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Comet Hale-Bopp: The Most Widely Observed Comet of the 20th Century

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj
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Image of comet Hale-BoppC/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp), taken on 1997 April 04. The field shown is about 6.5° x 6.5°. At full resolution, the stars in the image appear slightly elongated, as the camera tracked the comet during the exposure. (Photo: E. Kolmhofer, H. Raab; Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, Linz, Austria)
Image of comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1), taken on 1997 April 04. The field shown is about 6.5° x 6.5°. At full resolution, the stars in the image appear slightly elongated, as the camera tracked the comet during the exposure. (Photo: E. Kolmhofer, H. Raab; Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, Linz, Austria)

On July 23, 1995, two independent observers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp in the United States discovered the comet Hale-Bopp. This comet formally designated C/1995 O1 was perhaps the most widely observed comet of the 20th century, the third largest comet in the last 500 years, and one of the brightest seen for many decades. It was visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months. The previous record holder, the Great Comet of 1811, officially designated C/1811 F1, was visible to the naked eye for around 260 days.

Dr. Alan Hale
Dr. Alan Hale

Astronomer Alan Hale was born in 1958 in Tachikawa, Japan, when his father was serving in the United States Air Force. Four months later his father got transferred to Holloman Air Force Base outside Alamogordo, New Mexico. Hale served in the United States Navy from 1976 to 1983. In 1980, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Next, he joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and worked as an engineering contractor for the Deep Space Network until 1986. As a contractor, he worked in several projects involving spacecraft, including Voyager 2. After Voyager’s encounter with Uranus, he left JPL. He attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. In 1992, he earned his Ph.D. in astronomy.

Hale had spent hundreds of hours searching for comets without success. On July 23, 1995, while tracking known comets from his driveway in New Mexico he chanced on the comet co-named after him just after midnight. The comet with an apparent magnitude of 10.5 was near the globular cluster M70 in the constellation of Sagittarius. He checked and confirmed that there was no other deep-sky object near M70. Next, he consulted a directory of known comets and established that none of them was in that area of the sky he had observed. He then found the object moving relative to the background stars.

As a trained astronomer who had seen about 200 comets, Hale to register his finding sent an email to the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the clearing house for astronomical discoveries operating under the auspices of Commission 6 of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). A few hours later his effort was rewarded. His new comet was officially designated C/1995 O1. His name would also be attached.

But Alan Hale was not the only observer that night.

That very night, about 400 miles (644 kilometers) away, Thomas Bopp was observing star clusters and galaxies through telescopes with friends in the desert outside Phoenix, Arizona.

Thomas Bopp in 1997 (Photo: Ron Baalke)
Thomas Bopp in 1997 (Photo: Ron Baalke)

Amateur astronomer Thomas J. Bopp was born in 1949 in Denver, Colorado. Later he relocated with his family to Youngstown, Ohio, where he graduated from Chaney High School in 1967. He attended Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, and has lived in Tucson, Arizona since 1980. He is a Life member of the Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS).

Bopp was a manager at a construction materials factory. He did not own a telescope. He too noticed some fuzzy object near M70 in the constellation of Sagittarius and pointed it out to his friend Jim Steven who owned the 70 inches telescope of Dubsoniano design he was using.

Bopp had never come across a comet. Jim looked at Bopp and said, “Tom, I think you have a comet.”

He knew he had to contact the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams in Cambridge, but he did not have the address with him. So, he drove back home to get it.

In the wee hours he managed to send a Western Union telegram to the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams in Cambridge where its arrival was greeted with bemusement. Brian Marsden, the leading voice on a committee that has the last say laughed. “Nobody sends telegrams anymore,” he commented. “I mean, by the time that telegram got here, Alan Hale had already e-mailed us three times with updated coördinates.”

However, the following morning, the comet was confirmed as a new entity and designated as C/1995 O1. The discovery was announced in International Astronomical Union circular 6187.

Sometimes weird things happened with when major comets appeared. According to a  report, 39 members of a California cult claimed they were departing on a spaceship that was trailing comet Hale-Bopp and ate their last meal before ritually committing mass suicide. For Thomas Bopp, the comet portended a loss. As comet Hale-Bopp reached its most spectacular point in the sky, his brother and sister-in-law who had been out photographing the comet were killed in a late night car crash. “This has been the best week of my life. And, the worst,” he lamented.

