...unbeLiverpool!

Liverpool FC's astounding victory a couple of days ago against AC Milan in the 50th European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Istanbul, Turkey, was for me, just a night of wonder. The Reds trailed by a lofty 3-0 at half time, only to come back, level the goals, play extra time, and win the penalties to take the day!

The match also helped rewrite the history books in many other ways, not least by giving Liverpool their fifth European crown and their first since 1984 - making England the most successful nation in European club competition with 28 trophies, followed by Italy and Spain on 27.

It was sensational, hard to believe... it was unbeLiverpool!

ONLY 4,200 years

Decades ago, Venansio Senoga, a veteran radio personality on Uganda's airwaves nurtured my astronomical interests through a weekly broadcast sponsored by Sembule Steel Mills Ltd. I wish that program gets airtime again. It could be the beginning of Uganda's space program.

As NASA shifted dates for the resumption of shuttle missions, my attention switched to reading a bit more about my heavenly interests, and while engaged thus, wondered how fast and accurate space travel could get. Even if man has not yet landed on our nearest planetary neighbour, that should not be a reason to stop pondering a journey further afield - to the nearest star.

Proxima Centauri landing? No. Just a fly-by suffices. NASA's space ships travel at a heavenly 7.8 km per second. At that speed, it would take 160,000 years to reach Proxima Centauri, the nearest star. The fastest man-made object, the Helios 2 has a speed of 70.2 km per second, which reduces the journey to 18,000 years. Still bad. For purposes of comparison, the speed of sound in air is about 340 metres per second only and the speed of light in a vacuum is about 300,000 km per second.

However, scientists are working on a gadget that will dash at 300 km per second, trimming the Proxima Centauri journey to a spooky 4,200 years ONLY - firmly beyond the current lifespan of both man and machine. Heavens!