According to the data released by the World Health Organization, the south Asian region accounts for 34 pc or 2.4 million of the 7 million premature deaths caused by household and ambient air pollution together globally every year.
Delhi and Varanasi are among the 14 Indian cities that figured in a list of 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2016.
Indian cities that registered very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants were Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur.
It is followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia.
In terms of PM10 levels, 13 cities in India figured among the 20 most-polluted cities of the world in 2016.
Water-based battery
Stanford scientists have developed a water-based battery that could provide a cheap way to store wind or solar energy.
The stored energy fed back into the electric grid and redistributed on high demand.
The prototype manganese-hydrogen battery stands three inches tall and generates a mere 20 mill watt hours of electricity, which is on par with the energy levels of LED flashlights.
It is a way to store unpredictable wind or solar energy so as to lessen the need to burn reliable but carbon-emitting fossil fuels when the renewable sources are not available.
The researchers coaxed a reversible electron-exchange between water and manganese sulphate.
Magnesium Sulphate is a cheap, abundant industrial salt used to make dry cell batteries, fertilizers, paper and other products.
Ganymede
The data from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft shows that the Jupiter’s moon Ganymede has a magnetic field unlike any other.
Ganymede is a unique solar-system body because it's the only moon with an internally generated magnetosphere.
This magnetic-field region surrounds Ganymede like a bubble and shelters it from cosmic radiation.
Just like on Earth, the magnetosphere causes auroras near this moon's poles.
Galileo mission was the first to enter orbit around the planet.
Galileo data allowed the creation of the first detailed maps of Jupiter’s major moons.
Rainbow Mountain
The Rainbow Mountain, also called as Vinicunca, is in Peru.
It is situated at 16,000 feet (5,000 meters) above sea level in the Andes.
The ridge is blanketed in an array of turquoise, lavender and gold stripes.
It is a ridge of multicolored sediments laid down millions of years ago and pushed up as tectonic plates clashed.
The tourism has provided a much-needed economic boost to this region.
The region is populated by Pampachiri indigenous community who are alpaca herders.
It is facing various threats at present, one of which is dirt trail left by tourists to reach Rainbow Mountain which has badly eroded in the last 18 months.
Yangli festival
Tiwa tribes people celebrate Yangli festival.
It is celebrated in Assam’s Karbi Anglong.
Yangli is an important festival for the Tiwas because of its relation to agriculture, a main source to their economy.
During Yangli the Tiwas pray for a bountiful harvest as well as protection for their crops against pests and other harmful natural calamities.
They celebrate Yangli every three years.
Sowing of paddy starts immediately after this festival.
Dust storm
A severe dust storm followed by thunder showers hit parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The dust storm has been declared a disaster as per the State Disaster Response Force of Rajasthan norms.
The relentless heat wave conditions added to the situation.
Dust storms are an annual weather pattern seen in the region.
A dust storm is a strong, turbulent wind which carries clouds of fine dust, soil, and sand over a large area.
A huge thunderstorm complex that swept through the area overnight generated high winds which also carried lots of dust.
The strong winds were probably downburst which is characterized by intense, downward air movements during thunderstorms.
Downbursts can span distances over 200 miles, some are more concentrated.
Downbursts smaller than 2.5 miles are called microbursts.
