7.8.10

Showcase Young World

A mass coronal ejection from the Sun is heading towards the Earth. But there's no reason to panic, as the Sun regularly shoots tons of plasma (ionized atoms) into space and sometimes it heads for Earth. However, as scientists have noticed, this is the largest ejection yet. These are called a mass coronal ejection and the most recent one was caught by the NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), a spacecraft which is dedicated to observing the Sun on different wavelengths. When the plasma comes into contact with Earth's magnetic field it will create a geomagnetic storm — the ionised atoms from the Sun will then collide with the nitrogen and oxygen in our atmosphere to create a spectacular light show, commonly known as the Aurora Borealis. The Sun regularly goes through an 11-year cycle with its last peak in 2001, it is now approaching another peak of solar activity.

The world's sixth-largest river has been found — under the ocean. Researchers working along the Black Sea have discovered currents of water more than 350 times greater than the River Thames flowing along the ocean floor much like a river on the surface would. The underwater river is said to have all the characteristics of a land based river, complete with rapids and waterfalls. The channels of the river are said to be up to 115 feet deep in some areas. Researchers have found the content of the river to be rich with salts and nutrients — which explains how life manages to survive deep in the ocean far away from the essentials to support life. It is theorised that a network of such rivers carry the much needed nutrients to the deep ocean life.

London's Trafalgar Square, a historic landmark and a favourite amongst tourists, has a new fixture. The nearly eight feet tall maze measures almost a 100 feet by 66 feet and has portions of it named after the West End of London. Visitors are encouraged to roam the maze which has information about the area of the West End located within different parts of it. The West End Partnership responsible for the maze said: "By creating the maze and filling it with some of the best examples of what the West End has to offer, we're hoping to encourage visitors to go beyond their usual path and enjoy getting a little lost."

There's a new Sherlock Holmes. The famed detective from 221B Baker Street and his esteemed colleague Dr John Watson have been given a makeover. The BBC has recently commissioned a three-part mini-series about the master detective re-imagined in current times. The show stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson. Una Stubbs appears as their landlady Mrs Hudson, and Rupert Graves as DI Lestrade. The project was developed by writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, both of whom were writers for the current run of the British Science Fiction TV show Dr Who. The two writers are also fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his work, and are utilising the writings to the extreme.

This one's for the kids.

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