Did You Know? (কিবা জানানে?)

The stars we see in the night sky are actually huge, glowing balls of hot gas just like our Sun! Some of them are even much larger and brighter than the Sun, but they look like tiny dots because they are incredibly far away.

Ranav is in class IV. His half-yearly examination is going on.

ৰণৱ চতুৰ্থ শ্ৰেণীত পঢ়ে। তাৰ ষান্মাসিক পৰীক্ষা চলি আছে।

He is going to start his study now at 6.00 pm.

সি এতিয়া সন্ধিয়া ৬ বজাত পঢ়া আৰম্ভ কৰিবলৈ ওলাইছে।

Then suddenly the electricity goes off.

তেতিয়াই হঠাতে বিদ্যুৎ যোগান ব্যাহত হয় (কাৰেণ্ট গুচি যায়)।

What to do now? He has a wonderful idea.

এতিয়া কি কৰিব? তাৰ এটা সুন্দৰ বুদ্ধি খেলালে।

Now he will go to the terrace of their house with his grandfather and watch the beautiful night sky.

এতিয়া সি তাৰ ককাকৰ সৈতে সিহঁতৰ ঘৰৰ চাললৈ (টেৰেছলৈ) যাব আৰু ধুনীয়া নিশাৰ আকাশখন চাব।

His grandfather Dr Anil Kumar Das is a famous astronomer.

তাৰ ককাক ড° অনিল কুমাৰ দাস এজন বিখ্যাত জ্যোতিৰ্বিজ্ঞানী।

He tells Ranav interesting stories about the sky.

তেওঁ ৰণৱক আকাশৰ বিষয়ে আমোদজনক কাহিনী কয়।

Ranav is passionate about the sky, the sun, the moon and most of all, the twinkling stars of a clear night sky.

ৰণৱ আকাশ, সূৰ্য, চন্দ্ৰ আৰু আটাইতকৈ বেছি ফৰকাল নিশাৰ আকাশৰ তিৰবিৰাই থকা তৰাবোৰৰ প্ৰতি বৰ আগ্ৰহী।

They go to the terrace and sit on two reclining chairs there.

তেওঁলোক চাললৈ গ'ল আৰু তাত দুখন হেলনীয়া চকীত বহিল।

The stars in the sky look amazing. "Look at the stars!" His grandfather tells Ranav, "They are lovely and bright. Aren't they?"

আকাশৰ তৰাবোৰ বৰ আচৰিত ধৰণৰ লাগিছে। "তৰাবোৰলৈ চোৱা!" ককাক ৰণৱক ক'লে, "সেইবোৰ মৰম লগা আৰু উজ্জ্বল। নহয়নে বাৰু?"

"Yes! indeed they are, grandpa."

"হয়! সঁচাকৈয়ে সেইবোৰ তেনেকুৱাই ককা।"

They see the twinkling stars in twos and threes at first and now there are so many of them.

তেওঁলোকে প্ৰথমে দুটা-তিনিটাকৈ তিৰবিৰাই থকা তৰা দেখিছিল আৰু এতিয়া তাত বহুত তৰা আছে।

"Grandpa, look! some are bright yellow and they are not twinkling. Are they planets?" Ranav asks his grandfather.

"ককা, চোৱা! কিছুমান উজ্জ্বল হালধীয়া আৰু সেইবোৰ তিৰবিৰাই থকা নাই। সেইবোৰ গ্ৰহ নেকি?" ৰণৱে ককাকক সুধিলে。

"Yes, you are correct, and those which are twinkling are stars. They are far away from us."

"হয়, তুমি ঠিকেই কৈছা, আৰু যিবোৰ তিৰবিৰাই আছে সেইবোৰ তৰা। সেইবোৰ আমাৰ পৰা বহুত দূৰত আছে।"

The moon is nowhere to be seen, as it is Krishna Paksha.

