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Environment

Drug Disposal and Our Water Supply: The Unsuspecting Risk

There is no question that illicit and prescription drugs pose an environmental risk that can quickly get out of hand before we know it. But how does this affect our water supply? Most importantly, is drug waste damage to our water supply reversible? Here’s what you should know about the connection between drug disposal and our water supply and the risks involved in this delicate but important topic.

Categories
Animals Life on Earth Oceans

15 Largest Great White Sharks Ever Recorded [With Photos!]

What are the largest great white sharks ever recorded? Just how big can these ocean giants really get? This question is one of the most hotly debated topics in marine science, and it’s surrounded by plenty of “big fish” stories and myths. Over the years, numerous claims of massive great whites have emerged, some supported by solid evidence and others more speculative or exaggerated. Despite the fascination and controversy, researchers have recorded a few truly enormous specimens, shedding light on the potential maximum size of this iconic predator.

The great white shark (scientific name: Carcharodon carcharias) is not the world’s biggest shark (that title goes to the whale shark), but they are the largest predatory fish in the world.

Categories
Animals Life on Earth

Elephants can’t jump [here’s why]

Elephants are the largest land animals in the world. Male African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana, the largest of all elephant species) stand 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) tall (at the shoulder) on average and weigh around 6 metric tons. Females stand about 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) on average at the shoulder with a body mass of about 3 metric tons. So, their mass is enormous, and because of this, the elephants can’t jump, despite having powerful legs.

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Solar System Astronomy

Why Pluto is not a planet anymore? [Explained]

Since 2006, Pluto, once the ninth planet in our Solar System is not classified as a planet. Here’s why.

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Animals Life on Earth

Why Are Cassowary Claws So Dangerous?

Cassowaries are one of the largest birds in the world. They have big, three-toed feet with sharp claws which are fearsome, since cassowaries sometimes kick and injure, and even kill humans and other animals with their powerful legs. Cassowary claws are lethal weapons!

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Earth from Space Space Exploration This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

The First Photo of Earth from Space [October 24, 1946]

A captured German V-2 rocket (V2 #13) took the first photo of Earth from space on October 24, 1946. The rocket was launched from the White Sands Missile Range carrying a 35mm motion picture camera onboard. The camera also recorded the first footage of Earth from space, snapping an image every second and a half.

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Space Exploration This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

Venera 9 Landed on Venus and Took the First Photos from the Surface of Another Planet on October 22, 1975

On October 22, 1975, Soviet Union’s Venera 9 spacecraft landed on Venus and took the first photos from the surface of another planet.

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Solar System Astronomy This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object in our solar system was detected on October 19, 2017

‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system was first detected on October 19, 2017, by the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope.

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Solar System Space Exploration This Day in Science, Technology, Astronomy, and Space Exploration History

Galileo spacecraft was launched on October 18, 1989

NASA’s Galileo spacecraft was launched on October 18, 1989, with the mission of studying Jupiter and its moons. It orbited Jupiter for almost eight years and made close passes by all its major moons. By doing so, it became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet in our solar system. Galileo also studied two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida, and discovered the first moon orbiting an asteroid (Dactyl orbiting Ida).

Categories
Solar System Astronomy

How fast do meteorites hit the ground?

When a meteoroid, a rocky or metallic body from outer space enters Earth’s atmosphere, it’s called a meteor. If it’s large enough, it can hit the Earth’s surface with enormous speed. It is then termed a meteorite. But, how fast do meteorites hit the ground?