How to Create a Forum

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

At one time, you needed special knowledge about web programming languages (PHP, ASP, etc.) in order to create a forum online. However, there are now ways of creating forums for feedback without any idea how to program. Follow these steps and get all the feedback you want!

Steps

1. Get a free PHP hosting such as www.byethost.com.
   
2. Register yourself and a domain name here.
   
3. Go to www.phpbb.com or www.simplemachines.org and download their php forum software. (Another great one to download is Integramod. This is a standard copy of phpBB, but it comes with many mods. You can get it here: www.integramod.com)
   
4. Download an FTP-client and upload all the php content to your host.
   
5. Create a mysql-database on your host (through the cpanel) and a username+password for it.
   
6. Go to yoursite.yourhost.com/forumdirectory/install.php
   
7. In your FTP-client, go to Config.php, go to properties and set the CHMOD settings to 666(if you are using phbb2).
   
8. Follow the instructions on install.php
   
9. After finishing installation, go to the CHMOD settings of config.php again and set them to 644(if you are using phbb2).
   
10. Delete the Install and contrib directories.
    
11. Go to yoursite.yourhost.com/index.php
    
12. Login and go to the admin panel to customize your forums.
    

Tips

• If you are not very technical, register yourself at www.takeforum.com or www.smfforfree2.com or another site. Then it will be created for you.
  
• Of course make sure you really can't follow above steps, because it sure is more fun.
  
• If you aren't too adept with this sort of thing, you can get one that is freely run.
  
• If you want to run the forum on your own computer for development reasons, testing, customizing..etc then see how to Install Apache, MySQL, PHP, and phpMyAdmin on a Windows PC
  
• if you use Mozilla Firefox as your browser then go to http://fireftp.mozdev.org/ for your ftp add-on.
  

Warnings

• All forum software are at some point vulnerable to hacks.
  

Things You'll Need

• A website host that supports PHP and MySQL, http://byethost.com and www.zendurl.com are both good.
  
• http://www.verio.com is great for large forums.
  
• A basic idea of FTP, your hosts control panel and how to read.
  
• Plenty of time
  
• Knowledge of how to chmod.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Use an Internet Forum
  
• How to Create a Forum
  
• How to Install SMF Forum PHP Software on Your Server
  
• How to Get More Members on a New/Empty Forum
  
• How to Market Through Forums
  

Sources and Citations

• http://www.phpbb.com/
  
• http://www.punbb.org/
  
• http://www.simplemachines.org/
  
• http://www.mybboard.com/
  
• http://www.yabbforum.com/
  
• http://www.free-webhosts.com
  
• http://www.host4free.info
  
• http://jamson.cykit.net
  
• http://www.vbulletin.com
  
• http://www.webringamerica.com - Free PHPBB Forum Hosting with No Ads
  
• http://www.proboards.com (not ad-free, may be difficult to code because of updates to the software)
  
• http://forumsarena.com multiple forums in 1 account
  
• http://www.smfforfree2.com/ (not ad-free)
  
• http://www.forums-free.com/ (Free phpBB3, 1GB, 40+ Themes, 30+ Languages, Personalization...)
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a Forum. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Combine Songs on Your Computer

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The article explains how to put multiple songs into one .mp3 on a computer, with Audacity.

Steps

1. If you don't already have Audacity, a sound manipulation program, then download it, it's free.
   
2. Load up Audacity.
   
3. Open up the songs you want to combine.
   
4. Select (highlight) the waves you see in the second song.
   
5. Go to Edit-Copy (or press CTRL-C)
   
6. Position your cursor after the waves you see in the first song.
   
7. Go to "Edit - Paste" (or press CTRL-V)
   
8. Go to "File - Export as MP3". If you do not have Lame_Enc.dll it will inform you at this point that you need it and will ask you to direct you to it.
   
9. Fill in the fields (this is optional).
   
10. Wait until it is done
    
11. Congratulations, you have combined the songs! Enjoy!
    

Tips

• If you wanted the songs to play at the same time as each other, you can skip step 6 and instead click outside a track.
  
• To do this successfully, you might have to use "Project - Change Pitch" and "Project - Change Tempo"
  

Warnings

• When trying this with large audio files, the export stage can take a long time. Be patient.
  
