Techfastly

editor’s note

Cryptocurrencies have gained a lot of popularity since Elon Musk’s recent tweet. This issue would talk about two cryptocurrencies that have been most talked about in the crypto world. $StopElon is the new cryptocurrency being created on the blockchain Binance Smart Chain which is currently trading at around 0.00005600 with a market capitalization of approximately $30 million. If you belong to the group of uninitiated who have been left scratching their heads on the latest cryptocurrency phenomenon, then this space is for you. Here is a complete 101 rundown of everything you need to know about this new trend in intellectual ownership, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Cyber-attacks have become the biggest social menace for many corporations. It can cost millions to big companies and harm their reputation in the corporate world. Not…

hubble’s remarkable 31 year journey

From supernovas to charting the effects of dark energy on the universe’s growth, and from capturing the distant moons to photographing thousands of galaxies to reveal galactic evolution; The Hubble Space Telescope is, as NASA terms, “the most important advance in astronomy since Galileo”. Amidst a plethora of galaxies and distant stars, Hubble makes its quiet orbit around the Earth. Even today, as it speeds its way, at 17,000 miles an hour, the first major optical telescope to be placed in space is expanding scientific vision day after day. Since its launch in the 1990s, Hubble has consistently lifted a shutter from our view of the universe. In fact, it has changed our perception so profoundly that humans have never been able to look at the stars in the same way again. But…

murky sight – glasses, anyone?

The life source of the planet, our atmosphere, acts as a translucent veil blurring our vision of the skies. Moreover, it does not help that the atmosphere is in constant flux, causing the light from the heavens to shift and wiggle as it reaches the naked eye. Did you know it’s this wobble that causes the twinkling of the stars? But on a photographic plate, this twinkling, in turn, causes the accumulated light to spread out so that a genuinely sharp image is just not possible. Trapped underneath the Earth’s unsteady atmosphere, early astronomers had to contend with looking up at the skies as if they had a terrible vision and were forbidden to wear glasses. In effect, up until man conquered parts of space, both professional and amateur astronomers were…

inspiration for an orbiting telescope

In 1946, Lyman Spitzer Jr published Appendix V of the Douglas Aircraft Company’s Project RAND. The title of the work was “Astronomical Advantages of an Extra-Terrestrial Observatory.” As he later summarised, “While a more exhaustive analysis would alter some of the details of the present study, it would probably not change the chief conclusion that such a scientific tool, if practically feasible, could revolutionize astronomical techniques and open up completely new vistas of astronomical research.” He was not the first to suggest such an idea. Still, in comparison to works of his predecessors, his paper was concrete, realistic, and based on technology that was either available at the time or expected to be developed in the coming decade. But for many, it was still an audacious idea, especially given that, in 1946, the 200-inch…

the beginnings of space race

On that day, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, with a diameter of 22 inches and weighing 184 pounds; it circled Earth once every hour and 36 minutes. The launch of Sputnik sent shock waves through the intellectual and political communities of the United States. In a rush to match their Soviet compatriots, NASA was formed, the Mercury program was instigated, and President Kennedy declared to the nation that the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. For astronomers, the sudden interest in a Space program proved to be a boon. Plans for several projects that would help get a better view of the universe were recommended. Still, the balance between cost and benefit remained elusive, and the endeavours failed to find credence. However, by…

the build up towards the launch

The years that followed saw the LST encountering many setbacks. From rising costs to the project’s brief cancellation, the telescope faced pretty much every roadblock for a venture of its size. Eventually, the LST was slated to be launched in 1983. But setbacks in its assembly delayed the launch clock by another several years. Nevertheless, the year 1983 did prove to be eventful in the telescope’s timeline. The LST was renamed ‘Hubble’ in honour of Edwin P Hubble - a notable astronomer who revolutionized our understanding of the universe and our place within it. By 1986, Hubble was ready for launch. However, a tragedy with the Space Shuttle Challenger in the same year paused NASA’s shuttle program and put the launch into limbo once again. With the resumption of the space…