Curiosity on Mars!

The wheels of curiosity have been set in motion by NASA's scientists with the landing of the most sophisticated rover ever built. August 6 will no doubt go down in history as the day humankind began to blaze the trail for human footprints on the Red Planet, Mars with the touchdown of NASA's most advanced Mars rover. Curiosity landed at 10:32 p.m. Aug. 5, PDT-Pacific Daylight Time, (1:32 a.m. EDT Eastern Daylight Time - Aug. 6) near the foot of a mountain three miles tall and 96 miles in diametre inside Gale Crater. to end a 36-week flight and begin a two-year investigation.

According to scientists it is the most complex landing ever attempted .The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft that carried Curiosity succeeded in every step of the most complex landing ever attempted on Mars. “...Curiosity, the most sophisticated rover ever built, is now on the surface of the Red Planet, where it will seek to answer age-old questions about whether life ever existed on Mars -- or if the planet can sustain life in the future,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

During a nearly two-year prime mission, the rover will investigate whether the region ever offered conditions favourable for microbial life. Confirmation of Curiosity's successful landing came in communications relayed by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and received by the Canberra, Australia, antenna station of NASA's Deep Space Network.Curiosity returned its first view of Mars, a wide-angle scene of rocky ground near the front of the rover and many more images over the past few days as anticipated .Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science payloads on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools are the first of their kind on Mars.

Keep track of Curiosity's moves over Mars to find out whether or not humans can ever live on this planet in the future.

Facts : ScienceDaily

Celebrating ‘Eid ul Fitr’ - the Ramazan Festival

‘Eid ul Fitr’, celebrates the end of Ramazan, a period of 30 days of fasting. It is a happy occasion when Muslims mark the accomplishment of fasting and thank Almighty Allah for giving them the self control to succeed.

Islam has bestowed two festivals for its followers, Eid ul Fitr, the Ramazan Festival and Eid ul Azha, the Hajj Festival. Both are celebrated after some sacrifices, which makes them even more valuable.The festivals begin at the first sighting of the new moon. After attending special morning prayers, Muslims will visit friends and family. During these visits, many people dress in their best attire and special food is served to all those who visit them. Greetings of Thakabal Allahu Minna Wa Minka (Oh Allah accept us and others) are exchanged.

The Ramazan festival comes after a month of fasting. This festival generates immense satisfaction among children and adults due to the successful completion of fasting on the command of Allah. Let our fervent prayer on this day of Ramazan be for peace, harmony, tolerance, understanding and brotherhood.

We wish our readers a happy Eid ul Fitr !

Ruzaik Farook

[News in Brief]

by Rohana Jayalal

Improving access roads to Horton Plains

The Government has taken measures to improve the roads leading to the Horton Plains National Park at a cost of Rs. 550 million. Resurfacing and widening the 27-kilometre road segment from the Blackpool Junction in Nuwara Eliya to Horton Plains, where the World's End is located, will be completed soon, Public Management Reforms Ministry sources said .

The road segments from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, from Nuwara Eliya to Kandapola- Ragala Road, Nuwara Eliya- Badulla Road and Bandarawela Road have already been resurfaced, the Ministry said.

According to the sources, the investment to improve the road will benefit the house and land owners along the road with high property values and more employment opportunities.

The World's End, a sheer precipice of about 2,850 feet, inside the Horton Plains National Park is a major tourist attraction.

Expanding coconut cultivation

 The Ministry of Economic Development has taken steps to distribute 75,383 coconut saplings under the Divi Naguma Livelihood Development Programme.

Two plants per household are to be distributed and 37,696 families will be benefited by the programme.

The Ministry launched the programme jointly with Coconut Development Board. It expects to cultivate coconut saplings in 476 hectares.

Beneficiaries are requested to keep the required pits ready for the saplings when they are distributed.

Sri Lanka's coconut production has increased significantly this year following the Government's initiative to extend the fertilizer subsidy that is given to paddy farmers to coconut growers as well.

However, the prolonged drought may slightly decrease this year's harvest in October, the authorities warned.

DNA bar code to identify indigenous plants

The leading technical research entity in Sri Lanka, the Institute of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Technology and Research has introduced a DNA bar code system to identify indigenous plants in Sri Lanka.

The DNA bar code is a type of genetic ID which uses a part of genetic data of an organism, allowing fast and accurate identification of the species.

The system has been developed partly to verify the authenticity of Sri Lanka's plant products in the international market.

It has been reported that some businesses sell substandard products in the world market claiming to be from Sri Lanka. Director of the institute Dr. A. M. Mubarak has said that the bar code system will secure the identity of Sri Lankan products.