জোনটো ক'তো দেখা পোৱা হোৱা নাই, কাৰণ এতিয়া কৃষ্ণ পক্ষ।

Right above their head, they see a group of seven stars forming a pattern. It's called 'Saptarshi Mandal' and 'Ursa Major' in English.

সিঁহতৰ মূৰৰ ঠিক ওপৰতে সাতটা তৰাৰ এটা গোট দেখিলে যিয়ে এটা আৰ্হি তৈয়াৰ কৰিছে। ইয়াক 'সপ্তৰ্ষি মণ্ডল' আৰু ইংৰাজীত 'Ursa Major' বুলি কোৱা হয়।

There are many more such groups of stars in the sky. These groups are called constellations.

আকাশত তেনে বহুতো তৰাৰ গোট আছে। এই গোটবোৰক নক্ষত্ৰমণ্ডল (constellations) বুলি কোৱা হয়।

Ranav tries to figure out some more groups of stars.

ৰণৱে তেনে আৰু কিছুমান তৰাৰ গোট বিচাৰি উলিয়াবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰিলে।

Suddenly the night sky is lit up. The stars are also vanishing.

হঠাতে নিশাৰ আকাশখন পোহৰ হৈ পৰিল। তৰাবোৰো অদৃশ্য হৈ যাব ধৰিলে।

Ranav cries out, "Grandpa! I can't see the stars. Where have they gone?"

ৰণৱে চিঞৰি উঠিল, "ককা! মই তৰাবোৰ দেখা নাই। সেইবোৰ ক'লৈ গ'ল?"

"They have not gone anywhere Ranav. They are in their own place. The electricity is restored and the lights are on. That's why you can't see many of them."

"সেইবোৰ ক'লৈও যোৱা নাই ৰণৱ। সেইবোৰ নিজৰ ঠাইতে আছে। বিদ্যুৎ যোগান পুনৰ ঘূৰি আহিল আৰু লাইটবোৰ জ্বলি উঠিল। সেইবাবেই তুমি সেইবোৰৰ বহুতক দেখা নাই।"

"Now it is time to go to your study." He laughs out loud.

"এতিয়া তোমাৰ পঢ়া-শুনা কৰাৰ সময় হ'ল।" তেওঁ জোৰেৰে হাঁহিলে।

Ranav says, "Ok grandpa, tomorrow shall we come again and see the stars?" "Sure," says his grandfather.

ৰণৱে ক'লে, "ঠিক আছে ককা, কাইলৈ আমি পুনৰ আহি তৰাবোৰ চাম নেকি?" "নিশ্চয়," ককাক ক'লে।

a) What wonderful idea does Ranav have?
Ans: Ranav's wonderful idea is to go to the terrace of their house with his grandfather to watch the beautiful night sky when the electricity goes off.

b) Who is Ranav's grandfather and what is he?
Ans: Ranav's grandfather is Dr Anil Kumar Das and he is a famous astronomer.

c) What is Ranav passionate about?
Ans: Ranav is passionate about the sky, the sun, the moon, and the twinkling stars of a clear night sky.

d) Why is the moon nowhere to be seen in the sky now?
Ans: The moon is nowhere to be seen because it is Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight).

e) What is Saptarshi Mandal? What is it called in English?
Ans: Saptarshi Mandal is a group of seven stars forming a pattern. It is called 'Ursa Major' in English.

f) What is a 'constellation'?
Ans: A constellation is a group of stars that forms a shape in the sky and has a name.

g) Why is the sky lit up suddenly?
Ans: The sky is lit up suddenly because the electricity is restored and the lights are turned on.

• a) Ranav and his grandfather go to the front yard of their house to see the stars. → False
• b) Dr Anil Kumar Das is a doctor. → False (He is an astronomer)
• c) Planets look bright yellow and they do not twinkle in the sky. → True
• d) Saptarshi Mandal is called Ursa Major in English. → True

(Box words: slowly, sadly, bravely, quickly, loudly, fast, happily, tightly)