James Webb Telescope

 

Today December 25th an Ariane Rocket would shoot into space in French Guiana up into the rarefied atmosphere 1.5 million KM from earth 3 times distance to moon to reach the L2 or Lagrange point 2 in order to place the JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE prescisely at that point .

There are three Lagrange points in our orbit around sun .

The reason for James Webb telescope  a follow up of internationally known Hubble Telescope is not replacement but improvement .

James Hubb is bigger and smarter than Hubble .

While Hubble is more closer to earth it detects visible light rays and some infra red signals while James webb only detects infrared signals which cannot be seen by naked eye .

The reason is older stars in galaxies emanate and can be studied by their infra red signals as these signals are weaker than light waves hence are from the earliest galaxies .

Otherwise these signals cannot be recieved in say a Hubble as its more in visible wave length 

Definitely not from a telescope on earth as the atmosphere is like an opaque shield but the James webb so far out in the orbit can catch infra red rays from the begginobg of time when the earliest galaxies wele formed 96 million years back 

Just think light @ speed of 160000 km per second travelling 96 million years caught by a telescope up in orbit sent from earth by humans now isnt that mind boggling .

Of course astronomers have a better scale of some 23 zeros 

One light year is distance travelled by light in one year @ 160000 km per second which is approximately 6 trillion miles

Which is average distance between sun and earth .

James webb was an administrator in NASA and was involved in APPOLO 11 project ,the telescope is named aftrr him .

It was initially planned in 1996 and is ajoint collabration of NASA ,European and Canadian space agencies .

It weighs around 6000 kg though smaller than Hubble its 18 hexagonal Gold plated Berrylium mirrors is 6.5 mts or 21 feet is larger than Hubbles mirror of 2.5 mts .

Its kept folded in launch ,and once placed in orbit unfurled in steps it takes more than 6 months to be deployed .

It has a tennis court sized sun shield as its position nearer to sun can destroy its delicate parts by heat  and it has to be at a temp of - 379 degree celsius which is why its at the L2 point where its always under earths and moons shadow where they are like an umbrella to the telescope .

If not the heat emitted infrared rays would be absorbed from sun  instead of from a distant galaxy .

It would take 6 months for the Ariane rocket to be placed in orbit .

Hubble is at 550 km from earth while James Webb at 400000 km so it would be impossible to make any repairs in Webb as in Hubble .

San Antonio

San Antonio weekend

We left to San Antonio a Texan city known as an early Spanish colony 300 km from Houston on Saturday morning .

The highway was busy with weekend traffic though the Easy tag helped in the fast lane .

A Buccee stop on way to fill gas and caramel popcorn eats made us continue .

Our children had booked in Mencer a 150 year old heritage hotel right next to Alamo the oldest Spanish outpost now an UNESCO heritage sire and museum .

San Antonia named after the venerable Saint Antony was a missionary jaunt initially .

The Payyo Indians who had been in the land for ages joined the missionaries in building it .

Mexico was powerful in these parts but allowed European colonists to settle down too .

In 1821 Mexico took over ruled till 1836 where the fierce battle of Alamo took place with a sad defeat of the Spanish colonists and massive casualties .

The Alamo became a war cry for later Texans who won back from Mexico in San Jacinto battle in 1845 decisively .

Later it joined confederate ,took part in American civil war, and still later became lone star state of Texas .

Sorry for the Wikipedia sewn shallow history I comprehended ,

Iam sure with many factual errors .

The gist of it is the whole of Texas state had a huge Hispanic population starting as Spanish outposts had battles with Mexico ,stood alone to join later with

The US of A .

Today San Antonio like New Orleans is a tourist hub ,an European settlement town with heritage buildings and with millions of flocking tourists .

We went to El Mercado or central market a traffic free heritage market sqaure walkway of a Km or more full of colorful shops and iconic restaurants .

We had lunch in ill Mariachi the famous Mexican restaurant started in 1869 .

The place was blusterous colorful and packed as it was Saturday afternoon .

There were live Mexican hatted musicians ,long robed Spanish waitresses and waiters bearing laden drinks and food in abundance .

We had frozen Marguerite some crispy nachos with cheese dip called Keso

Enchiladas with tasty morsels and a chocolate molle

Photo sessions followed .

One thing I find in US people enjoy such eat outs heartily laughing backslapping eating noisily slurping using hands but being polite considerate and cheerful too .

None of the fork knife formality of staid British upper lip we expected .

We then walked around the market later drove to the hotel we had booked .

Parking in hotels in US unlike in India even when one has a room is to be paid and one pays a big amount too !

Luckily a public parking close to hotel reduced the exorbitant parking charges .

Hotel Menger had a hoary history of 150 years .

From the time we set our foot on its expansive polished floors and colonial poshness with antique pianos furniture mirrors telephones it was mind boggling in its beauty and luxury .

Our room too was a byword for European cosines .

After a nap we walked into nearby River front walk .

How countries abroad transform river banks canals ports etc into such places is an eye opener .

Sorry for comparing I truly wonder why we with eqaully good oppurtunities never do so ?

Fort Cochin to Mattancherry has a Calvethy canal bordering the backwaters but its a poorly maintained

A garbage strewn slum encroached stretch .

