Picture of the day

[aspundir]

Robotics Workstation in the International Space Station’s Cupola

At the robotics workstation in the International Space Station’s Cupola, NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Expedition 36 flight engineer, participates in onboard training activity in preparation for the grapple and berthing of the Japanese "Kounotori" H2 Transfer Vehicle-4 (HTV-4) set for August 9, 2013. Nyberg and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy will use Canadarm2, the station's Canadian Space Agency-provided robotic arm, to reach out and capture the vehicle for its installation on the Earth-facing port of the Harmony node.

[aspundir]

THE GIANT AMAZON WATER LILY

Seen here is the underside of a Giant Amazon Water Lily, growing at the Living Rainforest. In 2002 it set a world record with a leaf that measured 2.65 meters (8 ft, 6.5 inches). The lily is a hybrid between the two South American species; Victoria amazonica and V. cruziana. It was first raised in 1960 by Patrick Nutt at Longwood Gardens in America.

With flowers measuring 30 cm (12 in) wide and leaf stalks that can exceed 6 m (20 ft) long, this amazing plant was first discovered in 1801 in a slow moving tributary of the Amazon River. Additionally, the Living Rainforest states:

“The lily is well defended from fish and other animals by sharp spines on the flower buds, leaf stalks, and underside of leaves. In contrast, the leaf surface feels smooth to touch and slightly rubbery. The pads have tremendous buoyancy from a web-like structure of veins – all filled with air. The leaf pads can even support the weight of a well balanced adult.”

Located in Hampstead Norreys, a village in Berkshire, England; the Living Rainforest plants a young water lily every year in May. The leaves grow several inches a day and reach the edge of their pool by August, when the lily also flowers.

[aspundir]

[aspundir]

WINDMILLS IN THE NETHERLANDS

The beautiful Dutch countryside complete with cyclist and windmills.

The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 20% of its area and 21% of its population located below sea level, and 50% of its land lying less than one meter above sea level. This distinct feature contributes to the country’s name: in Dutch (Nederland), English, and in many other European languages, its name literally means “(The) Low Countries” or “Low Country”.

[aspundir]

ELECTRIC SUNSET AT SHI SHI BEACH

Shi Shi beach in Olympic National Park in Washington. Although a little over-saturated for my personal tastes, it’s a great capture of a beautiful location.
Olympic National Park comprises an area of 922,650 acres (373,380 hectares) and protects over 73 miles of Pacific coast. The diverse national park has four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. It was designated a world heritage site in 1981.
Shi Shi Beach is described as a coastal forest and ocean beach that is a 2 – 4.5 mile hike to reach. According to theNational Park Service the best time to visit is April through October.

[aspundir]

Suborbital Rocket Launches From NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

A Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital rocket carrying experiments developed by university students nationwide in the RockSat-X program was successfully launched at 6 a.m. EDT, August 13, from NASA’s launch range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The RockSat-X program is conducted with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. The goal of the program is to provide students a hands-on experience in developing experiments for space flight. This experience allows these students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real world hands-on activity.
RockSat-X was lofted to an altitude of approximately 94 miles above the Atlantic Ocean before landing via parachute about 90 miles from the Wallops Flight Facility. Recovery of the payload is in progress.
The students in the program will receive their experiments later in the day to see how they performed and begin data analysis. Additionally, several experiments transmitted data during the flight down to Wallops via a telemetry system on board the rocket.

[aspundir]

Perseid Meteor

This Perseid fireball meteor was observed in the skies over Chickamauga, Ga., on Aug. 11, 2013, at 2:14:49 a.m. EDT. It was also recorded by four other cameras in the NASA All Sky Fireball Network.
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks on Aug.11 and 12, 2013, filling the sky with streaks of light. The big meteor showers like the Perseids, and later the Leonids in November, are caused when Earth and its atmosphere travels through a region of the sky filled with left over debris lost by a particular comet. In the case of the Perseids, the small fragments were ripped off the tail of comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 130 years.

[Dr.Shree Vijay]

ज्ञान विज्ञानं का अतिउत्तम सूत्र................................

[aspundir]

The 388-Year-Old Bonsai that Survived Hiroshima

On display at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the United States National Arboretum is this remarkable Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora ‘Miyajima’) bonsai sometimes known as Hiroshima Survivor. According to the tree’s display placard, it has been in training since 1625 making it 388-years-old. Oh and it survived the atomic blast in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
In 1976 as part of Japan’s Bicentennial gift to the American people, bonsai master Masaru Yamaki donated one of his most prized bonsai. The Yamaki family operated a commercial bonsai nursery in Hiroshima for several generations (the nursery is now a private bonsai collection).

[Dr.Shree Vijay]