Our Planet

Kepler-452b: The Earth’s Twin?

NASA’s space observatory Kepler may have discovered a possibly Earth-like planet, named Kepler-452b, a rocky world orbiting a Sun-like star at almost the exact same distance Earth orbits our own Sun.

“The new Earth” is located 1,400 light-years from us. It orbits a Sun-like star that is 4% more massive and 10% brighter than our Sun. Kepler-452b is 1.6 times the size of Earth and scientists are fairly sure that it is a rocky world.

New Horizons’ amazing Pluto flyover [video]

Last week, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft began sending stunning shots of Pluto on its flyover back to the Earth. Here is a beautiful Pluto flyover video created from the images from New Horizons’ closest approach to the dwarf planet on July 14, 2015.

EPIC Earth Image by NASA

At the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point, 1,500,000 km (930,000 mi) from Earth; NASA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory took an amazing photo of the entire sunlit side of Earth on July 06, 20145. The photo was taken by NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), a four-megapixel CCD camera and telescope. An EPIC Earth image from space!

The final image showing North and Central America was generated by combining three separate images to create a photographic-quality image. The camera takes a series of 10 images using different narrowband filters — from ultraviolet to near-infrared — to produce a variety of science products. The red, green, and blue channel images are used in these color images.

Bowling ball and feather fall in a vacuum at the exact same speed [Here’s why]

A Bowling Ball and Feather Falling in a Vacuum

It’s a well-known fact that a feather will fall slower than a bowling ball due to air resistance. However, what happens if you remove the air and drop both objects in a vacuum? Surprisingly, they will fall at the exact same speed. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s actually a result of a fundamental principle of physics known as the equivalence principle. In this article, we’ll explore why bowling balls and feathers (in general, heavy objects and light objects) fall at the same speed in a vacuum and the implications of this principle on our understanding of gravity.

Vulcan Points [island within a lake that is situated on an island located in a lake on an island]

Can you imagine an island within a lake that is situated on an island located in a lake on an island? Confused? Well, it is really confusing, but this island does indeed exist: Vulcan Points is the world’s largest island within a lake (Crater Lake) that is situated on an island (Taal Volcano Island) located in a lake (Lake Taal) within an island (Luzon).

Lake Baikal: the deepest lake in the World

Lake Baikal, located in southern Russia, is the world’s deepest and oldest lake, containing over 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. This massive body of water, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to thousands of unique plant and animal species that can only be found in its waters. With its stunning natural beauty and fascinating ecological significance, Lake Baikal is truly a wonder of the world. In this article, we will explore some of the most interesting and surprising Lake Baikal facts that make this place so special.

Earth from the ISS [live HD streaming]

The International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth since 1998, providing scientists and astronauts with an unparalleled view of our beautiful planet. But thanks to advancements in technology and the availability of high-speed internet, people all over the world can now experience breathtaking views of Earth from the ISS in real-time.

Live HD streaming of Earth from the ISS has become a popular way for people to connect with the beauty and fragility of our planet, and to gain a deeper understanding of the science and technology that make this remarkable feat possible.

Here’s how everyday maps distort continent sizes

Australia vs Greenland map, their true sizes

When we think about maps, we often imagine a flat representation of the world. But did you know that the maps we commonly use, such as the Mercator projection, actually distort the size of continents? In this article, we’ll explore the history behind the Mercator projection and how it affects our perception of the world. We’ll also look at alternative map projections that accurately represent the true size of continents and how they can help us better understand our planet.

Changing Earth: How Satellites Give us a Unique Perspective on our Evolving Planet

Changing Earth: The decline of Aral Sea between 2000 and 2014.

The ever-changing Earth: our planet is constantly changing over the years. Some changes are part of nature, and some of them are on humanity’s shoulders. Some scientists even suggest that the Earth has entered a new geological epoch defined by human impact, called the “Anthropocene“. Over the years astronauts have taken photos of the Earth from space and documented these changes. NASA’s World of Change series shows how our planet’s land, oceans, atmosphere, and Sun are changing over time.

Here’s how Japanese Honey Bees defend themself against the Japanese Giant Hornet [Amazing Videos]

Japanese honeybee-thermal defence against Japanese giant hornet

In the insects world, the Japanese Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) is a real beast. It is one of the subspecies of the Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia), which is the world’s largest hornet. As its name suggests, it is endemic to the Japanese islands, where it prefers rural areas where it can find trees to nest in.

Using its scissor-like teeth that can wreak havoc on its prey, a single Japanese giant hornet can kill up to 40 European honeybees a minute. So, a few of them can decimate an entire colony containing 30,000 European honey bees. Compared to honeybees, it is really a giant: adults can be more than 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) long, with a wingspan greater than 6 centimeters (2.4 inches).

But, the Japanese honey bees have developed an amazing defense against these giants during their evolutionary process.