From:- BBC World News By :- Kamala Thiagarajan Editted by :- Amal Udawatta Hargila Army ( Hargila Army (Credit: Hargila Army) Once known as a bird of ill omen, India's endangered hargila has gained an army of protectors. Now it's beginning to bounce back. On a bright, sweltering January afternoon in 2007, biologist Purnima Devi Barman found herself in Dadara village, on the banks of India's mighty Brahmaputra River in the northeastern state of Assam. Despite being surrounded by tropical evergreen forests and emerald wetlands, all she could think about was the monumental destruction she was witnessing. Local villagers had just hacked away at one of the tallest, most beautiful trees she had ever known – a local species of evergreen known as a kadamba. Now, amidst the tree's fallen branches, scattered leaves, twigs and thatches of nesting material lay large birds with black and white feathers, long limbs and sharp beaks, their dead bodies splayed on the ground. Th...
Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank. From :- Sky & Telescope By :- J. Kelly Beatty Editted by :- Amal Udawatta Although the winter Milky Way near Orion is not as bright and distinct as the summer Milky Way, it likewise stretches north to south across the entire sky and is adorned with the most brilliant stars and countless deep-sky objects. Alireza Vafa In this month’s episode, go on a guided tour of the stars and planets that you’ll see overhead during February. First we’ll keep tabs on the Moon; say good-bye to Saturn; trace out the Winter Milky Way; and explore some lesser-known constellations near Orion. Note where the Sun sets and, once twilight envelops you, wheel around to the left until you’re looking in nearly the opposite direction. The night sky’s most dazzling star is Sirius, down near the southeastern horizon. Also known as the Dog Star, Sirius appears so bright partly because it is bright, outshining the Sun by 25 times, and partly because...