AFVOA Newletters of Year 2003

Page 81 of 170 the website. (Courtesy: Capt (IN) H Balakrishnan, email: hbalakrishnan@yahoo.com) Pensioners – Grievances cell. A Director of Grievances has been appointed in each Ministry. For the MOD, it is Shri Gautam Chatterjee (Director of Grievances, Ministry of Defence), Joint Secretary (Estt/PG), Room No 108B, South Block, New Delhi 110011. His tele No is 23011533 In case he does not respond within two months, the complaint can be sent to one of the following: Shri Champak Chatterjee, Additional Secretary, Dept of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Sardar Patel Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001. Tele No. 23742546 Fax: 23742133; e mail: champak@nic.in Shri Alok, Director (Public Grievances), Dept of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Sardar Patel Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001, Tele No. 23362325, Fax 23742133; e-mail: alok@arpg.nic.in The complaint can also be lodged on line on the web site of the Department: http://darpg- grievance.nic.in If the matter is with the paying authorities, one can write to the CDA or CGDA. The addresses are; Shri GC Bhandari, IDAS, Controller General of Defence Accounts West Block V, Wing III, RK Puram, New Delhi 110066, Tele No 26108682 Shri Rajiv Ranjan, IDAS, Joint Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions) Draupadi Ghat, Allahabad 211 014, Tele No. 91-532-26248822 (courtesy:: Brig CS Kamboj, VSM email: cskamboj@sancharnet.in ) CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS This month and next Earth is catching up with Mars, an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter’s gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years but it may be as long as 60,000 years. The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August Mars will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. But by the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m. That’s pretty convenient when it comes to seeing something that no human has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month.