• Sometimes it might even seem to lock up your computer, so be careful.
  

Things You'll Need

• A computer
  
• Songs
  
• Audacity
  
• You will also need a file called Lame_Enc.dll if you want to save the new file as an MP3.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Record Sound Produced by Your Sound Card
  
• How to Record on an iPod for Free
  
• How to Make an Mp3 or Wav out of a Midi for Free
  
• How to Agree on Which Songs Your Band Will Play
  

Sources and Citations

• Audacity
  
• Lame_Enc.dll
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Combine Songs on Your Computer. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Get a Guy to Know Your Email

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


This article is a stub. You can help by expanding and clarifying it. Notice added on 2008-02-09.
want a hot or guy you have a crush on to know your email so you can get to know him and talk to him other than school then read below to find out how.<3 u thats why i want to help!!!!!!

Steps

1. Pick a boy that you want to know your email. Think it over.I mean REALLY think about it.
   
2. Tell him you would like him to make you an account on a website.You can always change the password.
   
3. Write down what you want your username,email,and password to be.
   
4. Have fun on it!
   

Tips

• Always ask for his e-mail if you can have it to talk to him and chat!
  

Warnings

• No warnings just get your courage up and do it. I belive in you viewers.
  

Things You'll Need

• Place on internet to be able to make a e-mail address(have in mind when going to ask the boy to make one for you)!:)
  
• Boy
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Find an Email Address
  
• How to Email a Person Who Never Gave You His or Her Email Address
  
• How to Send a Video Email
  
• How to Sound Cute but Not Desperate in an Email
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get a Guy to Know Your Email. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Draw T.V. Characters (the Easy Way)

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Do you want to draw cartoon characters that you see on the T.V.? Well, read this.

Steps

1. Find a show that you really appreciate. Whether it be live action or animated, you need to first have the skill to draw. If you're not very artistic (yet) then I suggest starting of with animated shows. Most animated shows have less details than a live action show would require you to have. (Unless of course, you're taking your own spin on the character, but that should be a different article)
   
2. Start looking through other fan art of the character. Don't rip any of this art off, this is just to get a feel of how the character is portrayed by others, and to give you a better insight to how this character can be drawn.
   
3. Grab your gear. There are endless possibilities to the media you can create art with. You can use markers, pens, pencils, a stylus on the computer--anything. Whatever your choice, be sure to know that certain media have disadvantages. (Markers and pens can't be erased, pencils smudge easily, digital art sometimes turns out rough if you're not skilled at using a stylus.)
   
4. Use a reference image if you like. If you plan to do this, have it ready! If you choose not to use a reference image, then begin to plan out how you want this character to look. What kind of pose should he or she be in? What kind of background do you want? So on and so forth.
   
5. Start drawing your base image (i.e. the shape of the head and body). If you're using pencils, you can use primary shapes to help plan out the structure of the body. A circle could form the top of the head, and the triangle could form the jawline. A square could form shoulders, and an upside down triangle could form a man's chest and waist.
   
6. Start adding the details. Often, people find that eyes and noses are difficult, so don't be frustrated if you don't get the eyes perfect on your first try. Keep practicing.
   
7. Check for any missed details or lines that don't fit. Make sure that everything is proportional (the eyes may be too small for the face, or the nose may be too large). Check your reference image or just a picture of that character to make sure you've got everything right.
   
8. Share your art! If you're proud of your artwork, you can definitely post it online at an art website. There are plenty out there for you to explore.
   

Tips

• Don't get frustrated, and throw it away, just keep at it and you'll have it exactly.
  
• Be sure to stay focused on your task. It's hard to finish drawing something if you start drawing something completely different in the middle.
  

Warnings

• Always ALWAYS give credit where credit is due. Never claim a television character as YOURS. You may have put your own spin on the character, but the person who created the character is the owner.
  

Things You'll Need

• Paper (if you're drawing by hand)
  
• Stylus (if you're making this art digital)
  
• A utensil with which to draw (a pen, a pencil, a marker...even a crayon works)
  
• A source image.
  
