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Scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have confirmed the presence of electrically-charged molecules in space shaped like soccer balls, shedding light on the mysterious contents of the interstellar medium (ISM) – the gas and dust that fills interstellar space.
Since stars and planets form from collapsing clouds of gas and dust in space, “The diffuse ISM can be considered as the starting point for the chemical processes that ultimately give rise to planets and life,” said Martin Cordiner of the Catholic University of America, Washington. “So fully identifying its contents provides information on the ingredients available to create stars and planets.” Cordiner, who is stationed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is lead author of a paper on this research published April 22nd in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The molecules identified by Cordiner and his team are a form of carbon called “Buckminsterfullerene,” also known as “Buckyballs,” which consists of 60 carbon atoms (C60) arranged in a hollow sphere. C60 has been found in some rare cases on Earth in rocks and minerals, and can also turn up in high-temperature combustion soot.
C60 has been seen in space before. However, this is the first time an electrically charged (ionized) version has been confirmed to be present in the diffuse ISM. The C60 gets ionized when ultraviolet light from stars tears off an electron from the molecule, giving the C60 a positive charge (C60+). “The diffuse ISM was historically considered too harsh and tenuous an environment for appreciable abundances of large molecules to occur,” said Cordiner. “Prior to the detection of C60, the largest known molecules in space were only 12 atoms in size. Our confirmation of C60+ shows just how complex astrochemistry can get, even in the lowest density, most strongly ultraviolet-irradiated environments in the Galaxy.”
Life as we know it is based on carbon-bearing molecules, and this discovery shows complex carbon molecules can form and survive in the harsh environment of interstellar space. “In some ways, life can be thought of as the ultimate in chemical complexity,” said Cordiner. “The presence of C60 unequivocally demonstrates a high level of chemical complexity intrinsic to space environments, and points toward a strong likelihood for other extremely complex, carbon-bearing molecules arising spontaneously in space.”
Most of the ISM is hydrogen and helium, but it’s spiked with many compounds that haven’t been identified. Since interstellar space is so remote, scientists study how it affects the light from distant stars to identify its contents. As starlight passes through space, elements and compounds in the ISM absorb and block certain colors (wavelengths) of the light. When scientists analyze starlight by separating it into its component colors (spectrum), the colors that have been absorbed appear dim or are absent. Each element or compound has a unique absorption pattern that acts as a fingerprint allowing it to be identified. However, some absorption patterns from the ISM cover a broader range of colors, which appear different from any known atom or molecule on Earth. These absorption patterns are called Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs). Their identity has remained a mystery ever since they were discovered by Mary Lea Heger, who published observations of the first two DIBs in 1922.
A DIB can be assigned by finding a precise match with the absorption fingerprint of a substance in the laboratory. However, there are millions of different molecular structures to try, so it would take many lifetimes to test them all.
“Today, more than 400 DIBs are known, but (apart from the few newly attributed to C60+), none has been conclusively identified,” said Cordiner. “Together, the appearance of the DIBs indicate the presence of a large amount of carbon-rich molecules in space, some of which may eventually participate in the chemistry that gives rise to life. However, the composition and characteristics of this material will remain unknown until the remaining DIBs are assigned.”
Decades of laboratory studies have failed to find a precise match with any DIBs until the work on C60+. In the new work, the team was able to match the absorption pattern seen from C60+ in the laboratory to that from Hubble observations of the ISM, confirming the recently claimed assignment by a team from University of Basel, Switzerland, whose laboratory studies provided the required C60+ comparison data. The big problem for detecting C60+ using conventional, ground-based telescopes, is that atmospheric water vapor blocks the view of the C60+ absorption pattern. However, orbiting above most of the atmosphere in space, the Hubble telescope has a clear, unobstructed view. Nevertheless, they still had to push Hubble far beyond its usual sensitivity limits to stand a chance of detecting the faint fingerprints of C60+.
The observed stars were all blue supergiants, located in the plane of our Galaxy, the Milky Way. The Milky Way's interstellar material is primarily located in a relatively flat disk, so lines of sight to stars in the Galactic plane traverse the greatest quantities of interstellar matter, and therefore show the strongest absorption features due to interstellar molecules.
