There is a story doing
round in e-mails and FB recently.
The story is this: A satellite sent by Nasa, while going round the
globe, slows down automatically when it crosses a particular spot over
the Saneeswarar temple (a Hindu temple dedicated for Saturn), in
Thirunallar, Tamil nadu, India. the story further says that Nasa has
also officially accepted such an effect, sent some of its scientists to
the said place and could not find a possible scientific explanation and
that they simply returned saying 'it is a miracle'.
The story therefore concludes that temple of the lord Saneeswarar has
been correctly built at a place by the ancient people knowing that a
heavy dose of UV rays are falling on the temple from space on a
particular day every 30 months during the day of "sani
peyarchi"(Shifting of the position of the planet from one zodiac to the
other). The same UV rays should be responsible of the slowing down of
the satellite whenever it crosses that place.
Though I do not believe the story, such circulation of news in the name
of NASA may misguide the younger generation and make them prey for
superstitious beliefs.
So, it is the duty of the scientific community to dispel such doubts.
So, please tell me whether any such observation was made by Nasa in the
recent past? Is there any truth in the above circulated story? What
could be the background for such messages in the name of Nasa?
Reference
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/slowing-of-a-satellite-sent-by-nasa.539887/