article-aurora

An aurora (plural: aurorae or auroras; from the Latin word aurora, "dawn") is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere (thermosphere). The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and, on Earth, are directed by the Earth's magnetic field into the atmosphere. Aurora is classified as diffuse or discrete aurora. Most aurorae occur in a band known as the auroral zone, which is typically 3° to 6° in latitudinal extent and at all local times or longitudes. The auroral zone is typically 10° to 20° from the magnetic pole defined by the axis of the Earth's magnetic dipole. During a geomagnetic storm, the auroral zone will expand to lower latitudes. The diffuse aurora is a featureless glow in the sky which may not be visible to the naked eye even on a dark night and defines the extent of the auroral zone. The discrete aurorae are sharply defined features within the diffuse aurora which vary in brightness from just barely visible to the naked eye to bright enough to read a newspaper at night. Discrete aurorae are usually observed only in the night sky because they are not as bright as the sunlit sky. Aurorae occasionally occur poleward of the auroral zone as diffuse patches or arcs (polar cap arcs, which are generally invisible to the naked eye.(info taken from wikipedia ).

photojournal- animal wild life...

grevy's zebra ,the largest of the three zebra species – are feeling the pinch of growing human populations in Africa. Since the 1970s, these large zebras have lost huge areas of habitat to settlements and agriculture. The result: the Grevy’s zebra population is now just 2,000 to 2,500 animals – only 17 percent of what it was 30 years ago. AWF’s Grevy’s Zebra Research Project is working fast and furiously to develop conservation efforts to save this fascinating species.
Picture taken from National Geographic Photography.

photojournal...the unity symbol...

happy eiduladha...credited to http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/10/hajj-2012-a-sacred-journey/100394 for the picture and info below....The Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam and one of the largest religious pilgrimages in the world, is currently taking place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Starting earlier this week, and continuing through Monday, approximately 3.4 million Muslims from around the world are participating in several rituals, including the Tawaf -- the circumambulation of the Kaaba, the enormous cube-shaped building in the center of the Masjid al-Haram mosque.