INDIAN MIGRATORY BIRDS.

          Indian subcontinent host a huge number of migratory birds in summer as well as in winter. It is estimated that almost one hundred species fly to India every year. There are a lot of sanctuaries that serve them as their temporary habitat. Usually birds starts migrate in search of food or due to extreme cold winter season. and once they start their migration no one can stop them except extreme bad weather.
          Here are a list of some important migratory birds of India-

BIRDS THAT COME TO INDIA IN SUMMER-

Black crowned night heron

Asian koel

Blue tailed bee eater

• Asian Koel
• Black crowned night heron
• Eurasian golden oriole
• Comb duck
• Blue cheeked bee eater
• Blue tailed bee eater
• Cuckoos

Comb Duck

BIRDS THAT COME TO INDIA IN WINTER

Starling

Common teal

• Siberian Crane
• Greater flamingo
• Ruff
• Black winged stilt
• Common teal
• Common greenshank
• Northern pintail
• Yellow wagtail
• White wagtail
• Northern shoveler
• Rosy palican
• Gadwall
• Starling
• Wood sandpiper
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Eurasian wigeon
• Black tail godwit
• Spotted redshank
• Bluethoart
• Long billed pipit
  

  

  Rosy palican

DAYING ERING WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IS BANS ENTRY WITHIN PREMISES

              Daying ering wildlife sanctuary is situated in Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is now bans entry within premises due to the recent salt lick ambush laid by hunters, killing a bird, and disappearance of of two camera trapping from the sanctuary. There had been restriction of hunting and poaching to some extent in the sanctuary in the past two years.
              This sanctuary is located at Pasighat. This is located on the island- boating through the river Siang is the only way to reach this sanctuary. It's spread over an area of 190 sq km and houses of varieties of animals and birds. It is divided into three ranges- Anchalghat, Sibiamukh and Barghuli. 75% of the Sanctuary is covered with alluvial grassland, 15% are the woods and 10% is covered by water.
              From September-February, a variety of migratory birdslike cranes, wild ducks, storks, water fowls and hornbills migrate here from far off places making it a bird's paradise. A few of the birds come here from Siberia and Mongolia.
              Deer, wild elephant, buffaloes and other small animals are found in this sanctuary. Aquatic birds such as spot-billed pelican, bear's pochards, Indian skimmer, lesser adjutant, lesser whistling teal, black-bellied tern and the darter also make the sanctuary as their home. More than 100 aquatic species such as water monitor lizards, pisces turtle and other reptiles live in the waters of the sanctuary. The Bengal tiger is the special features of this sanctuary. although, it is rarely seen.

             This ban is very much painful for those who love to capture the pictures of the birds.

FUTURE OF THE SIBERIAN TIGER

INTRODUCTION

          Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altiaca), also known as the Amur tiger is the largest living big cat and also ranked among the biggest felids that ever exists in the world. Amur tiger once found throughout the Russian Far East, north China and the Korean peninsular. By the 1940s, hunting has driven the Amur tiger to the brink of extinction- with no more than 40 individuals remaining in the wild. The subspecies was saved when Russia become the first country to grant the tigers full protection. By 1980s, the population increases around 500. Although poaching increases in these days, the number of the Amur tiger in the wild is now stable (400-500).

THREAT FOR THE SIBERIAN TIGER

         The main threats for these tigers today are the habitat loss, very low density of prey and poaching. 

FUTURE OF SIBERIAN TIGER

         The future of these tiger completely depends on the human. If we do not care, then these tiger will extinct in future. At present these Amur tigers are Endangered species according to IUCN 3.1 Red List. 

WHAT TO DO

       To save these creature the best we can do is to do nothing i.e. leave them in the wild, do not interface their life. But all of us know that is impossible today. So we have to do a lot to save them. 

MY THOUGHT TO SAVE AMUR TIGER

       Here is my thoughts to save them. 

1. We use camera traps to watch whole movement of the Amur tigers.

2. Use radio- collars for their exact locations.

3. Capture some of the pregnant tigress and transfer them to a safe location or area where we can monitor them 24 hours. But those tigress must not feel caged.

4. When the tiger cubs are old enough we transfer them to the wild.

5. To deal with the poachers, the government must enforce new laws and strict punishment for the poachers.

PROBLEMS AND HOPE

       Still there is no solution for the habitat loss and the low prey density though we knew the cats are the best in adaptation and evolution. So we hope the life will find its way and these Amur tiger find there way of life and will not extinct in future.

A TRIP TO ANDAMAN ISLAND

Sunset point at Port Blair

Jailer Barry's Chair at Cellular Jail

Cellular jail

Gallows at Cellular Jail

Mangrove At Andaman ISland

Limestone Cave

Museum at Port Blair

Andaman Island is situated in the southern India. It is famous for its coral reefs, water sports, historical back ground, for the various tribes of the Andaman and two dead volcanoes.