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The Chernobyl Disaster: April 26, 1986

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj

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Model of the inside of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the disaster. The lid of the reactor (metal, center) was blown off. (Photo from Chernobyl Museum, Kiev, Ukraine.)
Model of the inside of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the disaster. The lid of the reactor (metal, center) was blown off. (Photo from Chernobyl Museum, Kiev, Ukraine.)

26 years ago, on April 26, 1986, a catastrophic nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant situated about 130 km north of Kiev, Ukraine, and about 20 km south of the border with Belarus. The explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere that spread over much of Western USSR and Europe, contaminating large areas of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and beyond in varying degrees.

The Chernobyl Disaster, the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, is the first of the only two classified level 7 events on the International Nuclear Event Scale; the other being the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011.

The Soviet Union claimed that the Chernobyl Disaster, was a unique event and the only accident in the history of commercial nuclear power, where radiation-related fatalities occurred. They said the design of the reactor being unique the accident is thus of little relevance to the rest of the nuclear industry outside the Eastern Bloc.

The Chernobyl Power Plant Complex consisted of four nuclear reactors of the RBMK-1000 design with units 1 and 2 constructed between 1970 and 1977, while Units 3 and 4 of the same design completed in 1983. Two more RBMK reactors were under construction at the site at the time of the accident.

To contain the contamination and avert a greater catastrophe, the Soviet Union employed over 500,000 workers and spent an estimated 18 billion rubles.

Chernobyl disasterAccording to the Soviets, the accident destroyed the Chernobyl unit 4 reactor, killing one person immediately while a second person died in hospital soon after due to injuries. A third person died from a coronary thrombosis. Out of the 237 people on-site originally diagnosed for acute radiation syndrome (ARS) during the clean-up, 134 cases were confirmed. Of these, 28 people died as a result of ARS within a few weeks of the accident. Subsequently 19 more died between 1987 and 2004, however, their deaths cannot necessarily be attributed to radiation exposure. Nobody off-site suffered from acute radiation effects although a large proportion of childhood thyroid cancers diagnosed since the accident is likely to be due to intake of radioactive iodine fallout.

The official Soviet casualty count of deaths is under dispute. Long-term effects such as deformities and cancers are still being accounted for.

By October 1986, the Soviets enclosed Chernobyl unit 4 in a large concrete shelter to allow continuing operation of the other reactors at the complex. However, that concrete  structure is neither strong nor durable. Around 200 tonnes of highly radioactive material remains deep within it, and this poses an environmental hazard until it is better contained.

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Click here to see the video series “Chernobyl Disaster Incident PART 1-8”

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Iran: 2013 Sistan and Baluchestan Earthquake (Magnitude 7.5). Reverberations in New Dehli, India

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj

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Yesterday, April 16, 2013, at 15:14 p.m. IRDT (UTC+4:30), an earthquake struck the mountainous region between the cities of Khash and Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, 83 km east of Khash, close to the border with Pakistan. It lasted about 25 seconds. The Iranian Seismological Center listed the earthquake as 7.5 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Pakistanis evacuating nearby buildings following tremors in Karachi on April 16, 2013. (Photo: ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Pakistanis evacuating nearby buildings following tremors in Karachi on April 16, 2013. (Photo: ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty Images)

The quake was felt throughout much of eastern Iran and southern Pakistan, and as far away as Riyadh, Manama, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, some areas in the neighboring state of Pakistan, and in New Delhi, India. The tremors destroyed many buildings in Iran. People evacuated buildings in far away places such as Delhi, India, and on the Arabian Peninsula. Pakistani news channels showed buildings shaking in the southern city of Karachi. People in panic evacuated their offices and homes.

This earthquake closely follows the 6.1-magnitude quake that struck the southwest coast of Iran near the port city of city of Bushehr on April 9, 2013. Saravan is about 600 miles from Bushehr, on the south-eastern border of Iran near Pakistan.

Overview map of the Arabian tectonic plate boundaries with the Eurasian, African and Indian plates (U.S. Geological Survey)
Overview map of the Arabian tectonic plate boundaries with the Eurasian, African and Indian plates (U.S. Geological Survey)

Iran is well-known for its long history of disastrous earthquake activities. Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, crossed by several major fault lines that cover almost 90% of the country. The Iranian plateau is subject to most types of tectonic activity, including active folding, faulting and volcanic eruptions. Hence, earthquakes in Iran occur often and are destructive.

