Friday, 29 June 2012

THE TOY CITY... LOXX-BERLIN'S

GUYS ARE YOU THINKING THIS IS A REAL CITY???
NO NOT AT ALL....
THE IMAGES SHOWN BELOW ARE TOYS . THE CITY IS MADE OF TOYS WITH TOY TRAINS,CARS,PEOPLE,FLIGHTS,TANKERS,CRANES etc.,

If toy train sets still make you go all soft and awaken the child inside of you, Berlin's LOXX is a station stop you shouldn't miss.

With 2,500 square metres of H0-scale model railways right in the heart of Berlin, LOXX is claimed to be the world's largest digital model railway. LOXX technicians have recreated with great felicity the landscape and atmosphere of the city with about 4.15 kilometres of track, over 400 trains, 10,000road  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6gvnHrGDQs

LOXX Berlin Train Landscape vehicles and about 50,000 human figures. Every 20 minutes, nightfall is simulated and the set is illuminated with over 18,000 miniature lights. 


LOXX, despite its stiff entry fee, is a hit with kids and kids-at-heart and some tourists haveLOXX Berlin Train LandscapeLOXX Berlin Train LandscapeLOXX Berlin Train LandscapeTHE CONTROL ROOM...

LOXX Berlin Train Landscape
LOXX Berlin Train LandscapeLOXX Berlin Train Landscape

HYDRO ENERGY................


Introduction

Hydropower is a renewable energy resource because it uses the Earth's water cycle to generate electricity. Water evaporates from the Earth's surface, forms clouds, precipitates back to earth, and flows toward the ocean. The movement of water as it flows downstream creates kinetic energy that can be converted into electricity. 2700 TWH is generated every year.  Hydropower supplies at least 50% of electricity production in 66 countries and at least 90% in 24 countries.  Out of the total power generation installed capacity in India of 1,76,990 MW (June, 2011), hydro power contributes about 21.5% i.e. 38,106 MW. A capacity addition of 78,700 MW is envisaged from different conventional sources during 2007-2012 (the 11th Plan), which includes 15,627 MW from large hydro projects. In addition to this, a capacity addition of 1400 MW was envisaged from small hydro up to 25 MW station capacity. The total hydroelectric power potential in the country is assessed at about 150,000 MW, equivalent to 84,000 MW at 60% load factor. The potential of small hydro power projects is estimated at about 15,000 MW.  

Technology

A hydroelectric power plant consists of a high dam that is built across a large river to create a reservoir, and a station where the process of energy conversion to electricity takes place. The first step in the generation of energy in a hydropower plant is the collection of run-off of seasonal rain and snow in lakes, streams and rivers, during the hydrological cycle. The run-off flows to dams downstream. The water falls through a dam, into the hydropower plant and turns a large wheel called a turbine. The turbine converts the energy of falling water into mechanical energy to drive the generator After this process has taken place electricity is transferred to the communities through transmission lines and the water is released back into the lakes, streams or rivers. This is entirely not harmful, because no pollutants are added to the water while it flows through the hydropower plant.

Potential in India

India is blessed with immense amount of hydro-electric potential and ranks 5th in terms of exploitable hydro-potential on global scenario. As per assessment made by CEA, India is endowed with economically exploitable hydro-power potential to the tune of 1 48 700 MW of installed capacity. The basin wise assessed potential is as under :-
Basin/RiversProbable   Installed Capacity (MW)
Indus Basin33,832
Ganga Basin20,711
Central Indian River system4,152
Western Flowing Rivers of southern India9,430
Eastern Flowing Rivers of southern India14,511
Brahmaputra Basin66,065
Total1,48,701
 In addition, 56 number of pumped storage projects have also been identified with probable installed capacity of 94 000 MW. In addition to this, hydro-potential from small, mini & micro schemes has been estimated as 6 782 MW from 1 512 sites. Thus, in totality India is endowed with hydro-potential of about 2 50 000 MW.

Installed Capacity

The total installed capacity of India is 36878 MW.

