Day: June 19, 2021

Northern Summer Twilight

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Nights grow shorter and days grow longer as the summer solstice approaches in the north. Usually seen at high latitudes in summer months, noctilucent or night shining clouds begin to make their appearance. Drifting near the edge of space about 80 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, these icy clouds were still reflecting the sunlight on June 14. Though the Sun was below the horizon as seen north of Forrest, Manitoba, Canada, they were caught in a single exposure of a near midnight twilight sky. Multiple exposures of the foreground track the lower altitude flash of fireflies, another fleeting apparition shining in the summer night. via NASA https://ift.tt/3xxQEzL

Wikipedia article of the day for June 19, 2021

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Wikipedia article of the day is Rock martin. Check it out: Article-Link Summary: The rock martin (Ptyonoprogne fuligula) is a small swallow that is resident in central and southern Africa. It breeds in the mountains, and at lower levels in rocky areas and towns. It has mainly brown plumage and white “windows” on the spread tail. Its call is a soft twitter. The sexes are similar in appearance. The martin hunts along cliff faces for flying insects. It breeds under cliff overhangs or on man-made structures using mud pellets to build a bowl or half-bowl nest with a soft lining. The bird is a solitary breeder, but small groups may nest close together in suitable locations. A typical clutch has two to three eggs, which are white with brown and grey blotches. Both adults incubate the eggs for 16โ€“19 days and feed the chicks. Fledging takes another 22โ€“24 days. The small martin is caught in flight by several falcons, such as hobbies, but it faces no major threats. Because of its extensive range and large stable population, it is assessed as a least-concern species on the IUCN Red List. (Thisย article is part of a featured topic: Crag martins.)