• A plan for how you want your drawing to look.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Create a Cartoon Using a Windows Computer
  
• How to Draw Mickey Mouse
  
• How to Draw a Caveman
  
• How to Draw Cub Simba
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Draw T.V. Characters (the Easy Way). All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A Thought for Today :

City-light[2] by Paolo Nao

from Public-Domain-Photos.com

(www.public-domain-photos.com)

The question is no longer between violence and non-violence;

it is between non-violence and non-existence

- Martin Luther King, Jr

Grateful thanks to Paolo Nao and Public-Domain-Photos.com

for freely providing the above photo.

Eyecatchers-75: "Writing Right!" by Pankaja Srinivasan

WRITING RIGHT!
Just looking at something the other way round can make all the difference.

Pankaja Srinivasan

I hope you all read The Tale of the broken pot (The Hindu, page 20, May 13). The story is narrated by a mud pot. The article is all about literacy in ancient Tamil country.

Most of us would have dismissed it as ‘Boring’. But, just by moving away from the usual way of writing, and making a mud pot do the talking, the writers Iravatham Mahadevan, an expert on the Indus and the Brahmi scripts, and S.Rajagopal, an archaeologist, made it an enchanting tale that entertained as well as educated. That is what imagination and originality in writing is all about. That is what makes J.K.Rowling, Sukumar Ray, Roald Dahl and all those wonderful story tellers so special – the ability to make even the ordinary sound extraordinary.

Here are a few things that should help you in making you next writing project exciting.

- Try and keep a diary handy. Jot down things that catch your interest; it could be an odd-shaped nose someone has, or the cockroach that emerges from the crack in the wall, exactly the same time every day.

- When you are watching television, reading or just hanging out, some ideas are sure to pop up in your mind. Whether you know what to do with them at the moment or not, write them down. You could always use them later.

- I have often written down funny words or sentences that I have liked the sound of. It could be something you always thought of saying, but did not know how. Write them down! Otherwise, they will vanish from your head.

- If you are good at drawing or sketching, then have a scrapbook for your drawings. Who knows you may be publishing your doodles down the ages when you become a famous cartoonist or artist!

Courtesy: ‘Young World’, Supplement to The Hindu, May 27, 2008.

Grateful thanks to Ms Pankaja Srinivasan and The Hindu.

Eyecatchers-74: "South Koreans go for 'Naver'"

South Koreans seldom “Google” a topic. Instead they “Naver” it, thanks to a real-time question-and-answer system involving tens of thousands of daily responses from the general public.

According to a research firm, Naver accounts for 76% of Internet services here.

NHN (Next Human Network), the company that runs Naver, attributes its success to a product tailored to Korean society. “NHN shows not only web-based texts but also other types content about news, blogs, online communities, books, shopping, dictionaries and even weather – all one by one,” an NHN spokesman said here. “NHN has been blended well into the Korean culture where people like seeing various types of content in a neat manner at one single viewing.”

The company says Naver – named after “navigator” – averages 12 million visitors a day, with 130 million queries keyed every 24 hours. Its most successful feature is the question-and-answer database service.

Introduced in 2002, the “Jishik(knowledge) IN” platform has become a hug hit. “It was a breakthrough, through which Naver has since maintained its lead in the industry,” the spokesman said “Like Wikipedia, it is a participatory service where ordinary people can post what they know on the web, ask questions and answer them online.”

User-generated data now totals around 92 million queries – an exclusive treasure source for Naver – AFP.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 28, 2008

Grateful thanks to AFP and The Hindu.

Letters-19: "Toast to Monsoon"

The editorial on monsoon (The Hindu, May 24, 2008) may be able to give some comfort to the Prime Minister, who is worried about the rising inflation rate. But prediction of the monsoon may become more and more erroneous as climate change triggered by the emission of greenhouse gases makes statistical models inaccurate. The research done by climate scientists shows that there could be unexpected rains and drought. The recent summer rains in Kerala damaged the crops contributing more to the inflation rate than comforting the ministers. No one seems to take the climate change issue seriously. – R.Venkita Giri, Thiruvananthapuram (Letter to the Editor, The Hindu, Madurai, May 27, 2008).(I share the anguish of Mr.Giri along with people like me).

Grateful thanks to Mr.R.Venkita Giri and The Hindu.