Yesterday’s earthquake was probably the strongest earthquake in Iran within the last 40 years, and possibly the strongest in the last half-century, equal in magnitude to the one that shook Tabas in 1978 killing 15,000.

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Cricket: Pepsi IPL (IPL 2013; IPL 6) Tournament Schedule

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj

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Cricket: Pepsi IPL (IPL 2013; IPL 6) Tournament Schedule

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Pepsi IPL Logo
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Last season (Season 5) nine teams participated in this popular Cricket carnival. This season too, the number of teams participating remains the same; however, on September 14, 2012, at an emergency Governing Council meeting of the Indian Premier League, the BCCI terminated its contract with the cash-strapped Deccan Chargers and floated tenders for a new IPL franchise. Sun TV Network purchased the team by placing a bid substantially higher than that of PVP Ventures, and changed the name of the team to SunRisers Hyderabad.
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Match #1
Wed April 3: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Daredevils by 6 wickets

Match #2
Thu April 4: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Mumbai Indians by 2 runs

Match #3
Fri April 5: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Pune Warriors India by 22 runs

Match #4
Sat April 6: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by 5 runs

Match #5
Sat April 6: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium – Chepauk, Chennai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 9 runs

Match #6
Sun April 7: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Pune Warriors India by 8 wickets

Match #7
Sun April 7: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad wins Super Over.

Match #8
Mon April 8: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 19 runs

Match #9
Tue April 9: 16:00 local | 104:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 wickets

Match #10
Tue April 9: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Daredevils by 44 runs

Match #11
Wed April 10: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets

Match #12
Thu April 11: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets

Match #13
Thu April 11: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Pune Warriors India beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets

Match #14
Fri April 12: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Delhi Daredevils by 3 wickets

Match #15
Sat April 13: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Pune Warriors India by 41 runs

Match #16
Sat April 13: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium – Chepauk, Chennai
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 4 wickets

Match #17
Sun April 14: 16:00 local | 10:30
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 48 runs

Match #18
Sun April 14: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab by 6 wickets

Match #19
Mon April 15: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings vs Pune Warriors
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium – Chepauk, Chennai
Result: Pune Warriors India beat Chennai Super Kings by 24 runs

Match #20
Tue April 16: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 4 runs

Match #21
Tue April 16: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Delhi Daredevils tied with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB win Super Over)

Match #22
Wed April 17: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Pune Warriors India by 11 runs

Match #23
Wed April 17: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by 87 runs

Match #24
Thu April 18: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils by 86 runs

Match #25
Fri April 19: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils by 86 runs

Match #26
Sat April 20: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 4 wickets

Match #27
Sat April 20: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets

Match #28
Sun April 21: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Delhi Daredevils beat Mumbai Indians by 9 wickets

Match #29
Sun April 21: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors
Venue: Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Pune Warriors India by 7 wickets

Match #30
Mon April 22: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium – Chepauk, Chennai
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets

Match #31
Tue April 23: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Pune Warriors India by 130 runs

Match #32
Tue April 23: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by 5 wickets

Match #33
Wed April 24: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 5 wickets

Match #34
Thu April 25: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium – Chepauk, Chennai
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 wickets

Match #35
Fri April 26: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 6 wickets

Match #36
Sat April 27: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets

Match #37
Sat April 27: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs

Match #38
Sun April 28: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium – Chepauk, Chennai
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs

Match #39
Sun April 28: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Delhi Daredevils vs Pune Warriors
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Delhi Daredevils beat Pune Warriors India by 15 runs

Match #40
Mon April 29: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 4 wickets

Match #41
Mon April 29: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Kings XI Punjab by 4 runs

Match #42
Tue April 30: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Pune Warriors India by 37 runs

Match #43
Wed May 1: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets

Match #44
Wed May 1: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Delhi Daredevils beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets

Match #45
Thu May 2: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium – Chepauk, Chennai
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 15 runs

Match #46
Thu May 2: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Pune Warriors India by 17 runs

Match #47
Fri May 3: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals by 8 wickets