The detection of C60+ in the diffuse ISM supports the team’s expectations that very large, carbon-bearing molecules are likely candidates to explain many of the remaining, unidentified DIBs. This suggests that future laboratory efforts measure the absorption patterns of compounds related to C60+, to help identify some of the remaining DIBs.
The team is seeking to detect C60+ in more environments to see just how widespread buckyballs are in the Universe. According to Cordiner, based on their observations so far, it seems that C60+ is very widespread in the Galaxy.
This work was funded by NASA under a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C. NASA is exploring our Solar System and beyond, uncovering worlds, stars, and cosmic mysteries near and far with our powerful fleet of space and ground-based missions.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech
For more information: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/soccer-balls-in-space
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you wish to use this image, please, contact me through flickrmail or at vicenc.feliu@gmail.com. © All rights reserved...
Orchids: A Cultural Odyssey. Exhibition at the United States Botanic Garden from February 6– April 11, 2010.
The United States Botanic Garden is rooted in the nation’s heritage. During the late 18th century, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison shared the dream of a national botanic garden and were instrumental in establishing one on the National Mall in 1820.
The institution actually traces its beginning to 1816, when the constitution of the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences in Washington, D.C., proposed the creation of a botanic garden to collect, grow, and distribute plants of this and other countries that might contribute to the welfare of the American people. The Institute's garden was established by Congress in 1820 to the west of the Capitol Grounds, from First Street to Third Street between Pennsylvania and Maryland Avenues. This facility functioned until shortly after the organization stopped holding meetings in 1837.
In 1842, the idea of a national botanic garden was reestablished when the United States Exploring Expedition to the South Seas (the Wilkes Expedition) brought to Washington a collection of living plants from around the globe. Initially placed in a specially constructed greenhouse behind the Old Patent Office Building, the plants were moved in late 1850 into a new structure on the site previously occupied by the Columbian Institute's garden.
In continuous operation and open to the public since 1850, the Botanic Garden moved to its present location in 1933, a complex located along the north and south sides of Independence Avenue bordered by First Street and Third Streets, S.W. The Garden includes the Conservatory; the National Garden, which opened in 2006; and Bartholdi Park, which was created in 1932. A plant production and support facility opened in Anacostia in 1993 includes greenhouse bays and maintenance shops.
The U.S. Botanic Garden was formally placed under the jurisdiction of the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress in 1856 and has been administered through the Office of the Architect of the Capitol since 1934. The Architect of the Capitol has served as Acting Director of the United States Botanic Garden and is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Garden and for any construction, changes, or improvements made.
Using natrual colors to get yellow eggs (curcumin)m green eggs (chlorophyll) and red/purple eggs (carmine). I've used commercial dye. The ones I have made on my own were very pale in color.
You can read more about colored easter eggs on my blog My2Penn'orth
An HDR using luminance masks, as seen in the Advanced HDR course - www.hdrone.com/digital-blending-hdr-tutorial-using-lumina...
I used to paint still life subjects before age - related ailments prevented me - but photography became a super substitute interest for me and enabled me to continue using the 'objects d'art' that I'd collected over the years. I particularly like all things oriental. I also used to do a lot of flower arranging, entering competitions etc , so collected a lot of stuff for that too.
I had a lot of fun arranging and lighting this set-up.....
Cladonia (Sp) lichen with a globe of mist droplets. I liked the color and textures and couldn't resist.
New River, Oregon.
The use of porphyry (a noun derived from the ancient Greek for reddish-purple) is attested sporadically in Pharaonic Egypt from the Predynastic to the Late Dynastic period but gains wider currency during the Late Roman period both because of its violet/purplish colour, which was associated with royals, and because of its relative inaccessibility, restricted to quarries located exclusively in Egypt. The statue is particularly noteworthy because it is the largest porphyry statue to have survived from the ancient world.