For an interesting article on "Climate Change" from Wikipeida:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

"Bio-diversity and Climate Change" from World Conservation Monitoring Centre of United Nations Environment Programme:

http://www.unep-wcmc.org/climate/default.aspx

"Why and how scientists study climate change in the Arctic: Some important research concepts used by scientists to study climate change" from NOAA's Arctic Theme Page:

http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/essay_bond.html

Grateful thanks to Wikipedia, UNEP and NOAA.

S&T Watch-7: "New Powerful Insect Repellants"

American researchers have identified several potential insect repellants that are three times more potent than DEET, the active ingredient in most tick and insect repellents, a study released on Monday said.

In laboratory tests, the new compounds protected human volunteers from mosquitoes for periods two to three times longer than DEET (n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide), which has served as the gold standard of repellents for more than 50 years.

While DEET repellents offer broad-based protection from a variety of insects, mosquitoes continue to spread diseases such as malaria, and some mosquitoes can bite through an application of DEET, the paper said.

“It would be good to have more effective repellents that protect against a greater number of insect species,” said Ulrich Bernier, a research chemist with the Mosquito and Fly Research Unit of the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA), who worked on the project.

Back in the 1940s, it took USDA scientists a decade to screen 40,000 chemical compounds in a search for new and more effective insect repellents. That quest ultimately led them to DEET.

USDA investigators were able to screen thousands of potential compounds using a drug discovery computer program that uses information about chemical structures and insect receptors to predict repellents’ effectiveness against mosquitoes.

The program allowed the scientists to winnow a field of 2,000 compounds down to just 34, which they then tested on human volunteers in the laboratory. The volunteers were exposed to mosquitoes for 17.5 days, some of the new compounds lasted up to 73 days. - AFP

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 27, 2008

Grateful thanks to AFP and The Hindu.

A Thought for Today :

Violence begets violence, toughness begets toughness, love begets love, and peace begets peace – Gary Ryan Blair

Grateful thanks to Magnus Rosendahl and Public-Domain-Photos.com for the photo and Mr.Gary Ryan Blair for the quotation.

Health Watch-14: '“Secret of Longevity"

If it is longevity you are after, you may want to consider spending more time with members of the younger generation, according to a new animal study.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 27, 2008 (Newscape)

If you want to read the article on 'Longevity' in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longevity

"Why we age: Anti-aging Research and Discussion" from the website, http://www.whyweage.com/:

"The Secrets of Long Life" from National Geographic Interaactive Edition:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0511/feature1/

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, Wikipedia, Whyweage.com and National Geographic.

Random Thoughts-10: "ON NUMEROLOGY"

On my morning walk yesterday, the signboard of a tailorshop caught my eye. It used to be “Julie Tailors”. Only now it has become “Jully Tailors”. I know the chap from his apprentice days. After a very good apprenticeship with a popular tailor, he put up a shop in the heart of the town and was coming up. Then tragedies started raining in his personal life, reducing him to penury. He closed his shop was not to be seen. Then after a few years, he opened his shop at the outskirts of our place in a humble way. Obviously, he was recovering slowly. Probably, at this stage, somebody must have suggested numerology to him. Desperate for revival, he must have taken the idea and so you have now, “Jully Tailors”. God bless him!

I know another chap, who had more than his share of business failures. He was desperately looking for solutions. He tried palmistry, astrology and then what? You guessed it, “Numerology!” He paid a princely sum of Rs.5000/- for an appointment with a famous numerologist. Got his name changed. That was years back. As far as I know, his problems still remain. Sensibly he has returned to the name given to him by his parents. God bless him too!.

My full name is a long one, which once a friend remarked looked like a “goods train to him”. Funny! I could not see the connection. But I generally use the short form, ‘SURI’ everywhere but for official documents. A colleague of mine who was avidly reading books on numerology told me: “Do you know if a person has “U” and “I” in his name, he will always have money in his pocket; knowing me personally, then he added defensively: “Though it may not always be his.”

Now, those of your believers in numerology, don’t pounce on me. I am not denouncing numerology. I have an open mind and only I am yet to come across people who have been helped by numerology. Maybe there is something in it, or maybe not. I only feel that one should use one’s brain to find solutions to problems. Faith in oneself, hard work, perseverance and some prayer may help. Don’t you think so?