Match #48
Sat May 4: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Delhi Daredevils by 6 wickets

Match #49
Sun May 5: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 60 runs

Match #50
Sun May 5: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Pune Warriors India by 5 wickets

Match #51
Mon May 6: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab Vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 6 wickets

Match #52
Tue May 7: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by 9 wickets

Match #53
Tue May 7: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs

Match #54
Wed May 8: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 77 runs

Match #55
Thu May 9: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab by 8 wickets

Match #56
Thu May 9: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Pune Warriors India by 46 runs

Match #57
Fri May 10: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Daredevils by 4 runs

Match #58
Sat May 11: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Pune Warriors India by 5 wickets

Match #59
Sat May 11: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Kings XI Punjab by 30 runs

Match #60
Sun May 12: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 5 wickets

Match #61
Sun May 12: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets

Match #62
Mon May 13: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians Vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 wickets

Match #63
Mon May 14: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 7 wickets

Match #64
Tue May 14: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Chennai Super Kings Vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils by 33 runs

Match #65
Tue May 15: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Pune Warriors
JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi
Result: Pune Warriors India beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 runs

Match #66
Wed May 15: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals by 14 runs

Match #67
Thu May 16: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharmasala
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by 7 runs

Match #68
Fri May 17 : 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 23 runs

Match #69
Sat May 18: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians
Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharmasala
Result: Kings XI Punjab beat Mumbai Indians by 50 runs

Match #70
Sat May 18: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Teams: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Chennai Super Kings by 24 runs

Match #71
Sat May 19: 16:00 local | 10:30 GMT
Teams: Pune Warriors vs Delhi Daredevils
Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune
Result: Pune Warriors India beat Delhi Daredevils by 38 runs

Match #72
Sun May 19: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT7
Teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi Int. Stadium, Hyderabad
Result: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 5 wickets

IPL Standing 2013

SN TEAMS MATCHES WON LOST TIE NR PTS NET R.R
1 Chennai Super Kings 16 11 5 0 0 22 +0.530
2 Mumbai Indians 16 11 5 0 0 22 +0.441
3 Rajasthan Royals 16 10 6 0 0 20 +0.322
4 Sunrisers Hyderabad 16 10 6 0 0 20 +0.003
5 Royal Challengers Bangalore 16 9 7 0 0 18 +0.457
6 Kings XI Punjab 16 8 8 0 0 16 +0.226
7 Kolkata Knight Riders 16 6 10 0 0 12 -0.095
8 Pune Warriors India 16 4 12 0 0 8 -1.006
9 Delhi Daredevils 16 3 13 0 0 6 -0.848

Match #73
Tue May 21: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Qualifier 1 – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians
(1st Placed Team vs 2nd Placed Team)
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 48 runs

Match #74
Wed May 22: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Eliminator – Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
(3rd Placed Team vs 4th Placed Team)
Venue: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Result: Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 4 wickets

Match #75
Fri May 24: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Qualifier 2 – Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians
(Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1)
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets

Match #76
Sun May 26: 20:00 local | 14:30 GMT
Final – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians
(Winner of Q1 vs Winner of Q2)
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Result: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs

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January 26, 2013 – India’s 64th Republic Day

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj
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Republic Day - Vande Mataram

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On August 15, 1947, India became independent of the British rule as a constitutional monarchy with King George VI as head of state and Earl Mountbatten as the governor-general.

The country, then did not have a permanent constitution. Its laws were based on the modified colonial government of India Act 1935. So, on 28 August 1947, a Drafting Committee was appointed to create a permanent constitution, with Dr.B. R. Ambedkar as chairman. On November 4, 1947, this committee submitted a draft constitution to the Assembly. The Assembly met, in sessions open to the public, for 166 days, spread over a period of two years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document in Hindi and English on January 24, 1950. Two days later, on January 26, the constitution came into effect throughout the nation.

Today, 26 January, India celebrates its 64th Republic Day.

While India’s Independence Day celebrates its freedom from British Rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution.

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Day Before Yesterday NASA Released Video: “Why the World Didn’t End Yesterday”

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj

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NASA is so sure the world won’t come to an end on December 21, 2012, that they already released day before yesterday a “Didn’t We Say So!” video titled “ScienceCasts: Why the World Didn’t End Yesterday” on December 11th, itself.

