Early Egyptians found the Nile to be incomprehensible, as it seemed to flood during summer, leading them to name it Ar or Aur, which means black river. Egyptians had to adapt in order to survive along its banks, learning new techniques such as irrigation. Furthermore, the Nile provided inspiration for their myths and religion. 1….
No one can resist a beautiful day with blue skies! These lovely views result from sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere and being scattered by oxygen and nitrogen molecules present therein, particularly those with shorter wavelengths, like blue. As light with shorter wavelengths like blue has more chance to get scattered than other colors due to…
Butterfly life cycles begin with an egg. Once hatching occurs, this produces caterpillars (plural of larva). A larva lives and feeds throughout its day. As it develops, its skin sheds to allow more space for its expanding body. This process is known as “molting”. Egg A butterfly’s life begins as an egg. Female butterflies may…
Spacecraft that fly to planets with atmospheres require heat shields to reduce atmospheric drag and absorb any sudden increases in temperature during reentry. These shields also serve to abate any high heat peaks encountered upon reentry. Most spacecraft use refractory insulation as a protective measure. Perhaps most recognizable are the black tiles lining the bottom…
China is the most populous nation on earth and boasts an intriguing ancient history as well as an ever-expanding economy today. Many people assume table tennis, also known as ping pong in China, originated there; it actually hails from Great Britain. There’s also the persistent myth that soccer (known as football in China) originates in…
The Great Fire of London was one of London’s greatest disasters, starting on 2 September 1666 at Thomas Farrynor’s bakery and rapidly spreading through Pudding Lane Street and Fish Street Hill. London’s medieval layout, full of highly combustible structures made its spread more rapid. It was caused by a fire in a bakery On September…
An interplanetary mission to the Moon requires being able to escape Earth’s gravity well, which requires a very large rocket and is therefore very costly. NASA’s planned round-the-moon mission Artemis, scheduled for 2024, will use their Space Launch System megarocket and be led by four astronauts: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen…
Soviet Venera 15 and 16 spacecraft collaborated for 8 months on an eight month mission, during which they used their autofluorescing nephelometers to blast clouds with ultraviolet light and cause their droplets to fluoresce, creating a radar map of Venus. Each spacecraft released a lander equipped with color cameras and instruments such as autofluorescing nephelometers…
Mars, one of the inner planets of our Solar System, is often known as “the Red Planet” due to its distinct red hue and iron oxide coating. With two natural satellites or moons named Deimos and Phobos as natural satellites or moons circling it. Also dubbed as “the Fourth Planet”, its axis of rotation tilts…
