NASA Camera captures historic lunar flags

NASA Camera captures historic lunar flags

Forty years after astronauts landed on the moon for the last time, a lunar camera has revealed what happened to the flags they left behind.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera has captured images showing that all but one of the six American flags remain in place on their poles.

The flags were left on the moon during the six lunar landings to symbolise the United States' scientific and engineering achievement.

The first was the monumental July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landing in which Neil Armstrong declared on live television, 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Apollo 17 took part in the final mission in 1972.

From the LROC images it is now certain that the American flags are still standing and casting shadows at all of the sites, except Apollo 11.

(Source)

NASA's Mars Exploration

NASA's Mars Exploration

The US space agency NASA has recently pieced together a panoramic view from the camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, calling it the "next best thing to being" on the Red Planet.

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An octopus can short circuit a light in its aquarium

The culprit of the smashed glass and

 broken lamp is two foot seven inch Otto.

               Photo: EUROPICS

An octopus can short circuit a light in its aquarium.

An octopus has caused havoc in his aquarium by performing juggling tricks using his fellow occupants, smashing rocks against the glass and turning off the power by short circuiting a lamp.

Staff believes that the octopus called Otto had been annoyed by the bright light shining into his aquarium and had discovered he could extinguish it by climbing onto the rim of his tank and squirting a jet of water in its direction.

The short-circuit had baffled electricians as well as staff at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, who decided to take shifts sleeping on the floor to find out what caused the mysterious blackouts.

It was a serious matter because it shorted the electricity supply to the whole aquarium that threatened the lives of the other animals when water pumps ceased to work.

It was on the third night that they found out that the octopus Otto was responsible for the chaos.

(Source)

Square Watermelon

Square Watermelon

A round watermelon can take up a lot of room in a refrigerator and the usually round fruit often sits awkwardly on refrigerator shelves?

Smart Japanese Farmers have forced their watermelons to grow into a square shape by inserting the melons into square, tempered glass cases while the fruit is still growing on the vine.

Zentsuji farmer came up with the innovative idea for a space-saving square watermelon some twenty years earlier. Since then, the square fruit has been sold in various selected outlets across Japan, but they are prohibitively expensive to buy and their potential market is therefore quite limited. Today the cuboid watermelons are hand-picked and shipped all over Japan. But the fruit, on sale in a selection of department stores and upmarket supermarkets, appeals mainly to the wealthy and fashion-conscious of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan's two major cities.

Each melon sells for 10,000 yen, equivalent to about $83. It is almost double, or even triple, that of a normal watermelon.

Ancient Roman road found in Greece

Ancient Roman road found in Greece

Archaeologists in Greece's second-largest city have uncovered a 70-metre section of an ancient road built by the Romans that was city's main travel artery nearly 2,000 years ago.

The marble-paved road was unearthed during excavations for Thessaloniki's new subway system, which is due to be completed in four years. Several of the large marble paving stones were etched with children's board games, while others were marked by horse-drawn cart wheels. Also discovered at the site were remains of tools and lamps, as well as the bases of marble columns.

About seven metres below ground in the center of the city, the ancient road follows in roughly the same direction as the city's modern Egnatia Avenue.

(Source)