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Let Us Celebrate the 64th Annual Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012

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“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” – Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj

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My Voice Counts, Human Rights Day - 1

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During the Second World War, the allies adopted the following Four Freedoms, as their basic war aims:

      • Freedom of speech
      • Freedom of religion
      • Freedom from fear
      • Freedom from want

The United Nations Charter “reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, and dignity and worth of the human person” and committed all member states to promote “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.”

After the Second World War, the world became aware of the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany. The world community concurred that the United Nations Charter did not sufficiently define the rights it referenced above. Hence arose the necessity for an universal declaration that specified the rights of individuals to give effect to the Charter’s provisions on human rights.

At the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950, the members decided to celebrate Human Rights Day on December 10 every year because on December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was the first worldwide proclamation of human rights, and also one of the major achievements of the new United Nations. The General Assembly declared resolution 423(V), inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day.

Traditionally, on December 10th, the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded.

This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people – women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized and to make their voices heard in public life and to include them in political decision-making.

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Today Is International Men’s Day!

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Today we celebrate International Men’s Day, an annual international event inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Men make sacrifices in their workplaces, in their homes, for their friends, for their communities and their nation. This Day provides an opportunity for people of goodwill appreciate and rejoice over the men in their lives and recognize the contribution, they render to their society; and an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care.

November 19 happens to be a significant date as it interfaces with Universal Children’s Day on November 20 with which IMD forms a 48-hour celebration of men and children, and of the special relationships, they share with each other.

Today the world focuses on health of men and boys, ways to improve relations with women, promote gender equality, highlight positive male role models, the ability to sacrifice ones needs for the benefit of others so fundamental to manhood akin to honour etc.

Cheers to all men of all ages!

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The aftermath of the Bhopal disaster (December 3, 1984)

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj

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Even 27 years after the massive gas leak at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India, that killed thousands, toxic material from the world’s ‘biggest industrial disaster in history’ still continues to affect the residents there.

In the early hours of December 3, 1984, large amounts of water entered a tank at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India. That water reacted with the 42 tons of methyl isocyanate inside, raising temperature and pressure so high that it began venting massive amounts of gas made up of methyl isocyanate, phosgene, hydrogen cyanide and more.

The poisonous cloud swept through neighborhoods near the boundary wall, waking sleeping residents with burning throats and eyes, killing about 4,000 people in the first few hours. According to government estimates, over the next few years, the lingering effects of the poison increased that toll to about 15,000 dead.

A quarter-century later thousands of people are still grappling with the effects of the world’s worst industrial accident and the continued contamination.

A subsidiary of U.S. chemical company Union Carbide ran the plant at the time of the accident. For decades, survivors have been fighting to have the site cleaned up, but they say the efforts were slowed when Michigan-based Dow Chemical Company took over Union Carbide in 2001. Dow says it is not responsible for cleaning up the site. Dow claims the legal case was resolved in 1989, with responsibility for continued cleanup now falling to the local state government.

This News story that I have reproduced here appeared in boston.com on November 30, 2009. These images cry out for humanitarian justice more than any words could express.

1 – A policeman points to the gas tank which vented its contents into the atmosphere in 1984, at the site of the deserted Union Carbide factory on November 28, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

  
2 – In a file picture taken on December 4, 1984 soldiers guard the entrance of Union Carbide factory in Bhopal after a deadly poison gas leak. Survivors of the world’s worst industrial disaster in India’s Bhopal city were outraged by (now cancelled) plans to throw open the site to visitors 25 years after the tragedy that killed thousands. (BEDI/AFP/Getty Images)
  
3 – This photograph from December 4, 1984 shows victims who lost their sight in the Bhopal poison gas tragedy as they sit outside the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)
4 – This December 4, 1984 photograph shows blinded victims of the Bhopal tragedy as they sit in the street and wait to be treated at Bhopal hospital after a deadly poisonous gas leak from the Union Carbide factory. (BEDI/AFP/Getty Images)
5 – In this November 21, 2009 photo, defunct machinery is seen at the Union Carbide pesticide plant. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
6 – A gaping hole in a rusting container is seen at the Union Carbide pesticide plant, on November 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
7 – A security worker cycles past what remains of the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India on November 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
8 – Discarded bottles of chemicals lay on the floor in a building at the site of the deserted Union Carbide factory on November 28, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
9 – A boy struggles to take a calf grazing inside the Union Carbide factory compound, seen through a broken wall in Bhopal, India on November 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
 
