Facts about the Milky Way

The planet we live in belongs to a large group of planets we call as the Solar System. This planetary system in turn belongs to a much larger network of stars, planets, and cosmic bodies known as the Milky Way Galaxy. How much do we know about the galaxy we live in? Here are some fun and quick facts about the Milky Way Galaxy.

• The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy containing 200-400 billion stars and at least 50 billion planets. New data suggests that there may be up to twice as many free-floating planets in the Milky Way as there are stars.

• The name “Milky Way” is from the Latin Via Lactea, in turn translated from the Greek word Galaxias, referring to the pale band of light formed by stars as seen from Earth.

 

• The stellar disk of the Milky Way is approximately 100,000 light-years or 9x10¹⁷ km in diameter. The Solar System is very small compared to the Milky Way. If the Solar System were as big as the size of a US quarter, approximately one inch in diameter, the Milky Way would be the size of New England or France. That is how insignificant the size of the Solar System is compared to the Milky Way.

• The Milky Way could be as old as the Universe itself. In 2007, a star in its Galactic halo, called HE 1523-0901, was estimated to be about 13.2 billion years old, nearly as old as the Universe. The star is the oldest known object in the Milky Way.

• The Milky Way is actually a barred spiral galaxy, meaning that the galaxy’s central bar is larger than previously assumed. Specifically, it is consists of a bar-shaped core region surrounded by a disk of gas, dust, and stars forming four distinct arm structures spiraling outward in a logarithmic spiral shape.

• The Sun and the Solar System is found in the galactic habitable zone, close to the inner rim of the galaxy’s Orion Arm. It travels through space in the Milky Way in the direction of the Apex of the Sun’s Way or the solar apex. Its motion is towards the star Vega near the constellation of Hercules, at an angle of roughly 60 sky degrees to the direction of the Galactic Center. The Sun’s orbit around the galaxy is roughly elliptical, and in addition, the Sun oscillated up and down relative to the galactic plane.

 

• The orbital speed of the Solar System about the center of the galaxy is approximately 220 km/s or 0.073% of the speed of light. At this speed, it takes around 1,400 years for the Solar System to travel a distance of 1 light-year, or 8 days to travel 1 AU (astronomical unit).

• There are many myths about the origin of the Milky Way. In Greek myths, the Milky Way was caused by milk spilt by Hera when suckling Heracles. In Sanskrit, the Milky Way is called as Akash Ganga, or Ganges of Heaven. It is considered to be sacred in Hindu, and the Ganges and the Milky Way are believed to be terrestrial-celestial analogs of each other.

“Goldfish are Good Luck Charms” and other Fun Facts about Goldfish

 

The goldfish is one of the most popular aquarium fish in the world. Wherever we go where there are tanks, whether in houses, hotels, malls, or parks, there will always be goldfish in these aquariums. They are adored by their beautiful colors and body configurations. But goldfish may not only be a thing of beauty…

Here are some facts about goldfish that you may not know:

• The goldfish belongs to the carp family which also includes the koi carp and the crucian carp.
• Goldfish grown in wild are actually olive green in nature. Only in captivity do they adapt fancy colors. Likewise, domestic goldfish, when released in wild, will eventually revert to olive green color. Furthermore, if goldfish are left in dark for an extended period of time, they can change color to gray. Like humans, they produce pigments in response to light.

  

 

• There are different goldfish breeds which vary in coloration, size, body shape, and fin design (see Ten Beautiful Breeds of Goldfish). 
• The goldfish was first domesticated in China. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), people were fond of raising carps in ponds and water gardens. When it was observed that some carps have genetically-mutated from their silver color to gold (yellowish orange), people began to breed these colored carps in the ponds. On special occasions, these carps are taken out and placed on smaller container for display.
• Because yellow is the imperial color, people outside the royal family were forbidden to keep goldfish of the gold or yellow variety during the Song Dynasty (1162).
• During the 1620s, it became a tradition in Southern Europe for married men to give their wives a goldfish on their one year anniversary. It was believed that goldfish signify good luck and fortune; therefore, doing so will bless the couple with more prosperous years to come.
• In Japan, goldfish scooping is a traditional game during summer festivals and religious holidays. In this game, a player scoops goldfish from a basin with a special scooper.

