Tag: science & technology

Quisqualis (Rangoon creeper) displays inverted inflorescence with flowers that change color from white to pink to deep red as they mature. This color-changing vine is common in Mumbai and known for its fragrant, drooping flower clusters. Begonia has asymmetrical leaves, Lantana has small multi-colored clusters, and Jasmine has white/yellow fragrant flowers.

Periwinkle (Vinca rosea/Catharanthus roseus) is called 'Sadaphuli' in Marathi, meaning 'always flowering' for its year-round blooms. It's a common medicinal and ornamental plant in Maharashtra. Tulsi is holy basil, Mogra is Arabian jasmine, and Chapha is a different flower (Parijaat/Harshringar).

Terrestrial planets are those composed primarily of rock and metal, with solid surfaces. In our solar system, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the four terrestrial planets located in the inner solar system. They are characterized by their relatively small size, high density, and lack of ring systems, unlike the gas giants in the outer solar system.

All four gas giants in our solar system have ring systems. Saturn's rings are the most prominent and visible, but Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune all possess ring systems as well, though they are much fainter and less massive than Saturn's.

Scientists estimate our solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust. This age is determined by radiometric dating of the oldest meteorites and lunar samples.

Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our Sun, located approximately 4.24 light-years away. It is part of the Alpha Centauri star system but is closer than the Alpha Centauri A and B binary pair.

Atoms are mostly empty space because the nucleus is tiny compared to the overall size of the atom, with electrons occupying the vast empty space around it. Since granite is made of atoms, and atoms are mostly empty space, granite is too.

Oxygen has atomic mass approximately 16 amu while hydrogen has atomic mass approximately 1 amu. Therefore, an oxygen atom is 16 times heavier than a hydrogen atom.