#Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is one of the brightest objects visible to the naked eye in the night sky, and has been known to ancient civilizations since before recorded history. It is named after the Roman god Jupiter. 

There are many interesting #moons orbiting the planet, but the ones of most scientific interest are the first four moons discovered beyond Earth — the #GalileanSatellites. They can be glimpsed with binoculars, a telescope, a dslr and lens

#wildartworks, #Jupiter, #GalileanMoons, #Satellites, #Astrophotography

Comet NEOWISE has been entertaining space enthusiasts across the Northern Hemisphere. Although its official name is C/2020 F3, the comet has been dubbed NEOWISE after the Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) space telescope that first noticed it earlier this year. This “icy snowball” with a gassy tail made its closest approach to the sun on July 3 and is now heading back from whence it came: the far reaches of the outer solar system. Its long, looping orbit around our star ensures that after passing closest to Earth on July 22, Comet NEOWISE will not return for some 6,800 years. #wildartworks, #cometneowise

On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, is the monumental temple of Konark, a representation of the sun god Surya's chariot, led by a team of seven horses with 24 intricately designed wheels adorned in symbolic designs, one of the finest examples of Brahmin architecture and belief.

#Konark, #Architecture, #IncredibleIndia, #WildArtWorks #suntemple #odisha #orrisa #ancientarchitecture #hinduarchitecture, #kalingaarchitecture

Somewhere deep within the Kushiro-shitsugen National Park, in the Kottaro wetlands along the banks of the Kushiro, I found the elusive Ural Owl. Named for the Ural Mountains of Russia which is part of their natural range and where the first specimen was collected, these owls are threatened by humans eliminating the hollow trees they nest in. #WildArtWorks, #UralOwl, #Hokkaido, #BirdPhotography, #Birdinginthewild, #raptor, #owl

Crows are members of the Corvidae family, which also includes ravens, magpies, and blue jays. Loud, rambunctious, and very intelligent, crows are most often associated with a long history of fear and loathing. They are considered pests by farmers trying to protect their crops and seedlings. Many people fear them simply because of their black feathers, which are often associating them with death. But research has demonstrated that crows are actually very social and caring creatures, and also among the smartest animals on the planet. #wildartworks, #crows, #corvidae

The beautiful Ibrahim Rauza is among the most elegant and finely proportioned Islamic monuments in India. Its 24m-high minarets are said to have inspired those of the Taj Mahal, and its tale is similarly poignant: built by emperor Ibrahim Adil Shah II (r 1580–1627) as a future mausoleum for his queen, Taj Sultana. Ironically, he died before her and was thus the first person to be laid to rest here. Also interred are the emperor's queen, children and mother.

The snow leopard, known as the ghost of the mountains, is an elusive predator that has captured the human imagination for eons. Yet, by nature secretive, living at altitudes of up to 19,000 feet in one of the world's harshest environments, it is notoriously difficult to see. Ismail Shariff, one of those lucky enough to encounter one, speaks of the experience as momentous, transformative, even spiritual. #SnowLeopard, #Hemis, #WildArt.Works, #IsmailShariff, #Wildlife

The first solar eclipse of 2020 took place today, Sunday, June 21, 2020. Observers in India got the chance to see a dramatic celestial spectacle – a spectacular ‘ring of fire’ in the sky produced by the Moon and the Sun. Here’s all you need to know about this amazing and rare astronomical event. Were the Moon just a wee bit closer - 379,100 rather than 381,500 kilometres away - Earthlings would have been treated to a total blackout, visible at a given spot on our planet about every 400 years.