There are two types of competitions conducted by the ASDRC. Two groups of competitors are tested by them. First is Dharmaraja College students. Students in grade 6 and above are tested and rated periodically to keep the standards of their knowledge. The idea beind that is promoting the knowledge as well as building a strong senior Astronomy quiz team to compete in national level quiz competitions representing the school. Second type of competitions are targeted for the countrywide, below college level students.

Having in mind their prorities, ASDRC conducts the ”Astro Olympiad” all-island inter school astronomy quiz competition and all-island inter school observation competition to enhance healthy competition between other schools in Sri Lanka.Quiz competition was first organized in year 2002 and is one of the oldest Astronomy quizzes in Sri Lanka. Usually this competition consists of a written preliminary round, 2 semi finals and a grand final. Both semifinals and final are oral. Preliminary round is divided into 5 sub sections as Cosmology and Astrophysics, General Astronomy, Rocketry and Space Science, History of astronomy and Archaeoastronomy and Observational astronomy. Best four teams selected from this round are taken into the semi finals and teams selected from them to the grand final. Winning team at the final is awarded the ”Astro Olympiad” challenge shield.

Observation competition was initiated in year 2006 and marked the beginning of 2nd sky observation competiion in Sri Lanka. It usually consists of 4 or 5 sky observation tasks depending on the visibility and availability of the objects. Usually competing teams get Lunar Sketching, Jupiter Obsevation, Saturn Obsevation, Mars Obsevation, Constellation Mapping and Deep Sky Obsevation as for their tasks. The best team at these tasks get the ASDRC obsevation shield.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Astronomical Society of Dharmaraja College (ASDRC), under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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The conceptual payload included a Precision Sample Handling and Processing System to replace and augment the functionality and capabilities provided by the Sample Acquisition Sample Processing and Handling system that is currently part of the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory rover. The AFL payload was to attempt to minimize any conflicting positive detection of life by including a suite of instruments that provide at least three mutually confirming analytical laboratory measurements.

For the purpose of discerning a reasonable estimate on which to base the rover mass, the conceptual payload was to include:

*Precision Sample Handling and Processing System.

*Forward Planetary Protection for Life-Detection Mission to a Special Region.

*Life Detection-Contamination Avoidance.

*Astrobiology Instrument Development.

*MSL Parachute Enhancement.

*Autonomous safe long-distance travel.

*Autonomous single-cycle instrument placement.

*Pinpoint landing (100–1000 m) (if necessary to reach specific science targets in hazardous regions).

*Mobility for highly sloped terrain 30° (if required to reach science targets).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Astrobiology Field Laboratory, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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, Cambridge University Spaceflight has three projects which it is pursuing; all three are critical to the long-term goal of successfully launching a rocket into space and retrieving it.

Nova

Nova is CU Spaceflight’s first project and has the objective of launching high altitude balloons on test flights to near space. The lifting gas used is helium.

Meteor

Meteor is a project designed to provide a landing system for falling body to a 100 metre accuracy, from any point within the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Meteor project will use a paraglider to land objects.

Martlet

Martlet is the project aimed at the development of a small rocket and launch system which can be launched from a Nova balloon in the upper atmosphere.

CU Spaceflight aim the final Martlet rocket to be less than 1 metre long, weigh 3.5 kilograms, and carry a 0.5 kg payload. The intended cost per launch is less than GBP£1000. The rocket will be a solid-fuel rocket. Its objective is to reach suborbital space – i.e. reaching altitudes in excess of 100km (the boundary of space).

The idea of a balloon-launched rocket – a rockoon – is not new, but is rarely practiced. The incentives for air-based launch are that the altitude the balloons reach are in the near space region – which is above 99% of the atmosphere – thus resulting in ”significantly” less atmospheric drag, requiring far less rocket fuel.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article CU Spaceflight, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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*On the bearing of the Principle of Relativity on Gravitational Astronomy, 1911, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 71, p. 388-415

*A proof of the constancy of the velocity of light, 1913, Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1913, 15 II: 1297-1298

*Ein astronomischer Beweis für die Konstanz der Lichtgeschwindigkeit, 1913, Physikalische Zeitschrift, 14: 429

*On the constancy of the velocity of light, 1913, Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1913, 16 I: 395-396

*Über die Genauigkeit, innerhalb welcher die Unabhängigkeit der Lichtgeschwindigkeit von der Bewegung der Quelle behauptet werden kann, 1913, Physikalische Zeitschrift, 14: 1267

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Willem de Sitter, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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The spacecraft was derived from the GEOS research satellite built by British Aerospace, and modified with the addition of a dust shield as proposed by Fred Whipple which comprised a thin (1& mm) aluminium sheet separated by a space and a thicker Kevlar sheet. The later Stardust spacecraft would use a similar Whipple shield. A mock up of the spacecraft resides at the Bristol Aero Collection hanger, at Kemble Airport, UK.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Giotto mission, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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NASA TV airs a variety of regularly scheduled, pre-recorded educational and public relations programming 24 hours a day on its various channels. Programs include “NASA Gallery”, which features photographs and video from NASA’s history; “Video File”, which broadcasts b-roll footage for news and media outlets; “Education File”, which provides special programming for schools; “This Week @ NASA”, which shows news from NASA centers around the country; and “NASA Edge” and “NASA 360″, hosted programs that focus on various projects and activities within NASA. Live ISS coverage and related commentary is aired in hour-long segments throughout the day.

