18 October 2013 Current Affairs
NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft Discovered First-Known Tilted Solar System
NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has on 18 October discovered a distant planetary system in the Space.The newly discovered planetary system features two inner planets orbiting at a severe tilt to their host star called Kepler-56.It is first known tilted star system. That axis is tilted 45 degrees to the line of sight from Earth.The team of Scientists studied regular changes in the brightness of the host star, Kepler-56, which is an old red giant star with two planets in close orbits and a massive third planet in a distant orbit.Kepler-56 is more than four times the radius of our Sun. Its mass is also 30 per cent more than our Sun. It is about 3000 light years from Earth.
Eminent Telugu Novelist Ravuri Bharadwaja Died
Eminent Telugu novelist, short story writer, poet critic and Jnanpith award winner Ravuri Bharadwaja died in Hyderabad on 18 October 2013. He was 86.Ravuri Bharadwaja won Gyanpeeth award for the year 2012 for his well known Telugu novel, Paakudu Raallu, which reflected real life behind the silver screen of the film industry.He is a poet, a playwright, a novelist of distinction and a popular science writer.He wrote 37 collections of short stories, seventeen novels, four play-lets, and five radio plays. He also contributed profusely to children’s literature.Earlier he has been awarded with awards like Sahitya Akademi Award, Soviet Land Nehru Award, Balsahitya Parishad Award, and Telugu Akademi Award.