The statue represents an enthroned draped male figure, which is consummately sculpted, as is evident not only in the treatment of the folds of the drapery but also in the manner in which the negative stone between the bottom of the throne and the integral plinth has been removed. The uprights of the throne itself, which form its four legs, are ornamented with alternating squares of rectangular and oval-shaped designs, suggesting that it was encrusted with gemstones. The seated pose of the figure perpetuates the design introduced, perhaps by Pheidias, in the 5th century BC for his cult statue of Olympian Zeus, which was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.
The identification of the figure is debated, but it must certainly represent a Roman emperor rather than Christ or Serapis, as was earlier speculated. The absence of both its head and any attributes that might have been held in the now-missing hands prevents identification of the emperor. Nevertheless, porphyry was the stone of choice for images of Roman emperors from Diocletian to Constantine the Great. There appears to be a growing consensus, however, that this statue represents the Roman emperor Diocletian.
4th century AD
(Inv. 5934, Greco-Roman Museum)
Kom el Shoqafa, Alexandria
Por favor, no use esta imagen en su web, blogs u otros medios sin mi permiso explícito. © Todos los derechos reservados.
El Castillo de Dunvegan está situado dos kilómetros al norte de Dunvegan en la isla de Skye, en la costa oeste de Escocia. El castillo pertenece a la familia MacLeod de MacLeod, parte del clan MacLeod. Es el castillo escocés que lleva más tiempo habitado, y ha sido el bastión del clan durante más de 700 años. En un principio no podía visitarse, hasta que en 1933 se abrió a los visitantes por vez primera. Desde ese momento, el castillo ha estado en los primeros lugares de las listas de atracciones más visitadas de Escocia. A lo largo de los años lo han visitado importantes personajes como Walter Scott, el doctor Johnson, Isabel II y el emperador japonés Akihito.
En la actualidad, los visitantes pueden realizar recorridos por el castillo y dar paseos en bote por el lago Dunvegan para ver algunos pueblos. También es posible alojarse en las estancias del castillo y hacer compras en una de las cuatro tiendas que contiene. En sus alrededores se pueden llevar a cabo actividades como caminar, pescar, comer en restaurantes locales, compras y acampadas junto a las montañas Cuillin. El castillo alberga importantes reliquias del clane como la Fairy Flag of Dunvegan, la Copa de Dunvegan y el Cuerno de Sir Rory Mor's.
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Dunvegan Castle is located two miles north of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland. The castle belongs to the family MacLeod of MacLeod, the clan MacLeod. Scottish castle is the longest-lived, and has been the stronghold of the clan for over 700 years. At first I could not visit until in 1933 it opened to visitors for the first time. Since then, the castle has been in the top of the list of most visited attractions in Scotland. Over the years I've been important figures such as Walter Scott, Dr. Johnson, Elizabeth II and the Japanese Emperor Akihito.
Today, visitors can take tours of the castle and boating on the lake Dunvegan to see some people. It is also possible to stay in the rooms of the castle and shop in one of the four stores in it. In the surroundings you can perform activities such as hiking, fishing, eating at local restaurants, shopping and camping near the Cuillin mountains. The castle houses important relics of clane as the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan, Dunvegan Cup and the Horn of Sir Rory Mor's.
Más Información / More Information : es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_de_Dunvegan
this book uses the traditional japanese embroidery technique of sashiko to embellish a variety of sewing projects. traditional sashiko uses the repition of many tiny stiches to create an overall pattern.
the projects in this book use the same embroidery process to create large and small images, repeating patterns, geometric shapes, and other cute designs. projects include: bags, furoshiki (wrapping cloth), pouches, book covers, pot holders, tea cozies and coasters, placemats and aprons, napkins, cushion covers, curtains and tablecloths, hanging decorations/ornaments, vase covers, and ideas for embroidery on clothes.
all the written directions are in japanese, but there are clear photos of basic stitches, and patterns and diagrams for all the projects. the projects have a bit of a range from simple to intermediate difficulty, although with some sewing experience, you should be able to recreate all the projects in this book. for even a complete beginner, you can use all the embroidery ideas and make the simpler projects. the patterns for the sewing projects are included (they overlap, so you need to photocopy them and then cut out the ones you are using), as are the embroidery patterns.
