Ultraviolet (UV) rays are a form of radiation just like light rays, x-rays, heat rays, etc. These rays are produced by the Sun naturally. They have a short wavelength and are highly penetrable. The harmful effects of these rays include reddening of the skin, suntan, aging and carcinogenic changes. However, most of the UV rays […]
The Sun is the nearest star to the Earth. The surface temperature of the Sun is about 6000°C. At this temperature, a metal or even a rock can get converted into gas. Hence, the Sun is referred to as a burning ball of gases. The reason behind this non-stop burning is the capability of the
Space debris is the man-made waste orbiting in space. It is also called space junk or orbital debris. The common examples of space debris are discarded rockets, damaged parts of space shuttles or spacecraft, and mission related junk. This debris can be very dangerous for the orbiting spacecraft or satellites, as they may obstruct the
Space shuttles are space transport vehicles that orbit around the Earth. These are reusable rocket-launched vehicles that help in the transport of cargo and people to and from the orbiting spacecraft. These space shuttles glide on a runway landing while returning on the earth. The first space shuttle was launched by NASA in 1981. It
• Common name : Morning Glory, Japanese Morning Glory • Scientific name : Ipomoea nil • Family : Convolvulacea • Native land : California Morning glory is a climbing annual flowering herb or vine. Its leaves are broadly ovate or nearly circular, base heart-shaped, margin entire or 3-lobed. Its stem is clothed by long hair.
In the universe, distances are measured in terms of a light year. A light year is the distance travelled by a light ray in a year. A light ray travels 299,338 km in a second; so in a year, it will travel about 9.6 billion km. Proxima Centauri, a member of the Alpha Centauri triple
St Elmo’s fire is an interesting phenomenon related to lightning. It appears like a faint light at the edge of a pointed object along the electric power lines, parts of a flying aircraft or over grass blades during stormy weather. The matter in the entire universe is composed of two kinds of particles: negative and
• Common name : Red Beebalm • Scientific name : Monardadidyma • Family : Lamiaceae • Native land : North America Beebalm is a herbaceous perennial flower. The species with purple-green rosette buds show colour early in spring and grow into large red tubular flowers. Other varieties come in white and shades of pink, purple
• Common name : Mistletoe • Scientific name : Viscum album • Family : Santalaceae • Native land : Europe and Western and Southern Asia It is a hemi-parasitic shrub, that grows on the stems of other trees. This partially parasitic species is well known for its waxy white berries and in Europe is strongly
• Common name : Miracle Leaf, Air Plant • Scientific name : Bryophyllumpinnatum • Family : Crassulaceae • Native land : Madagascar Miracle leaf is a succulent perennial herb, growing widely and used in folklore medicine in tropical Africa, tropical America, India, China and Australia. Its stem is hollow, four-angled and usually branched. The leaves
• Common name : Mint • Scientific name : Menthalongifolia • Family : Lamiaceae • Native land : Europe, Asia, and Australia It is a very variable herbaceous perennial plant. It has square stems, opposite, aromatic leaves, and small flowers usually of a pale purple, pink, or white colour arranged in clusters, either forming separate
Sunspots are dark patches present on the surface of Sun. These patches appear dark because they are cooler than their surrounding area. Sunspots form due to strong magnetic field lines coming up from within the Sun through the solar surface. Sunspots can be as big as the Earth or very tiny. These spots can be
• Common name : Sacred Lotus • Scientific name : Nelumbonucifera • Family : Nelumbonaceae • Native land : Asia (Iran to Japan), Northern Australia Sacred lotus is an aquatic, herbaceous perennial plant. It is a large-flowered lotus. It grows up to 3-6 feet tall in shallow water and spreads by thickened rhizomes rooted in
• Common name : Lettuce • Scientific name : Lactucasativa • Family : Asteraceae • Native land : Mediterranean Regions to Siberia Lettuce is an annual glabrous herb with a thin taproot and an erect stem 30-100 cm tall, branched in the upper part. The leaves are spirally arranged, forming a dense rosette. It grows
Asteroids are tiny planet-like bodies located mostly between Mars and Jupiter. They are also called minor planets. They are found rotating around the Sun. The first asteroid was discovered in 1801. It was named Ceres. Slowly, astronomers discovered other asteroids. Till date, at least 100,000 asteroids have been detected. As per certain theories, it is