

• PLANETS : These are objects without their own source of light or energy. The Sun is not a planet. The planets in our Solar system are Mercury (Closest to Sun), Venus (Brightest and outshines all others), Earth, Mars (Red coloured but small), Jupiter (Biggest and Second brightest), Saturn (Beautiful with rings of snow balls going around it), Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (All small and faint, far away from the Sun). They do not have any light. They reflect the Sun's light like our Moon. We see these planets in the background of the Stars. Mercury and Venus are between the Earth and the Sun. Hence they travel close to the Sun. They are either seen in the morning, before Sun rise or in the evenings, just after Sunset. They move up from the Horizon up to some height and then start retreating (back towards the Sun). They never cross over our head and travel round to the other side of the horizon. Other planets in the Solar system,  cross over our head and make regular rounds.
  
  It is common that people call them as morning or evening star. Mercury and Venus look like a star, but they are not. They do not "twinkle" like a star.

Our planets are near to us in the foreground. The stars are far away in the background. Each planet has its own rotational movement around the Sun in an elliptical path. Also the Earth rotates around the Sun in 365. 25 Days. Because of the combined effect of both these movements, we see each planet in the foreground, to be in different background constellations, at different points in time, going forward from constellation to constellation..

Also the elliptical path has two turning points. When the planets turn around these points, they appear as if they are going backward
( retrograde ) towards the previous constellation. The Indian astronomical term for this retrograded movement is Vakram. But this movement backwards is limited to one or two constellations depending upon the planet and the size of the constellation, where the retrogression takes place.

The time taken by the planets to go around the Sun ( Sidereal period ) are as below.

Scientists are looking for planets in other Galaxies, particularly similar to our Earth.
 DO YOUKNOW YOUR ZODIAC NUMBER ? ► ZONU

• QUASARS : These are celestial objects, resembling a star residing in a variety of galaxies, from normal to highly disturbed clusters. These are compact and enigmatic (not clear) light or other energy radiation sources, resembling a star. But they are not stars. They are billions of light years away and several hundred billion times brighter than normal stars. 

• QUASI STELLAR : These are celestial objects, resembling a Quasar. 

• RED DWARFS : Smaller stars of about 1/10 the size and mass of our Sun.

• RIGHT ACCESSION :   The location of any star in the East-West direction of the sky is given by the Right Accession ( RA ). The RA is Zero at the point where the Sun, on its yearly path in the sky ( Ecliptic ) moves Northwards across the Celestial Equator. This point is known as Vernal Equinox. This is given in Hours, Minutes and Seconds.
   

• SIDEREAL DAY : Time it takes to complete one Earth rotation relative to the position of a fixed star. This measurement takes 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds.
   
• SOLAR DAY : Time required for the Earth to complete one rotation relative to the sun (24 hours or also 86,400 seconds).
   

• STAR BRIGHTNESS  : Star brightness are expressed in terms of Magnitudes
  ( Mag ). This system was started by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus in the 2nd Century BC. He divided the stars into 6 categories of brightness.
  Mag - 1 is the brightest star and Mag- 6 is the faintest star. Now a days the the star brightness is measured to an accuracy of 1/100 Mag by sensitive instruments called Photometers.
  
  A difference in 5 Mag is now defined as exactly equal to the brightness difference of 100 times. Hence, each Mag step is equal to 5th Root of 100 or about 2.5. Stars over 2.5 times brighter than 1 Mag is given a Minus number. Sirus, the brightest Star in the constellation Canis Major has a Mag of   - 1.46. Stars fainter than Mag 6 are given larger Positive numbers.