71 pages.
Scanned using an Epson Perfection V200 Photo Scanner.
Lisa and I got married in April 1999.
We got married at a pretty little church in Hertford Heath:
www.hertford-heath-church.org.uk/
We had our reception at the 'Manor Of Groves' Hotel, Golf & Country Club ,High Wych, CM21 0JU Sawbridgeworth.
I've decided to start pulling the odd one or two of my older pictures back to the top now and again in a new set called 'Bring Back an Oldie' - it always seems such a shame to me the way the older pictures on Flickr fade into obscurity.
New Haven Railroad old 4400 series copper clad wooden coach W-162 used in Wire Train service is seen in a yard area, ca late 1950's. These 1905 era built wood car were rebuilt in earlier days with a steel underframe, plus they received copper sheathing. A good portion of these cars were once used in commuter service as standard coaches, but some also were used as smoker coaches.
The name of the photographer is unknown and it came from a photo that was on the Internet. This photo has been cropped and modified from the original to improve its appearance.
Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for the purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
A couple of miles north of me today, the archaic practice of field burning goes on. There are pros and cons to field burning, and I don't want to get into a debate about it. I just wanted to record the power of the smoke. Also, I wanted a bit different take for the Power Lines Group.
"If you are tempted to criticize the size, resolution or quality of this image ~ please don't ~ I used a Sony Mavica Digital (sub-megapixel) camera, which was State of the Art in 1999 ~ Digital Cameras have since come a long way"
(815 Field Burning & Power Lines)
Using Adobe Photoshop to merge a range of image exposures into a single image with even exposure.
Here's my Tutorial for making HDR images
This made Flickr Explore on November 11, 2006:
flickr.com/explore/interesting/2006/11/11/page46
Steven Erat Photography (© 2011 Steven Erat - Please do not use without permission)
Connect with me on: Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Model Mayhem
This is the shelf in our bedroom. I made the bunting, and bought lots of things that are on this shelf. (August 18th 2008)
(see notes on the photo itself for details)
Using the project name of 'Archbishop', management at Ford of Britain in Dagenham created a family-sized car which they could sell in large numbers. The chief designer was Roy Brown Jr., the designer of the Edsel, who had been banished to Dagenham following the failure of that car. The car was designed to be economical, cheap to run and easy and inexpensive to produce in Britain.
The Cortina was available with 1200 and (from early 1963) 1500 four-cylinder engines with all synchromesh gearbox, in two-door and four-door saloon, as well as in five-door estate (from March 1963) forms. Standard, Deluxe, Super, and GT trims were offered but not across all body styles. Early Standard models featured a simple body coloured front grille, earning it the nickname 'Ironbar', and large, round, ‘Ban the Bomb’ tail-light clusters.
A Ford Cortina Lotus was offered only as a two-door saloon all in white with a contrasting green side flash down each flank. It had a unique 1558 cc twin-cam engine by Lotus, but based on the Cortina's Kent OHV engine. Aluminium was used for some body panels. For a certain time, it also had a unique A-frame rear suspension, but this proved fragile and the model soon reverted to the standard Cortina semi-elliptic rear end.
The MkI Cortina was replaced by the MkII in 1966.
Being October, which had always been the LUGNuts anniversary month, this Ford Cortina MkI Sedan has been built to the 43rd challenge theme 'Plus or Minus Ten' - a challenge to build a vehicle that is ten year before or after the year of the builder's birth (1972).
No use mis imágenes sin obtener antes mi autorización. © Todos los derechos reservados ©
Don't use this image without my explicit permission © All rights reserved ©
Soñar con tulipanes significa: nuevos comienzos, nuevos proyectos, la posibilidad de crear cosas nuevas. Que estás disfrutando de la vida.
El tulipán representa la fe, la caridad, la esperanza, la perfección, el amor idílico y la fertilidad.
También significa que un amor discreto y apasionado asegurará un matrimonio fiel y perdurable. Y que recibirás muchos besos.
