admin – Astronomy 2009

Green Roofing- Its Advantages

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:30:01 +0000

The world’s policies at the moment are geared towards saving the environment, and Calgary roofing is not an exception. Traditional roofing is designed such that it sheds water very fast from the surface. On the contrary, green roofing aims to hold a lot of water to the roof surface. By keeping water on the ceiling, it increases maintenance cost by up to 50% because it makes it more difficult. So, why would one consider building a green roof?

What is green roofing?

A green roof offers a base top structure in which plants can grow. The technology is doing well in Germany and other countries too. The roof is built in layers; each with a particular function. The bottom layer is placed on the substrate, and it waterproofs the building. There is a drainage layer which is added to allow the water to evacuate. The roof’s protection layer prevents the plants from puncturing the waterproof membrane, which may cause leaks. The bottom layer is usually the growing medium in which plant growth thrives. It is divided into three groups; the intensive, extensive and bio diverse.

Intensive green roofing

Park and garden roofs are constructed using this technology. The category of green roofing allows for a wide array of plant growth such as flowers, shrubs and even trees. The growing medium is about 150-400mm deep. It pushes the weight per square meter to about 180 to 500 kilograms. Thus it requires a strong structure to support it.

Extensive green roofing

It is also known as Eco roofing, for more information, you can talk to Epicroofing. It also promotes the growth of herbs, mosses, and grasses. The growing medium is quite shallow, being about 60 to 200mm thick. The weight of plant material ranges between 60-150 kilograms per square meter. This kind of roofing is appropriate in places where there is minimal human foot traffic. It is the cheapest to install.

Biodiverse Green roofing

Such roofing is left alone to reproduce a natural ecosystem. Soil levels on the surface are varied to allow for a broad range of various habitats for different species. They allow local plants and windswept seeds to grow. Bio diverse roofing is usually designed to provide a habitat for threatened species.

Benefits to the building

Green roofing turns an unattractive urban roof into new cool roofing, which is impressive to look at. With the aesthetic value added, living roofs offer a broad range of financial advantages. The waterproof membranes are regularly subjected to Ultra Violet light. The growing medium provides protection to the ceiling from the ultraviolet rays. This may double the lifespan of a roof. Also, it offers a thermal layer that aids in keeping the building cool during summer and warmer during winter. Planners and county officers have realized the benefits of green roofing and they encourage the residents to try it out.

Modern roofing materials have offered a lighter and easy to maintain the option for eco roofing. Module trays and light weight trays have allowed for localized maintenance without having to tear the entire roof apart. Considering the numerous environmental and financial benefits of green roofing, people ought to embrace green roofing.

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Giving life to a telescope

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 15:57:32 +0000

So I’m finally back at Surrey after spending a wonderful 8 months working with radio telescopes. After what I may call an “educational break” it is nice to be back in the classroom. But there is another reason why I am so glad to be back at school again.

My favorite place in all of campus is on top of the Earth and Ocean sciences building, where the UBC astronomy club’s 12 inch (diameter) telescope is housed. And this isn’t any ordinary 12″ scope that you might find on telescope shops these days. How the astronomy club came to own such a unique instrument is a mystery to me. At least I am sure that it was way before my time.

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The hunt for the 8th Planet!

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 16:08:26 +0000

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! My phone alarm went off and I barely opened my eyes, still asleep. Unable to getup from bed I thought to myself “may be I should try this tmr”, but somehow I knew if I didn’t get up then I’ll regret it later. I removed the curtains from the nearest window and saw several stars (clear sky), and that was enough to get me up from bed. I got my stuff together in the next half hour, hopped in the car and drove to DRAO. Wow! it’s the earliest I’ve ever been to work! I got off the car and saw the Big Dish (26m radio telescope at DRAO) slowly moving along the meridian faithfully carrying out the scans I scheduled last day. Just to the side of the dish in the southern sky I saw the gibbous Moon, and Huh! the object I wanted to see, which would lead me to the object that I really wanted to see.

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Some Photos of Satellites.

Mon, 08 Feb 2016 16:11:00 +0000

I thought I’d post a couple of cool satellite photos that I found in the data set I’m working on.

If you look closely at the first one, it looks like a satellite track started at a star. I leave it to the imagination of Star Wars fans as to what it looks like.

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My First Light Curve

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:12:56 +0000

Well, after the first couple of weeks, I have my first light curve. Most people think that we astronomers spend much of our time at telescopes. Not really. One run at a telescope can create enough data to keep a scientist busy for a whole year.

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