Ross Island

Chital at Ross island

HOW TO REACH

  By Air- there are plenty planes services from these cities of India- Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair- the capital of Andaman Nicobor Island. It is almost a 2 to 4 hour plane journey. It’ll take 2 hours from Kolkata to Port Blair.

Ross island

Bunkers used in world war 2

 Indian Airlines- fly from Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai to port Blair.

 Spicejet- fly from Chennai to Port Blair.

Places at Ross Island

 JetLite- fly from Chennai to port Blair. Also fly from Delhi to Port Blair via Kolkata.

These flights are not so much low-cost, if compared to the same airlines’ mainland flights.

By Sea- you also can travel by ship. There are ships routes from Kolkata, Chennai, and

Green lizard at Havelock Island

Scuba Diving at North Bay

Visakhapatnam to Port Blair. It takes almost 4 days to reach Port Blair. This trip is much less cost than travelling by air.

          This travelling becomes boring as you have nothing to do without watching the sea.

PLACES TO VISIT:

Sunset Point

 1.       Havelock Island:  The most visited of the islands, with the most infrastructures (although still minimal). It is famous for its beautiful beaches. The Radhanagar beach is one of the famous beach of India as well as the world.

a island in Mahatma Gandhi National Park

seat and see the Sunset at sunset point

2.       Rutland Island: it is a quite non-polluted and least visited island. Famous for its beautiful mangrove forest and coral reefs. There is a 45 acre Totani Resort which has quaint little huts which can be used as a base camp for exploring the island. It is a ideal place for Eco-tourists.

3.     Neil Island: when you enter this island you may think that it is a waste of time and waste of money, but believe me, it is one of those place which you remembered for the rest of your life. This island has a reach coral beach. If you watch the water on the coral beach you can see and can touch the star fish, but remember, do not take out of the water for long time, unless they die. You can also see sea-cucumber and sea-plants.

4.   Baratang Island: Mud volcano, Limestone cave and Mangrove creeks in the black waters are the main source of attraction here.

5.  Barren Island: it is the only volcano of India.

6.  Long Island: if you see Cast Away and imagine if you were in the same position, what you will do, then you can try it here. Nothing you can get here, it's very much adventurous place.

7.  Cellular Jail: it’s a historical place, here the British rulers of the India sent most of the notorious rebels and torture them in extreme ways.

8.  Viper Island: It’s also a historical place, before the creation of the cellular jail, most of the rebels were send here to die.

ready for scuba diving at North Bay

9.  Ross Island: It’s also a historical place, it is very close to Port Blair, and can be easily spotted from the top of the cellular jail.

10. North Bay: this place is only for those who love Water sports, here you can do, Scuba diving, Snorkelling, water-glass boating to see the Coral life, though for the increasing of this water sports.

At Neil Island

Crab at Neil Island

Coral reef at Neil Island

Sea Cucumber at Neil Island

Sunset point

Star fish in hand

11. Middle Strait: here you can see nothing. Then why you need to visit this? Because of the Jarowa tribes. To reach here you have to cross almost 45 km Jungle by road (in car) and in these jungle you can see the Jarowa tribes. But never take any picture of them as it is illegal here and if you do so, you may be fined a huge amount of money and jail up to 5 years.

12. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: There are 15 islands though only 2 are open for the tourists- Jolly Buoy and Redskin island. Redskin island is famous for its reef wall, high diversity of corals and saltwater crocodile habitat. And the Jolly Buoy is known for its large shoals of fishes. Also it have good diversity of corals and reef wall.

DO:

1.        Scuba diving: Havelock island and north bay is known for diving. Though they are very much ordinary diving sites respect to the natural beauty of Andaman. They best sites for diving are- Barren island (active volcano), Narcondam island (extinct volcano), Invisible Bank (an extensive seamount approx. 100 miles southeast of Port Blair). These diving sites are little expensive but surely money worthy.

2.        Snorkelling: it’s very much fun, much good for those who do not know swimming. This activity done in north bay, Havelock beach and mau terra beach.

3.        Surfing:  done in little Andaman island.

4.        Glass bottom boat: done in North Bay, Redskin Island, Jolly Buoy Island and Neil Island.

EAT:

 Seafood is the order of the trip. From upscale restaurants of Port Blair to the small dhabas of the small islands, fish abounds. The foods are little expensive for the Indian standard but the food is money worthy.

DRINK

Fresh coconuts are popular and widely available. Alcohol is available in some restaurants too. But there is no pub culture or even dance club.

IMPORTANT FACTS:

1.        From Port Blair to Havelock there are passenger ferries and seaplane service. Seaplane service is money worthy but awesome experience.

2.        Main language of Andaman is Tamil and Bengali.

3.        There are youth hostels and Ramakrishna Mission’s lodge, if you can arrange it, then you can get very less expensive rooms.