 

• Goldfish can survive in a pond with ice forms on the surface, as long as there is enough supply of oxygen and the pond does not freeze solid.
• Goldfish easily die in uncared tanks. Hence, a filter is important to clear waste and keep the pond clean. Moreover, they are very sensitive to sudden temperature changes. Care must be practiced when adding water to the pond or aquarium as the new water may be of different temperature.
• Goldfish are prolific and ponds can easily get overstocked. So it is recommendable to provide some form of population control such as raising fish like orfe to consume goldfish eggs.
• The goldfish are voracious eaters; they do not stop eating on their own accord. However, overfeeding can block their intestinal tracks and endanger their health.
• Goldfish do not like to be petted. Touching them can endanger their health since this can cause their protective slime coat to be damaged or removed, consequently exposing them to infections from bacteria and other parasites.
• Goldfish can be trained. They respond to human by surfacing at feeding time, and so they can guided to take pellets from human fingers.
• Goldfish have strong associative learning abilities, as well as social learning skills. They are able to distinguish their owners from strangers. They are observed to react favorably to their owners in a “begging for food” manner, while they hide when other people approach the tank.
• Goldfish can also recognized the voice, vocal vibration, or sound of thier owners and people around them.
• Goldfish have a memory-span of at least three months and can distinguish between different shapes, colors and sounds. The goldfish can be trained to recognize and to react to light signals of different colors or to perform tricks, such as the limbo, fetch, and soccer.
• The goldfish can be added to stagnated water bodies to reduce mosquito populations.
• Goldfish are edible, though they are rarely eaten.

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Ten Beautiful Breeds of Clownfish

Clownfish or anemonefish were the first type of ornamental fish to be successfully bred in captivity on a large scale. They are the first species of saltwater fish to be successfully raised in aquariums and tanks. They are native to Indian and Pacific oceans where they live in sheltered reefs or in shallow lagoons. There are no clownfish in the Atlantic because of its colder waters. Clownfish are overall yellow, orange, reddish or blackish. In the wild, they live with a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship with sea anemones. They serve to protect each other from predators and parasites and provide food for each other. If an aquarium has no sea anemone, clownfish may settle in some variety of soft corals. Yet, captive bred clownfish may not have the same instinctual behavior to live in an anemone. Furthermore, wild-caught fish are more likely to die soon after putting them in tanks due to stress.

The interest on breeding clownfish became more intent when the fish is featured as the main characters in Disney-Pixar’s Finding Nemo. There are many clownfish species already on captivity. Here are some of the ten beautiful breeds of clownfish.

Ocellaris Clownfish

The Ocellaris Clownfish, or false percula clownfish, is one the most popular aquarium saltwater fish and is closely related to the orange clownfish or “true percula clownfish.” It has orange color with three white bars and black markings on the fins. The fish normally grows to three inches in length. The ocellaris clownfish originally lives in coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. The fish Nemo and his father in the popular animated film is actually this type of clownfish. (image source)

Orange Clownfish

The Orange Clownfish has bright orange bodies with three white lines. It also has black edging on each fin with varying thickness. The fish is often confused with ocellaris clownfish. The easiest way to distinguish them is that orange clownfish has 10 spines in the first dorsal fin while ocellaris clownfish has 11. The black marking for the latter is also thinner.(image source )

Saddleback Clownfish

The Saddleback Clownfish has dark brown to yellow orange color with a thick white bar located just behind the eyes. A large white saddle shape of slanted white bar can be found across the middle of its body and may extend up onto its dorsal fin. The fish can grow to as long as 12 cm. The saddleback clownfish can be found in the eastern parts of the Indian and the Western parts of the Pacific Ocean. To keep them in captivity, the fish will do best in tanks of at least 30 gallons with live rocks to give them multiple choices for hiding places. (image source)

Orange Skunk Clownfish

Otherwise known as skunk-striped anemonefish, the Orange Skunk Clownfish has a very bright orange color, with a white stripe that runs along the dorsal ridge from the mouth up to the dorsal fin. It can reach a length of 5.5 inches. Inside tanks, the orange skunk clownfish is omnivorous and must include shrimp in its diet. It is also best to supply them with an anemone. (image source)

Maroon Clownfish

Also called as spine-cheeked clownfish, the Maroon Clownfish has dark red or maroon color for female and bright red for male. The stripes across its body are normally white, though others can be yellow. Found in the Indo-Pacific, the fish can reach a length of 6.7 inches. It is also very aggressive towards other clownfish. If keep in aquariums, it is best to house the maroon clownfish singly, except with a mated pair. The fish will “bully” other fishes, and it even has the tendency to “intimidate” people it is unfamiliar with. Moreover, the fish must not be caught with a net because it might get tangled due to its spines. Instead, catching with a cup is recommended to avoid injuring the fish. (image source)

