Author: M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer and a science enthusiast. I was graduated from the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Computer Engineering. In the past, I worked at the Istanbul Technical University Science Center as a science instructor. I write about the planet Earth and science on this website, ourplnt.com. I am also an animal lover! I take care of stray cats & dogs. This website's all income goes directly to our furry friends. Please consider supporting me on Patreon, so I can help more animals!

Life on Earth Animals

A single cell becomes a complete organism in six min. of timelapse

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 13, 2019
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Alpine newt embryo — The alpine newt (scientific name: Ichthyosaura alpestris) is a newt of the salamander order Caudata (or Urodela) in the class of amphibians. The biggest of the males can reach up to 9 cm (3.54 inches), and the females up to 12 cm (4.72 inches) in length. They typically inhabit forests with good access to water in hilly to mountainous regions of Central Europe and mountainous Southern Europe (where they were originally confined to). They also have isolated populations on the northern Iberian Peninsula and in Italy. The species was introduced into the United Kingdom in the 1930s, initially in southern England and since then several populations have become established as far north as Edinburgh. It has also been introduced to the Sierra de Guadarrama in Madrid Province Spain. They populate well in thick deciduous forests, as well as parkland and natural gardens. They are mostly absent in forest-poor areas.

A single cell becomes a complete organism (an alpine newt) in this amazing six pulsing minutes of a timelapse video named “Becoming” published by the Aeon Video channel. A film by Jan van IJken.

NASA Explorers: Permafrost (video)

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 12, 2019
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In this episode of NASA Explorers (Season 1 Episode 7), the scientists go back in time – by going underground. In the Arctic, a frozen layer of soil – permafrost, the “permanently” frozen earth – trapped dead plants and animals for thousands of years. As the climate warms, that soil is beginning to thaw, releasing carbon dioxide and methane – two harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Animals Environment Life on Earth

28% of vertebrates die because of humans on the land

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 11, 2019
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Proboscis monkey — The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) or long-nosed monkey is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey with an unusually large nose. It is endemic to the southeast Asian island of Borneo and known as "the bekantan" in Indonesia. The proboscis monkey is a large species, being one of the largest monkey species native to Asia. Only the Tibetan macaque and a few of the gray langurs can rival its size. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced in the species. Males have a head-body length of 66 to 76.2 cm (26.0 to 30.0 in) and typically weigh 16 to 22.5 kg (35 to 50 lb), with a maximum known weight of 30 kg (66 lb). Females measure 53.3 to 62 cm (21.0 to 24.4 in) in head-and-body length and weigh 7 to 12 kg (15 to 26 lb), with a maximum known mass of 15 kg (33 lb). They generally live in groups composed of one adult male, some adult females and their offspring. All-male groups may also exist. Some individuals are solitary, mostly males. The proboscis monkey is assessed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and listed in Appendix I of CITES. Its total population has decreased by more than 50% in the past 36-40 years to 2008 due to ongoing habitat loss because of logging and oil palm plantations, and hunting in some areas due to the species being treated as a delicacy, as well as its use in traditional Chinese medicine. Text Source: Wikipedia Photo: PXHere

According to a study published in January in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, on the land, 28% of vertebrates (including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians) die because of humans.

Moon Landing Space Exploration

LRO spots Chang’e 4 from the Moon orbit

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 10, 2019
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Chang'e-4 from LRO (January 30, 2019) (cropped) — Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took these photos on January 30, 2019. China's lunar lander Chang'e 4 which achieved the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon and its surroundings in Von Kármán crater can be seen in the images. This is a cropped and resized image. Original full-size photos (in .tiff format) can be downloaded from the LRO official website by Arizona State University.

Exciting new images from NASA’s robotic spacecraft Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) which is orbiting the Moon since 2009. China’s lunar lander Chang’e 4 which achieved the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon and its surroundings in the Von Kármán crater can be seen in the images.

Planet Earth

Locations of North Magnetic Pole since 1590

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 10, 2019
2 Comments on Locations of North Magnetic Pole since 1590

Positions of Magnetic North Pole vs Geographic North Pole. The Earth's Magnetic North Pole is constantly shifting, moving at an accelerated rate in recent decades. Once steady over Canada, it has migrated toward Siberia at speeds of 25 miles (40 km) per year on average. This movement is caused by complex interactions in the Earth's molten outer core, where swirling iron and nickel generate the planet's magnetic field. The shifting pole impacts navigation systems, wildlife migration, and even auroras, highlighting the dynamic and ever-changing nature of Earth's magnetic field.