Incidentally, Wikipedia has a lot of information on Numerology. If you are interested, just click: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerology

Letters-18: "Countering Terrorism"

1. This refers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement that the Jaipur blasts were aimed at derailing ties between India and Pakistan. Over a decade has passed since the serial bomb blasts took place in Mumbai. Many more terrorist attacks have taken place after 1993. It is only now that a Prime Minister has spoken about the need for a separate agency to investigate “all crimes with multi-state aspects” such as terrorism. One wonders how many more innocent lives will be lost before the Centre and the State governments put in place a counter-terrorism apparatus that is reliable. – K.Vijayakumar, Bangalore.

2. Another city has been successfully added to the terrorists’ hit list. The government predictably has praised the spirit of the citizens of Jaipur and appealed for peace and calm. It is shameful that we in India tolerate terror acts. For all the criticism heaped on George W.Bush, he has had the last laugh. No terrorist has dared to attack the U.S. after 9/11. Forget evolving a policy on terrorism, we are afraid to carry out even the Supreme Court’s sentence given to a terrorist after due legal process. – Sanjeev Sayeeraman, Sunnyvale, California.

3. Terror attacks are continuing unabated and not one police official is held responsible for them. And not one case has been closed till date. True, the intelligence agencies should have prevented the attacks but that is no reason to go easy on the mistakes committed. Each time there is a blast, the Home Minister enlightens us with some analysis. What people are looking for is some action to make their lives safe. – S.Sudhir Kumar, Hyderabad.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 21, 2008.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and the individuals who wrote the above letters, which reflect not only my own feelings but that of many others.

A Thought for Today :

Beach-2[2] by Jon Sullivan from

http://www.public-domain-photos.com/

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty – Mahatma Gandhi

Grateful thanks to Jon Sullivan and Public-Domain-Photos.com

for freely providing the above photo.

Health Watch-13: '“10,000 Steps a Day!"

From the Mailbag of The Hindu Weekly Magazine, April 27, 2008:

One of our readers, Mr.Manoranjan Rao, had a specific query regarding the article on walking we published in The Hindu, April 13, 2008. He wrote in to say, “It was with great pleasure that I read your excellent article on walking. I am rather surprised that you have not mentioned anything about the age except saying that a person above 40 needs medical clearance. What I would like to know is your prescription for the elderly. For example, I would like to know if the minimum of 10,000 steps per day also applies to senior citizens (above, say, 65). Or, would you recommend a different regiment for them?

Dr.Sheela Nambiar’s Reply:

Thank you for your response to my article. I think your query is very pertinent and I will do my best to answer it.

10,000 steps/day is not a magic number but only a guideline. As I mentioned, most of us adults cover only about 3000-4000 steps per day. There is no real body of research however that mandates 10000 steps. One study showed that taking 6000 steps was also good in preventing cardiovascular disease.

By and large

Taking under 5000 steps/day is indicati9ve of a “sedentary” lifestyle;

5000-7500 steps is indicative of a “somewhat active” lifestyle that includes adequate daily activity (such as household activities and some amount of exercise);

7500-10000 steps is indicative of a “fairly active” lifestyle;

10000 steps is indicative of an “Active” lifestyle;

More 10000 steps is considered “Highly Active”;

Children need more than 12000 steps per day.

The elderly need to first assess how many steps they currently walk and make gradual increments of about 10000 to 20000 steps per week. They may not ultimately be able to reach a 10000 steps per day mark, but the objective is more to increase activity. Even 6000 steps per day has been found to be adequate for elderly.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu, Dr.Sheela Nambiar and Mr.Manoranjan Rao.

A Thought for Today :

Cactus-95[1] by Paolo Nao

from Public-Domain-Photos.com

(www.public-domain-photos.com)

Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth,

and hatred with love - Peace Pilgrim

Grateful thanks to Paolo Nao and Public-Domain-Photos.com

for freely providing the above photo.