Projects

Major Hydropower Generating Units

NAMESTATECAPACITY (MW)
BHAKRAPUNJAB1100
NAGARJUNAANDHRA PRADESH960
KOYNAMAHARASHTRA920
DEHARHIMACHAL PRADESH990
SHARAVATHYKARNATAKA891
KALINADIKARNATAKA810
SRISAILAMANDHRA PRADESH770

Top Ten Countries (In Terms Of Capacity)

COUNTRYPOWER CAPACITY (MWh)INSTALLED CAPACITY (MW)
TAJIKISTAN5270004000
CANADA34131266954
USA31948479511
BRAZIL28560357517
CHINA20430065000
RUSSIA16050044000
NORWAY12182427528
JAPAN8450027229
INDIA8223722083
FRANCE7750077500

Growth In Hydropower

Thursday, 28 June 2012


NASA Observes the Waldo Canyon Fire, Colo.
06.27.12
 
NASA satellites continue to provide coverage of the smoke and heat signatures generated from wildfires raging in the western United States. The Waldo Canyon Fire is threatening populated areas, and is located near Colorado Springs, Colo.

satellite image of Waldo FireThe MODIS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured an image of the fire on June 26, 2012. Thick smoke, partially obscured by clouds, is visible blowing toward the northeast. The red outlines indicate hotspots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires. (Credit: NASA's MODIS Rapid Response Team)
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› More on this image from NASA's Earth Observatory 


The Waldo Canyon Fire was discovered on June 23, 2012, burning in Pike National Forest near Colorado Springs, Colorado. By June 27, it had burned 15,517 acres (6,280 hectares), was 5 percent contained, and had forced at least 32,000 people to evacuate their homes. 

Don Savage, retired from NASA and residing in Colorado, captured photographs of the Waldo Canyon Fire. The photos and a short video taken on June 26 and 27, convey the close proximity to the Colorado Springs neighborhoods. "One photo was shot from Garden of the Gods looking north towards Queen's Canyon, where the fire crested the ridge and moved down into Colorado Springs," he said. "When the Waldo Canyon fire crested a ridge it worked its way down to the Mountain Shadows neighborhood," he said. "That's where a few hours later many houses burned on June 26, 2012." 

This video of the smoke from the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., was shot on June 27, 2012, by retired NASA employee Don Savage. This timelapse was shot over the course of 3 minutes. (Credit: Don Savage Photography, used with permission)
› Dowload video (MOV)

According to Inciweb, the Incident Response website, currently more than 750 people are battling the fire. For updates on the fire and evacuations, visit Inciweb at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2929/#content.

photograph of Waldo Fire smokeThis photo was taken from Garden of the Gods, looking North towards Glen Eyrie, Colorado and the ridges just west of Colorado Springs. There are neighborhoods on the east slopes of the ridge climbing up pretty high, which are the homes that were in the path of the fire yesterday, June 27, 2012. (Credit: Don Savage Photography, used with permission)
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photograph of Waldo Fire smokeThis photo was taken of the Waldo Canyon fire from southwestern Colorado Springs, looking northwest towards the areas where the fire started on Saturday. (Credit: Don Savage Photography, used with permission)
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photograph of Waldo Fire smokeThis photo was shot from Garden of the Gods looking north towards Queen's Canyon, where yesterday, June 26, 2012, the fire crested the ridge and moved down into Colorado Springs. (Credit: Don Savage Photography, used with permission)
› Larger image

photograph of Waldo FireThe Waldo Canyon fire crested the ridge and is working its way down to the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, where a few hours later many houses burned on June 26, 2012. (Credit: Don Savage Photography, used with permission)
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Adam Voiland and Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.





reference : www.nasa.gov

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

SHAR ( SATISH DHAWAN SPACE CENTER)


Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR at Sriharikota is one of the best-known names among the Spaceports of the World today. India's Space vehicles fly from here giving an assured access to Space for indigenous satellites as well as commercial satellites. Diverse kinds of Space missions with remote sensing, communications, and scientific satellites are accomplished from here. The Space Centre, which was popularly known as SHAR (Sriharikota Range), was renamed as 'Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR' on September 5,2002, in the fond memory of Prof. Satish Dhawan, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The Indian Space Programme during its early phase, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, along with the development of 'Rohini' series of sounding rockets, embarked on the indigenous development of satellites and the launch vehicles to carry them. Accordingly it was decided to set up a rocket launch station on the East Coast of India, far from densely populated areas. While importance was given to a location which would be advantageous for various missions, safety dictated that the range should have a large uninhabited area around it. Complying with such prerequisites, the spindle shaped coastal island of Sriharikota in Potti Sriramulu Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, situated in the backwater PulicatLake, sandwiched by Buckingham Canal on the West and Bay of Bengal on the East, was found suitable. Thus, the Sriharikota Island was chosen in 1969 for setting up of a rocket launch station. It became operational on October 9, 1971 with a flight of 'Rohini-125', a small sounding rocket. Since then the facilities here were gradually expanded to meet the growing needs of ISRO.
Off Sullurupeta, a small town on the Chennai - Kolkata National highway (NH-5), a 20 minutes drive towards the East along the road laid across the Pulicat Lake, takes one to Sriharikota.
Sriharikota covers an area of about 43,360 acres (175 sq.km) with a coastline of 50 km. Island is mostly covered with vegetation that includes Eucalyptus, Casuarina and shrub jungle. Both South-West and North-East monsoons serve the island leaving a large number of sunny days suitable for out-door static tests and rocket launchings. During October- December, thousands of migratory birds visit the Pulicat Lake from far-off  places, turning the Sriharikota region into a veritable paradise for ornithologists and nature lovers.


