Very rare pictures

FLOWER HAT JELLY FISH

The flower hat jelly (Olindias formosa) is a rare species of jellyfish occurring primarily in Brazil, Argentina, and off southern Japan. Characterized by lustrous tentacles that coil and adhere to its rim when not in use, the flower hat jelly’s bell is translucent and pinstriped with opaque bands, making it easily recognizable.

Its sting is nonlethal but painful, and its diet consists mostly of small fishes. The flower hat jelly can grow to be about 15cm (6 inches) in diameter. Scientists capture first photos of extremely rare birds mongabay.com July 6, 2007 Scientists have captured the first pictures of one of the world's rarest birds: the recurve-billed bushbird (Clytoctantes alixii), a species found exclusively in bamboo forests of northeastern Colombia.

Recurve-billed bushbird photos by Fundación ProAves

The photos were taken in the department of Santander by Adriana Tovar and Luis Eduardo Urueña of ProAves, the Colombian partner of the American Bird Conservancy. The recurve-billed bushbird was rediscovered in 2004 in Venezuela after a 40-year absence. Scientists estimate that only a few dozen of the birds remain. “Whenever a new bird species is found or a species that was thought to be lost is rediscovered, it gives us all hope and encouragement”, said Paul Salaman, director of international programs at the American Bird Conservancy. “But as more and more remote areas are being settled, the bushbird reminds us how important it is to conserve as much natural habitat as we can. Who knows what wonderful biodiversity is being destroyed before it has had a chance to be discovered?”

Perija Parakeet photos by Fundación ProAves

The area of forest in Colombia were the bird was sighted in 2005 was declared an Important Bird Area in 2005, leading to visits by ornithologists. In late 2006, ProAves established the 250-acre Hormiguero de Torcoroma Bird Reserve to protect the Recurve-billed Bushbird and other endemic species. ProAves also announced the first photos of the Perija Parakeet (Pyrrhura caeruleiceps) in the wild. The colorful species, which has a distinctive blue nape and white breast, is threatened by illegal bird traders and habitat disturbance and loss, according to the American Bird Conservancy. The Perija Parakeet is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.



























This extremely rare "death vase" was recently discovered in the 1,400-year-old grave of a member of the Maya elite. The vase is carved with sculpted scrolls, overlapping tiles meant to resemble serpent scales, and handles fashioned into the shape of bats' heads. The vase was discovered in Honduras by a team of archaeologists from the University of South Florida. Photograph by Karla Davis-Salazar, courtesy Christian Wells


Rare "PINK DOLPHIN" Photos

This extremely rare and beautiful "pink dolphin" was spotted and photographed by Capt. Erik Rue on June 24th, 2007 during a charter fishing trip on Calcasieu Lake south of Lake Charles, LA.

It appears to be an uncanny freak of nature, an albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and glossy pink skin. It is small in comparison to the others it is traveling with and appears to be a youngster traveling with mama. After spotting the beautiful mammal cruising with a pod of four other dolphins, Rue and his guests Randy and Peyton Smith and Greg and Sam Elias of Monroe, LA idled nearby while watching and photographing the unusual sight for more than an hour.

Our expectations are high that we will see this amazing mammal again as it was in an area frequented by the gentle mammals and one confirmed report has it being spotted at least a month earlier in a nearby location. If it does turn up again, it will be a welcome surprise to our guests.

Spectacular Mammatus Clouds over Hastings, Nebraska
These photos were taken by Jorn Olsen, he lives on Heartwell Park in Hastings, Nebraska Believe it or not, these are not photoshopped!
Three of these photos were featured on the front and back cover of the Journal of Meteorology and circulated in 26 countries.

Mangosteen Fruit Very Rare picture

Very rare oneleged Fisher Owl :-)

s of Titanic's engine construction

Olympic's double bottom hull (foreground) Titanic's keel (background).

The steam engines used on the Olympic class on the test bed at Harland & Wolf.

Crankshafts of the Olympic class.

The first Class dining salon located amidships on the D deck (Saloon deck) could seat up to 550 per sitting.

Titanic's Turkish bath located on F deck (Middle deck) starboard beside the 2nd funnel.

THE earliest days of a supernova will make a rare photographic appearance this week in Ireland.

Astronomers with Queen's University in Belfast will reveal this stunning Hubble Space Telescope (HST)image at the Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy Meeting in Belfast as part of their 10-year-long study of the evolution of exploding stars, supernovae.

"It's very unusual to a really good picture of a galaxy with a supernova in it. That's a milestone," said Australian astronomer David Malin, formerly the astronomical photographer with the Anglo Australian Observatory in NSW.

"This is a particularly beautiful galaxy. It shows lanes of dust where young stars have formed and one has exploded."

The exploded star, known as Supernova (SN) 2006bc, is visible as a bright spot to the lower left of the glowing center of this classical spiral galaxy known as NGC 2397.

The galaxy is located nearly 60-million light years away. A light year is 9.5 trillion kilometres.

The HST snapped the image soon after the star exploded. The UK team, led by Stephan Smartt, requested the HST photograph to help them determine which of NGC 2397's stars had exploded in a blaze of light.

While a supernova is brilliant at its peak, it's very difficult to work backwards and determine which star of hundreds of millions was its so-called "precursor".

To date, only six such precursor stars have been identified. Five were discovered by Dr Smartt and his colleagues.

Dr Malin was part of the group which revealed the sixth, a supernova which exploded in 1987. It was the first supernova visible to the naked eye since the 15th century.

Dr Smartt and his colleagues are optimistic they will find SN 2006bc's precursor.

Already their search for the elusive supernova precursor stars has indicated that stars less massive than our sun can explode as supernovae.