Its not that money is only problem

There are several central Govt schemes ,foreign aids ,which are allowed to lapse or funds misused with absolutely no planning no foresight and no creativity in our nation .

We cannot depend on a Kurien or Sreedharan alone for everything .

The river walk was one of a kind ,though a bit narrow with big crowd and no railings I wondered why no one fell into the streaming river ,as huge tourist barges went on it it cudnt be shallow .

But people are very disciplined like in road they keep to their sides and hardly jostle or push.

They stop if someone's taking a picture with cheerful smiles .

The place is filled with shops and restaurants .

We tried a Hard Rock café but they already had lots waiting to get in and closed down the waiting line till after present list gets ended .

So after an hour we climbed up stairs ( strangely I found no elevator or ramp and a CP teen had to be carried on his dads shoulders while his mother lugged the wheelchair .

I used to complain Indian public places being not disabled friendly but I never expected US to have some so too .)

We went up and on top too the place was colorful with cindrella horse carts taking tourists for rides magicians singers guitarists violinists all practiced their charms .

There was a highly rated Hot dog place on pavement with a serpentine wait .

We too bought some and some French fries from a Whataburger nearby ending with a frozen marguerite for me and my son in law .

We then got back and slept

 

Air Hungry

Airlines food these days is going southside steadily .

Air Hungry 

Having travelled for around one decade almost every three months from 2006 I found it has been slowly turning mechanistic with its life lost .

Of course short hauls can be managed with lukewarm coffee and frozen butter but imagine cloistered in a steel bullet at 35000 feet ASL with nothing much to do for hours instead of looking forwards to the next meal .

Air Arabia , Fly Dubai ,Air Asia the low cost airline I spent money on , never gave you even water if you didnt pay for it .

 Though Air Asia did give piping hot Nasi biriyani and parotta chicken for a price.

 Cant blame if Tony 

( CEO Air Asia ) wants cash for what he gives but he delivers it good you see .

Now what about the hospital paid flights of Etihad ,Emirates,or Royal Brunei Airlines or Singapore Airlines ?

Emirates would win those days, rest were ok with RBA way down in the food I like ,

but they did go a long way to please my palate in getting me yoghurt I needed in the Dreamliner  Dubai BSB Flight from London .

Emirates B  class was classy with golden Champagne but the Michelin starred food left me hungry and looking at stars it was just uncooked sea food with fancy names and appearances ..plating they call it !

Man food is for eating however you plate it .

Forget the Lufthansa , United Ailines ,Cathay pacific  ,Qauntas  and the Mexican ,Swedish  Turkish ,ones their food is different man dont complain .

Thank God I have not travelled in JAL( Japan Airlines ) though I stayed once in a JAL resort in Fujairah ,fancy eating Sushi at those heights even down earth to me its a torture .

I left Air India for last .

It may have frayed carpets and aunties for hostesses but it serves wholesome hot comforting food almost like momma does later tucking you to a fitful sleep .

In the long Delhi Chicago flight once it brought me solace for the stomach .

But this time Houston Dubai Cochin

Emirates Airlines flight  gave a hungry me ( missed lounge in Houston Intercontinental Airport ) a cold meal of basmati rice with chicken from Siberia

 Frozen Butter from maybe Alaska some unfresh fruits and other unappetising fare .

The stewardesses gave us no choice telling only chicken left and for veggies paneer .

Agreed it was economy but it wasnt charity for the homeless

Emirates charges you for food too .

With no passenger even mumbling complaint and wife giving me threatening looks telling me you dont dare 

I did 

When it comes to food no threats can hold me back

I asked reasonably loudly .

You call yourself customer friendly  

You charge us for food ,

We have no choice in a 14 hr haul in the skies but to eat what you feed us .

But you say only chicken left , right in beggining and serve us unwarmed food its unfair isnt it ?

The hostess was bit stunned .

There was silence but nobody clapped .

Wife bit into her bun harder.

If a vote was taken then I would have got only my vote for myself .

She said what can i do ?

I said not much since you have nothing else .

So she kept quiet and walked on .

After some time her superior came Sir what do you want ?

I said warm food 

She said can I heat up one more serving with your choice of fruit juice .

I agreed as I had no plans to starve after I  paid for eating .

So she brought me warm tastier food

I told her this is what you should have done from beggining not after I ask .

She did see it was so till flight ended and even met me before we landed in Dubai for transit and said hope you are satisfied I said I  had no complaints .

 

New Orleans

New Orleans creaks with creativity .

Some places are like that .

Somehow the forces that make the place ,the people who occupy it over ages ,make the right mix and creativity spouts like from a fountain .

NOLA or Go Easy or plain New Orleans is an ecceletical moulding cauldron of music , food ,drinks ,sights  and good times all in one .

Only thing it lost was I think the weather , a realtively warmer more humid part of Southern America where all the exerions cause a fine bead of sweat to coat those slopped hats to keep away the sun .

And so it was Erin Jose an old Bar in New Orleans  decided to tweek the well known Irish Coffee which is actually warm Whiskey and laced coffee used to warm up cold miserable home country Britain !

So Erin jose made it Brandy in iced cofee with some ice cream and cubes all blended into milk shake consistency to cool the cockles of the sweating Orlenian .

A tall glass with their well known Shrimp or Beef sandwich is what the good doctor orders one to have on Orleenian afternoon for lunch .

 And we listened