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North America will witness a rare astronomical phenomenon – a total solar eclipse today. Beginning over the Pacific Ocean, this celestial event will traverse Mexico, United States and Canada. As per Indian Standard Time (IST), the total solar eclipse will begin at 9:12 pm tonight and will end at 2:22 am early tomorrow morning. However, it will not be visible to skywatchers in India. A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon where the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and blocks the Sun’s light either entirely or partially. When the moon completely covers the sun, it casts a shadow on Earth, forming what is called a “path of totality.” The total darkening of the sky, also known as totality, will be visible across a 185-kilometre stretch between Mexico, the US, and Canada. North America to witness rare astronomical phenomenon – total solar ecli...

Read More........→April 08, 2024 Categories: Media,USA-Videos

Straw-headed bulbul – credit Michael MK Khor CC 2.0. FlickrFrom the sprawling urban city-state of Singapore comes the unlikely story of a critically endangered songbird and a dedicated group of environmentalists helping it thrive as the population collapses overseas.The straw-headed bulbul is a victim of its beautiful song, which has seen it extirpated from the wilds of Thailand, Myanmar, and Java as poachers capture it for the illegal songbird trade.But as early as 1990, conservationists, birdwatchers, and government workers in Singapore have taken action on this species’ behalf.“Whenever I hear its resonant, bubbly song, the forest seems to erupt with life,” conservationist Ho Hua Chew told Smithsonian Magazine.Because of men like Ho, the peripheral wetlands of Singapore, the offshore island of Pulau Ubin, and the large green spaces in the city state’s interior together play host to 600 straw-headed bulbuls.Nature Society Singapore, of which Ho was a member, was the first to push for nature protections on Pulau Ubin, the site of an old granite quarry, where nevertheless a concentrated population of these birds could be found.This resulted in a Nature Area designation for the island in 1993, achieved through advocacy and outreach among millions of Singaporeans.Smithsonian lists this as an early victory in the history of environmentalism...