Letters-17: "“On Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project"

1. I wish to thank The Hindu for publishing the article, “A mockery of science, conservation and environmental laws” (May 19). The scientific establishment of India, Tamil Nadu in particular, dealing with marine systems should do some soul-searching. Government documents such as the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the Environmental Impact Assessment done by NEERI and similar studies by others in the domain make us wonder whether such exercises are a mere eyewash. The stretch along the east coast of Tamil Nadu to north-west Sri Lanka, including the waters, islands, sediments, the barrier reef and their dynamics, constitute the ecosystem. This will be endangered by the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. The needs of the hour is an effective campaign to stop it. – C.B.S.R.Sharma, Puducherry.

2. While it has been proved that the SSCP is not economically viable, the government is going ached with it with the least respect for the economy and ecology. Though, on sediment dynamics of this area, various experts have given different values, NEERI’s EIA has used the values selectively. Nobody seems to know the exact quantum to be dredged for maintenance dredging. – K.R.A.Narasiah, Chennai.

3. After going through the article and many more articles on the SSCP, I feel the tax-payers’ money has been dumped into the sea for no reason. No doubt, the government has to answer uncomfortable questions on why it ignored its own environment laws. I was shocked to learn that corals, which are Schedule 1 species and enjoy the same status as that of tigers, will be killed if the SSCP materializes. Who will be accountable for the ecological disaster? The Alaska experience has taught us that the damage caused to the environment is irreversible and can prove very costly. – Antony Rohan, Chennai.

4. The article was informative and thought-provoking. It was a rare piece that rightly highlighted the environmental dimension of the project. It drove home the disastrous consequences of the SSCP for the region, which is rich in bio-diversity. It also exposed the fact that the project ignores the existing environmental laws of the country. – Anis Ahmad, Faridabad.

5. The SSCP is a classic example of non-sustainable development. The article has advanced genuine arguments against the project. It is different from the holier-than-thou concern expressed by some for legend and myth, and the dangerous communal argument being put forward by the BJP which initially supported the project. The UPA government must listen to the experts and abandon the project. – Vasantha Surya, Chennai.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 21, 2008 (Letters to the Editor)

Grateful thanks to The Hindu and the individuals who wrote the above letters.

A Thought for Today :

Cactus-5[1] by Paolo Nao from

Public-Domain Photos.com

(www.public-domain-photos.com)

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes - William James

(Grateful thanks to Paolo Nao and Public-Domain-Photos.com for freely providing the above photo.)

S&T Watch-6: "Dying Star Erupting into Supernova"

Astronomers on Wednesday (May 21, 2008) said they witnessed for the first time how a dying star erupted into a supernova, one of the mightiest yet most elusive sights in the Universe.

Supernovae are massive stars that run out of fuel, collapse under the weight of their own gravity and become an ultra-dense object known as a neutron star.

They then send out a shockwave that rips the star apart and leaves a sizzling cauldron of radiation.

These colossal events are among the most thrilling phenomena for astronomers but are also agonizingly hard to detect. They are usually only spotted days or weeks after they occur, becoming visible when material from the blast collides with gas and dust that the star had shed earlier. This high-energy smash creates a dramatic flare which eventually fades.

In January, though, a “once-in-a-lifetime” stroke of luck enabled astronomers to spot a supernova in its infancy, skygazers reported in the British journal, Nature.

Princeton University’s Alicia Soderberg had asked NASA mission controllers to orientate their orbital X-ray telescope, Swift, to observe the glowing remnants of a two-week-old supernova in a spiral galaxy called NGC 2770, 90 million light years from Earth.

But, by sheer good fortune, another supernova was brewing nearby, sending out a burst of X-rays that Swift instantly picked up and started to record. “It is a really lucky chain of events. It was all over in a matter of minutes,” said Ms.Soderberg.

The satellite’s precious 530 seconds of data confirm a theory postulated nearly four decades ago that supernova would be heralded by an X-ray burst. – AFP

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, May 22, 2008 (Grandstand View of Supernova).

Grateful thanks to AFP and The Hindu.

A Thought for Today:

What a noble gift it is, the power of playing upon the souls and wills of men, and rousing them to lofty purposes and holy deeds. - "Beautiful Thoughts" by Henry Drummond
(Grateful thanks to Jon Sullivan and Public-Domain-Photos.com for freely providing the photograph)