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Tulips dream means new beginnings, new projects, the ability to create new things. You are enjoying life. The tulip represents faith, charity, hope, perfection, idyllic love and fertility.
It also means that a discreet and passionate love will ensure a true and lasting marriage. And that you will receive lots of kisses.
On its final run of the night, and the final run for use with Sydney Trains S Set Comeng motor car C3765 leads the S/AK cars through Lindfield on run HK78
The German army used Panzer III`s and Panzer IV`s as Tauchpanzers( Diving tanks). The Panzer III`s were to be used in Operation Sealion, the invasion of England. After Sealion was cancelled they were sent to the Polish/Russian border to equip the 18th Panzerdivision. In the opening days of Operation Barbarossa they dove through the Bug-river to break through the Russian lines. All openings on the tanks were sealed with rubber and tar and they used a snorkel to get fresh air for the vehicle. First type of snorkel was a flexible one, they can dive up to 15 meters. On the Bug-river they used a fixed one which could only be used up to 3.5 meters.
This is the river crossing version. I found pictures with three different snorkel locations: behind, in front, and on the cupola. I chose behind just for looks. :) Working on the Channel crossing version. More complicated in LDD because of the tubing used.
Pzr III credit to PA.
I used to wonder, got an expensive camera, so many friends from flickr shoot amazing pictures with such beautiful colors, when would i get a shot like that.
Do i have to live like this or should i attend some class to go to the next level.
Then during my vacation to Goa, i was taking so many shots to get one decent shot. This is not an exaggeration but into the world of Photography ( 7 months young) took about 9000 + shots.
Here is the result to get a descent one.
Thanks for your patience to read all these lines. ha haha.
Sam
Feel free to shoot a mail get a copy with my signature on corner.
Use of these images in any form without permission is illegal. If you wish to use or license any images please contact mel@mudkissphotography.co.uk
All work copyright Melanie Smith/ Mudkiss Photography All Rights Reserved
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So, let's get one thing straight from the outset.
I LOVE CARRION CROW.
There, I've said it. Words I use to describe these amazing birds would include stunning, beautiful, bold, magnificent, intelligent and fantastic.
Right now I have a resident pair of Carrion crows who have decided that my garden is theirs, and are playing a game of cat and mouse with a pair of cheeky Magpies (Pica pica) for dominance and food rights. The male crow actually flies in and 'wings' the magpies to make them leave, an incredible sight to witness. It's an honour and a privilege to be able to win their trust and they have given me so much pleasure this year being able to get within a few feet of them, to photograph and feed them, and they have reinforced my already deep admiration for a bird that is brimming with beauty, intelligence, confidence and also surrounded by myths, legend and prejudice.
So let's begin with a look back over history.
LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY
Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.
In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.
In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.
The crow features in the Ghost dance, popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom.
Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnar Lodbrok used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms.
In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.
In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.
The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug
In Greek mythology Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow. Turning them forever black from their pristine white plumage as a punishment after they failed to watch Coronis, lover of Apollo, battles a Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.
In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.
In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:
1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.
2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.
3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.
4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.
6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!
7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.
8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events
Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....
There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.
The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.
Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.
Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone
Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm. They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!
They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.
Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans.
Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!
Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades.
Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!
They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.
In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.
Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!
Paul Williams June 4th 2021
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty one metres at 10:25am on a summer morning on Thursday 3rd June 2021, off Hythe Avenue and Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see a large adult Carrion crow (Corvus corone), taking shelter near a pink Azalea during a passing summer rain shower. A passerine bird of the family Corvidae, they are of the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), and native to western Europe and eastern Asia.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 340mm Shutter speed: 1/200s Aperture f/7.1 iso250 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON in position 1 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW Size L (8256 x 5504) 14 bit uncompressed file AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4960k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.67s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.55s
ALTITUDE: 62.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.30MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 45.70MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
I used to play here ( as a child !!) and have been meaning to stop and shot this little falls ....Another shoot when i return from NE India on a birding trip .
Catch up with everyone in a couple of weeks