The network also provides an array of live programming, such as 24-hour coverage of Space Shuttle missions, ISS events (spacewalks, media interviews, educational broadcasts), press conferences and rocket launches. These often include running commentary by members of the NASA Public Affairs Office who serve as the “voice of Mission Control”, including Rob Navias, Josh Byerly, Nicole Cloutier and Brandi Dean.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article NASA TV, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Creationists are typically skeptical of mainstream theories of stellar evolution, and observational evidence of recent star formation. In particular, creationists dispute the widely accepted nebular hypothesis for star formation.

Claims have been made by creationists that Humphreys correctly predicted the magnetic fields (magnetospheres) for the Solar System planets Uranus and Neptune.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Creationist cosmologies, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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2007 contained several significant events in spaceflight, including a Chinese ASAT test, the launches of the US Phoenix and Dawn missions to study Mars and Asteroid belt respectively, Japan’s Kaguya Lunar orbiter, and the first Chinese Lunar probe, Chang’e 1.

The internationally accepted definition of a spaceflight is any flight which crosses the Kármán line, 100 kilometres above sea level. The first recorded spaceflight launch of the year occurred on 10 January, when a PSLV, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, placed four spacecraft into low Earth orbit. One of these spacecraft was SRE-1, which returned to Earth twelve days later, in the first Indian attempt to recover a satellite after re-entry.

Several carrier rockets made their maiden flights in 2007; the PSLV-CA, Long March 3B/E, Shavit-2, Zenit-2M, Proton-M Enhanced. These were all modernised or upgraded versions of existing systems. The RS-24 missile also conducted its first launch, and the Atlas V made its first flight in the 421 configuration. The first Colombian and Mauritian satellites, Libertad 1 and Rascom-QAF 1 respectively, were launched in 2007, although a helium leak reduced Rascom’s operational lifetime by thirteen years.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article 2007 in spaceflight, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Spaceflight osteopenia refers to the characteristic bone loss that occurs during spaceflight. Astronauts lose an average of more than 1% bone mass per month spent in space. There is concern that during long duration flights, excessive bone loss and the associated increase in serum calcium ion levels will interfere with execution of mission tasks and result in irreversible skeletal damage.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Spaceflight osteopenia, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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* 2010 Claus Rolfs: “For seminal contributions to the experimental determination of nuclear cross-sections in stars, including the first direct measurement of the key 3He fusion reaction at solar conditions”

* 2009 David Arnett: “For his outstanding and fundamental work on how nuclear reactions shape multi-dimensional and partly out-of-equilibrium evolution of stars and supernova explosions and their yields of new isotopes.”

* 2008 Friedrich K. Thielemann: “For his many outstanding theoretical contributions to the understanding of nucleosynthesis, stellar evolution and stellar explosions through applications to individual objects and to cosmic chemical evolution.”

* 2007 James R. Wilson: “For his work in nuclear astrophysics and numerical work on supernovae core collapse, neutrino transport, and shock propagation. His codes reenergized supernovae shocks, launched numerical relativity and magnetically driven jets.”

* 2006 Alastair G.W. Cameron: “For his pioneering work in developing the fundamental concepts of nuclear astrophysics. These basic ideas, laid out almost 50 years ago, are still the basis of current research in this field.”

* 2005 Stan Woosley: “For his significant and wide ranging contributions in the areas of stellar evolution, element synthesis, the theory of core collapse and type Ia supernovae, and the interpretation of gamma-ray bursts – most notably, the collapsar model of gamma-ray bursts.”

* 2004 Wick Haxton: “”For his noteworthy contributions and scientific leadership in the field of neutrino astrophysics, in particular for his success in merging nuclear theory with experiments and observations in nuclear physics and astrophysics.”"

* 2003 Michael C.F. Wiescher: “For his contributions to the experimental foundation of nuclear astrophysics, especially the delineation of the processes involved in explosive hydrogen burning in novae and x-ray bursters; and for providing an intellectual bridge between experimental nuclear astrophysicists and their theoretical col-leagues.”

* 2002 Gordon Baym: “For his superb synthesis of fundamental concepts which have provided an understanding of matter at extreme conditions, ranging from crusts and interiors of neutron stars to matter at ultrahigh temperature.”

* 2001 Gerald E. Brown: “For his insightful analyses of the effects of various nuclear constituents on nucleon interactions and nucleon structure, and his contributions to new viewpoints on supernovae, neutron stars, and black hole formation.”

* 2000 Igal Talmi: “or pioneering work on the shell model of the nucleus that laid the foundation of much of what we know about nuclear structure.”

* 1999 Edwin Ernest Salpeter: “For wide-ranging contributions to nuclear and atomic physics and astrophysics, including the triple-alpha reaction, electron screening of nuclear reactions, charged-current emission of neutrinos, and the form of the stellar initial mass function.”

* 1998 John Norris Bahcall: “For his fundamental work on all theoretical aspects of the solar neutrino problem and his important contributions to other areas of nuclear astrophysics.”

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Hans Bethe Prize, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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