An interesting map showing the locations of the North Magnetic Pole since 1590. The North Magnetic Pole moves over time due to magnetic changes in the Earth’s core. Today, the Geographic North Pole (the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth’s axis of rotation meets its surface, the northernmost point on the Earth) differs from the North Magnetic Pole by about 500 kilometers (311 miles).

If a magnetic compass needle is allowed to rotate about a horizontal axis, it would point straight down at the North magnetic pole.

Mars Space Exploration

Terraforming Mars [here’s why it’s so hard]

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 6, 2019
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If we want to colonize Mars in the future, it would be better for us to terraform the planet, in order to make the colonization process safer and sustainable. But, terraforming Mars will be a real challenge for humanity.

Mars Space Exploration

InSight Lander Takes a Selfie on Mars

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 2, 2019
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InSight Lander Selfie — NASA's InSight lander takes a selfie - this is what it looks like on Mars. With its solar panels deployed, InSight is about the size of a small bus. The featured selfie above is a compilation of several images taken of different parts of the InSight lander, by the lander's arm, at different times. SEIS, the orange-domed seismometer seen near the image center last month, has now been placed on the Martian surface. InSight lander opens a window into the "inner space" of Mars. Its instruments peer deeper than ever into the Martian subsurface, seeking the signatures of the processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner Solar System, more than four billion years ago. InSight's findings are expected to shed light on the formation of Mars, Earth, and even rocky exoplanets. This is a resized image. You can see the original image on the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) website.

NASA’s InSight lander takes a selfie – this is what it looks like on Mars (InSight is the abbreviation for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport). With its solar panels deployed, InSight is about the size of a small bus.

Energy Environment Physics

Solar Panels work by absorbing LIGHT from the sun, not heat

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date February 1, 2019
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Solar Panels on top of the Roof — Whether it is the expenditure on food, accommodation or luxuries, we want to save money on everything. When it comes to the electricity bill, the scenario is no different. One of the best ways to do that is by installing solar panels on your home. With the expenditure of each kilowatt of solar, it will let your utility bill reduce up to $0. There are even various service providers which can even let you end up with a negative electricity bill when you are having a solar home. But, if certain environmental factors aren't there. putting solar panels atop your home's roof might not be for you. Sunlight is the most obvious one of these environmental factors, and homes with good south, southwest or southeast exposure in sunny states will generally produce more energy than solar panels in darker areas or facing the wrong direction. Additionally, a good roof for solar panels is unobscured by shadows from dormers, chimneys or trees, and should measure at least 200 square feet. If you live in the United States, you can get a good idea of how much sun your state gets at Energy.gov and check how popular solar panels are in your state at SEIA.org Image source: PXHere

Ignorance is a very, very bad thing. Last week, as North America suffering from extreme cold weather because of a phenomenon called “polar vortex“, Jim Hoft, founder of the American far-right news and opinion website The Gateway Pundit has tweeted that: “It’s a bit cold outside this morning in middle America… Aren’t you glad you aren’t heating your home with a solar panel like nitwit socialist @AOC is demanding?” (@AOC is the American politician and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez here.) What Jim Hoft says is flat-out wrong. Solar panels DO work in the cold. They work by absorbing LIGHT from the sun, not heat.

Climate

Snow cover of Earth between Mar. 2000 and Dec. 2018

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 31, 2019
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Here is a quick summary of the Earth’s snow cover between March 2000 and December 2018. These snow cover maps are made from observations collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite.

Climate Global Warming Planet Earth

Polar Vortex is the reason why the winter is so harsh in North America

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 30, 2019
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Snow storm in Toronto in January 2019. A storm, resulting from a polar vortex from the north, was expected to bring blizzard conditions and between 6-12 inches of snow to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region starting in the late evening hours of January 27, while a separate storm was expected to affect the Southeast.Midwestern cities, including Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee are under wind chill advisories and severe wind chill warnings with wind chills approaching −55 °F (−48 °C) at night. Chicago area schools, universities, public transportation, and cultural attractions announced closures or reduced schedules during the weather emergency. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared states of emergency due to the record low windchill temperatures At least six people reportedly died due to the storm, as of January 30, 2019. Image: Wikipedia

The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth’s north and south poles. It is the reason why extreme winter conditions are bringing record-breaking cold temperatures to parts of North America.