Opened: AD 300
AddressS Mada St, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517504, India
Architectural styleDravidian architecture
FunctionHindu temple


Description:
నమో  వేంకటేశాయ నమః 





                     
Tirumala Venkateswara Devasthanam


Description: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Gold_temple_icon.png/8px-Gold_temple_icon.png
Tirumala Venkateswara Devasthanam
Location in Andhra Pradesh
Name
Proper name:
Tirumala Venkateswara Devasthanam[1]
Location
Country:
State:
District:
Locale:
Elevation:
853 m (2,799 ft)
Temple Details
Poets:
Important festivals:
Architecture and culture
Architectural styles:
Number of temples:
2
Inscriptions:
History
Date built:
Earliest records date to 300 BC (probable)
Temple board:
Website:
 Tirupati is a far-familiar brow town located in the Chittoor section of Andhra Pradesh. Tirupati is also known as Tirumala that is far-famed for the Sri Venkateshwara Temple, simply consecrated to Master Vishnu. Master The almighty Vishnu is known as as Balaji by the Southern Indians whereas as the Southern Indians call as Govinda! The mandir is located in the slope top of Tirumala, where the town is located in the foothills.
tirupathi Moreover, the Tirumala slope will have to be entered with 7 mountains known as Sapthagiri. This seven hillsides symbol as a indication of exemplifying the 7 hoods of Adisesha – the snake relaxing majestically nether the Master Vishnu life in Vaikuntha.
Pilgrims viewing the brow create their check out with the religious divinity and hope for a success in their life. This brow town is an interesting and awe-inspiring travel and leisure area. The town will be all time awaken and it never rests. Pilgrims viewing the position can create their dharshan to check out the Master Vishnu, either by obtaining unique Sevas or no cost dharma dharshan. The seva time will start from 3 am day and it comes to an end around 12 pm evening. Usually, it requires around 4 to 5 hours of line holding out to get the dharshan of Master Vishnu! Either the Free dharshan or Compensated dharshan, followers must have to delay in a long line. TTD strategy of strategy by using the digital publishing of wedding party is being sent to the pilgrims. This strategy has decreased the holding out period in a line. Pilgrims can appreciate viewing the position and buy the prasadhams being marketed there. As well-known, Tirupati is commonly known for Laddu – the most well known known prasadha!

Tirupati, the residence of The almighty Venkateswara, is one of the eight most sacred locations of Mahavishnu, confirmed as Swayamvvakta Kshetras (self-manifested). The slope shrine is also recommended as the holiest of the famous 108 Tirupatis or Vaishnava Divya Desams. According to tales, it was initially an Adi Varaha Kshetra and The almighty Venkateswara came to negotiate down here in Kali Yuga with authorization from Sri Varahaswami.
The shrine is located on top of the Venkatam Mountain or Venkatadri, the highest of the seven sacred hillsides (3,200 toes above mean sea level) of the Nallamalai variety with Characteristics in all its wonder, attractiveness and appeal. Together recognized as Saptagiri, an airborne perspective of these seven hillsides gives one the impact of Adisesha, the fabricated snake, relaxing majestically with its seven hoods. Vaishnavite e Ramanujacharya is said to have achieved the Venkatam Mountain on his legs. The Acharya regarded the hillsides so sacred that he sensed it was sacrilegious to take the hillsides.
Venkatachala Mahatmyam talks amounts about the sanctity and wonder of the sacred hillsides and The almighty Venkateswara. Specific sources are discovered in Varaha Puranam, Bhavishyottara Puranam, Padma Puranam, Garuda Puranam, Brahmanda Puranam, Markandeya Puranam, Harivamsa Puranam, Vamana Puranam, Brahma Puranam, Brahmottara Puranam, Aditya Puranam and Skanda Puranam.
The hallowed hillsides are known by the labels Seshadri, Venkatadri, Garudadri, Narayanadri, Vrishabhadri, Anjanadri and Neeladri. And each of the seven hillsides is associated with an exciting star.