Red Sea Clownfish

The Red Sea Clownfish or two-banded clownfish has a yellow-orange color with two black-edged white bands. Its scientific name, Amphiprion bicinctus, means “both sawlike with two stripes”. This fish has a length up to 14 cm, and lives in the Western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Chagos Archipelago. (image source)

Clark’s Clownfish

The Clark’s Clownfish is also called as yellowtail clownfish. It is widely distributed, being found in tropical waters, in lagoons and on outer reef slopes throughout the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The Clark’s clownfish is a very colorful fish with vivid black, white and yellow stripes. It can host many sea anemones, even in aquariums in captivity. (image source)

Tomato Clownfish

Also known as bridled clownfish and red clownfish, the Tomato Clownfish is bright orange-red, with one white vertical stripe just behind the eyes. Some varieties have darker colors or dark spots on their flanks. In aquariums, the tomato clownfish will thrive even without a host anemone, and will eat most meat or vegetable food preparations. They are also aggressive so it best to keep them singly. (image source)

Pink Skunk Clownfish

The Pink Skunk Clownfish is one of the smaller breeds of clownfish and inhabits in the west Pacific Ocean. They can be found off the Cocos and Christmas Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean, and the Indo-Australian Archipelago. The fish is famous for its light pink coloration. (image source)

Sebae Clownfish

The Sebae Clownfish is a very rare clownfish found in the northern Indian Ocean. It can reach a length of 12 cm. This fish can be very aggressive as it gets older. (image source)

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What is a Hiccup?

Hic.... Hic…. Hic.. Hic.. Hic. Hic. Hic.

Every once in a while, we hiccupped. We pause and let that uncontrollable movement deep inside us do its business.  And it is a very big hassle to us! Hiccup distracts us, and the feelings associated to it really make us feel uncomfortable. But what is a hiccup? How does it happen? Can we prevent it?

A hiccup, sometimes spelled as hiccough, is a contraction of the diaphragm that repeats several times per minute. Medically, it is known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF) or simply, singultus, from the Latin singult or “the act of catching one’s breath while sobbing.” It is a cough, and “hic” sound is generated as the sudden rush of air into the lungs prompts the vocal cords to close and create that sound.

There are several causes of hiccups. Here are some factors that trigger hiccups, listed from the more ordinary to the extreme causes:

• After consumption of carbonated beverages, alcohol, dry breads, and even spicy foods.
• Eating too fast.
• Prolonged laughter.
• Injury or irritation to the phrenic and vagus nerves.
• Nervous system disorders, including toxic or metabolic factors that affect the nervous system.
• Hyperglycemia.
• Pleural effusion.
• As a side effect of a medicine, including some drugs administered in chemotherapy.

In relation to the medicines that can cause hiccup, here are some medicines that include hiccup as a side effect:

• Ativan
• Clorazepate
• Corax
• Diazepam
• Dopar
• Ethyol
• Felbatol
• Librium
• Lobac
• Mexitil
• Mitran
• Nicotine
• Nicotine chewing gums
• Paraflex
• Paxipam
• Solium
• Valium
• Versed
• Xanax
• Zofran

Normally, hiccups just disappear or that they resolve on their own without medical intervention. However, there are some norms on how hiccups can be treated. Although there are question on their effectivity, here are some common home remedies for hiccups:

• Giving the person with hiccup a shock or fright.
• Sticking a finger in the mouth to massage the back of the throat.
• Taking a teaspoon of vinegar.
• Drinking a full glass through a paper towel.
• Holding one’s breath and altering one’s breathing patterns.

In severe and persistent cases (like hiccupping for several days already), hiccups must be treated medically. Sedatives and medicines like Haloperidol, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine, and baclofen are administered, but only under the supervision and prescriptions of the appropriate doctor.

Hiccups are not only limited to humans. In dogs, hiccups are generally the result of late stage liver disease.

Ten Major Disadvantages of Wind Energy

Wind is another good alternative for fossil fuel as a source of energy. There have been many technologies created to convert the force and power of wind into useful electrical or mechanical energy. Sometimes, wind power system is coupled with solar power in a hybrid system to have more efficient, reliable and steady source of energy. Though wind energy appears to be pollution-free and unlimited source of energy, it has many disadvantages that make it unappreciated by many. Here are some of the major disadvantages of wind energy.