10 – In this photo taken on November 28, 2009 near the site of the deserted Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, women fill containers with clean water, as it is shipped in due to the local water being contaminated, (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
11 – Activists and survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster that killed and harmed thousands hold placards against Dow Chemical Company outside it’s office in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, Thursday, November 19, 2009.  (Staffing/Manish Swarup)
 
12 – Activists from Bhopal Gas Tragedy Survivors Group burn effigies as they protest against Union Carbide Corp, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, in the central Indian city of Bhopal November 29, 2009. (REUTERS/Raj Patidar)
 
13 – Activists and survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster that killed and harmed thousands more protest against Dow Chemical Company outside it’s office in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. (Staffing/Manish Swarup)
 
14 – A policeman looks on as he tours the site of the deserted Union Carbide factory on November 28, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
15 – People walk past a statue of a mother holding a dead child in her arms in Bhopal, India on November 18, 2009. Residents are bitter whenever they glance behind their homes toward the old Union Carbide factory, where a lethal plume of gas escaped from a storage tank in the early hours of December 3, 1984, killing thousands instantly. Survivors say the anniversary marks another year of physical and psychological trauma compounded by government and corporate negligence. (RAVEENDRAN/AFP/Getty Images)
 
16 – Eight year old Annan is carried by Nafiza Bee, coordinator of the Chingari Trust clinic on November 27, 2009 in Bhopal, India. Twenty-five years after an explosion causing a mass gas leak killed thousands, toxic material from the biggest industrial disaster in history continues to affect Bhopalis. Annan suffers from cerebral palsy and receives vital rehabilitative support and care at the Chingari Trust Clinic. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
17 – Ten year old Nawab Mian, suffering from mental illness related to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, plays with a small chick near the site of the deserted Union Carbide factory on November 28, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
18 – Apeksha Malviya is fed at her home in Bhopal, India on November 22, 2009. A quarter century after the disaster, many of those who were exposed to the gas have given birth to physically and mentally disabled children. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
 
19 – Children are reflected in groundwater, believed to be contaminated, near the site of the deserted Union Carbide factory on November 28, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
20 – November 21, 2009 photograph shows a cow, the sole living being that was found at a government hospital dedicated to gas victims in Bhopal, India. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
 
21 – People carry potable water collected from inside the premises of Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India on November 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
 
22 – Women complaining of ailments due to exposure to methyl isocyanate leaked during the Bhopal industrial disaster wait to consult doctor at a clinic run by a non governmental organization in Bhopal, India on November 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
 
23 – Razik pronounces words during a rehabilitation exercise with speech therapist Prem Patel at the Chingari Trust Rehabilitation clinic on November 27, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
24 – In this Friday, August 7, 2009 photograph, Hira Lal, who has lost the ability to move and hear, lays on a makeshift bed outside his shanty in Bhopal, India. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
 
25 – Children play in front of their homes near the Union Carbide factory on November 27, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
26 – A man jumps off the perimeter wall at the site of the Union Carbide factory on November 28, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
 
27 – In this Friday, November 20, 2009 photograph, a physiotherapist holds the leg of a seven year old child at a clinic run by a non-governmental organization to cater to victims of the gas tragedy in Bhopal, India. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)
 
28 – A girl stands near water towers outside her home near the site of the Union Carbide factory on November 27, 2009 in Bhopal, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
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Blossom Kite Festival 2012 on the National Mall in Washington, DC

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj
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The Blossom Kite Festival, previously named the “Smithsonian Kite Festival”, is a traditional annual event, that takes place on the National Mall in Washington, DC, during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Blossom Kite Festival 2012 on the National Mall in Washington, DC. (Photo: V.A. Subas Raj)

This year’s event has an international focus and the theme is “100 years of friendship,” encompassing 100 years of  blossoms, Japan-US friendship and springtime in Washington, DC.

My wife Assuntha and I were lucky to be at the The Blossom Kite Festival on National Mall in Washington, DC on March 31, 2012. There we watched colourful kites flown by little ones to old ones and enjoyed the joy, laughter and smiles all around us

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