Area. Wind turbines are large engineering structures. A single turbine may be inadequate to provide the power requirement of consumers, especially for large communities like an entire town, that construction of tens or hundreds of them would be necessary. Worse, wind turbines must be properly spaced from each other due to the turbulence they created, as well as to ensure that each receives sufficient wind. With the idea of putting up several farms, otherwise known as wind farm, and of correctly spacing them from each other would necessitate a great stretch of land.

Location.  The success of wind turbines lies on the abundance of wind. Hence, wind energy is site-specific or that not all areas are suitable for wind turbines that can supply enough electricity. Prevailing wind speed for a particular place must meet the requirements for the design of wind turbine. Accordingly, wind turbines tend to start up after 3-5 meters per second (6.7-11.2 mph), yet gives off less power output when speed goes above about 25 meters per second (56 mph). Moreover, wind turbines are best constructed on areas with high elevation and along coastlines where wind is relatively strong. Recently, some wind turbines have been put up right on the seas where breeze is much more favorable for power generation. Wind farms also need to be located reasonably near the area where the energy is used, to minimize loss in the energy transmission process.

Undependability factor. Wind turbines can only generate electricity when its blades or propellers are turned. In order to do this, there should be a steady stream of wind. But wind is not predictable and is not sufficiently available throughout the day. Its strength may vary from none to being violent. To compensate for this, the most appropriate design and construction must be considered which may consequently affect cost.

Uncontrollable. Unlike hydropower, wind energy is not a fixed resource. No one can control the wind supply and speed. It is intermittent and it just turns off and on anytime. Every other source of energy can be controlled, you can control your diesel and fuel generator, you can control your solar generator but it is impossible to control a wind generator. Hence, there should be other energy supplies if we want abundant electrical power. No matter how many turbines we construct, we cannot entire rely on wind turbines to provide the load. Even the wind turbine itself is uncontrollable. During heavy storms, propellers have great tendency to break off from the tower of the wind turbine. Moreover, wind energy cannot be also stored, especially on a large scale. Power plants are simply switched on if demands decrease, and they are eased off when demand drops.

Cost . The amount of construction and land acquisition involves large amounts of resources. Wind turbine and facilities cost a lost to fabricate. Since providing enough electricity requires large areas, costs will therefore escalate. Moreover, coastlines, a great location for wind turbines, are expensive personal properties, and not everyone can afford it, let alone a wind turbine.

Efficiency. According to Froude momentum theory, the maximum energy or power recoverable from wind is only 16/27 or 0.593 times its kinetic energy. Of this available energy, the amount that is actually utilized depends upon the aerodynamic efficiency of the blades, the friction losses in gearing, power transmission, wind velocity gradient due to ground effects, vibration dampening and other factors. In other words, efficiency of wind turbines can never exceed 59.30%.

Environmental Impact. There are reports that wind turbines kill birds, especially migratory birds. With the speed and length of propellers, which may extend to at least 100 feet, wind turbines potentially pose threats to birds. Others tell that the hum of the propellers is like an attraction to the birds since they like strong wind, and thus, they are lured into flying to them and eventually get killed. More recently, it is discovered that wind turbines can make bats’ lungs explode. Likewise, with the idea of constructing wind turbines on seas, marine life and ecosystem on surrounding waters will be destroyed and threatened during and after construction.  Lastly, others claim that wind turbines interfere radio and television signals.

Noise Pollution. Propellers when turned are very noisy. A wind generator makes a low, swooshing sound every hour each day. Many describe it as something similar to the hum of a small jet engine. Imagine many wind turbines creating such sound in a wind farm. That would be a lot of noise!

Aesthetics. Beauty is relative. Some may find a large expanse of land with wind turbines to be beautiful and picturesque, yet others might feel an eyesore or sees it as unsightly and boring. On small-scale, a relatively large wind turbine may not at all enhance the attractiveness of the yard.

Land Use Consideration. Like aesthetics, this is not a scientific or engineering problem but certainly a big issue. Construction of wind turbines will really change the “shape” of land. For some people, they feel the countryside should be left intact for everyone to enjoy its beauty, while for others, economic considerations despite the change in nature must be thought over.

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