4.        Scooters and Motorcycles are available in the islands for rent, per day charge is around Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 with a deposit money, of Rs. 750 to Rs. 1000.

5.        Taxies and autorickshaws are also available in the island.

6.        Never try to capture any photographs where it is prohibited.

7.        While doing water sports, you should follow the instructor for your own safety.

8.        Don’t bring any kind of corals with you. It is a crime.

CONTACTS:

 For more detail information and if you have interested in travelling Andaman, contact us bshwetadri@yahoo.com

DOMESTIC CATS CAN BE DANGEROUS TO MANKIND?

        Scientists mapped the genomes of the tigers, lions and snow leopards in a conservation project to save the endangered species. The researches get a huge break through while working on this. they found that the tigers shares 96% of its genomes with the domestic cats. this research also shows that how the white lions get its pale coat and how the snow leopards adapted to the snowy mountain ranges. according to the researchers, cats are very much capable of adoption. they can change their habits when the environment calls for it.
         But a big questions arises now- if 96% of the tiger genomes matched with the domestic house cats then is it possible that these house cats may be very dangerous for us? Since they have many genomes  common with the ultimate predator- The Tigers, it may be possible that that some day these cats attack the human, and if it happens in future it may be a huge trouble to mankind as we all know cats are very common.
         So, we should keep a safe distance from them, for the good of both ends.

RAINFORESTS ARE VALUABLE FOR CONSERVATION

                      New research has found rainforests that have been logged several times continue to hold substantial value for biodiversity and could have a role in conservation.

                   The research, which monitored bats as an indicator for environmental change on Borneo, is the first of its kind to have wildlife in forests logged more than two times. The findings are particularly important because across the tropics forest that has been intensively harvested is frequently targeted for conservation to agriculture and is perceived to hold little value for timber, carbon or biodiversity.

              Recent studies have emphasised similar numbers of species living in unlogged and logged sites, but what is surprising is that just how resilient some species were, even in sites almost unrecognisable as rainforest.

             Only by viewing forest sites along a gradient of logging disturbance, ranging from pristine to heavily degraded, were the team able to detect a gradual decline of some key bat species.

             The research confirmed the most vulnerable bats were those that tend to live in the cavities of old growth trees. By linking bat captures with vegetation measurements from nearby plots, the researchers were able to reveal how these animals declined as successive rounds of logging took their trolls on forest structure and crucially, the availability of tree cavities.

              Although logging damage was clearly detrimental to some of the species studied, the findings also offer some hope for forest restoration efforts.

ARCTIC ICE DECREASING AND ANTARCTIC ICE INCREASING

         Much attention is paid to melting sea ice in the Arctic. But less clear is the situation on the other side of the planet. Despite warmer air and oceans, there is more sea ice in Antarctica now than in the 1970s- a fact often pounded on by global warming sceptics. The latest members suggest the Antarctica sea ice may be heading toward a record this year.

           A researcher of the University of Washington says the reason lie in the winds. A new modelling study to be published in the Journal of Climate shows that stronger polar winds lead to an increase in Antarctic sea ice, even in a warming climate.

           “The overwhelming evidence is that the Southern Ocean is warming”, said the author Jinlun Zhang, an oceanographer at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. “Why would sea ice be increasing? Although the rate of increase is small, it is a puzzle to scientists.”

            His new study shows that stronger westerly winds swirling around the South Pole can explain 80% of the increase in Antarctica sea ice volume in the past three decades.

           The polar vortex that swirls around the South Pole is not just stronger than it was when satellite records began in the 1970s, it has more convergence, meaning it shoves the sea ice together to cause ridging. Stronger winds also drive ice faster, which leads to still more deformation and ridging. This creates thicker, longer-lasting ice, while exposing surrounding water and thin ice to the blistering cold winds that cause more ice growth.

         In a computer simulation that includes detailed interactions between wind and the sea, thicker ice- more than 6 feet deep– increased by about 1% every year from 1979 to 2010. While the amount of thin ice stayed fairly constant. The end result is a thicker, slightly larger ice pack that lasts longer into summer.

         When the model held the polar winds at a constant level, the sea ice increased only 20% as much. A previous study by Zhang showed that changes in water density could explain the remaining increase.

       “People have been talking about the possible link between winds and Antarctica sea ice expansion before, but I think this is the first study that confirms this link though a model experiment.” Said by Alex Schweiger, a polar scientist at the UW Applied Physics Lab. “This is another process by which dynamic changes in the atmosphere can make changes in sea ice that are not necessarily expected.”

     The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

   Though, it is still a mystery why the southern winds have been getting stronger, some scientist have theorized that it could be related to global warming or to the Ozone depletion in the southern hemisphere or just to natural cycles of variability. Difference between the two poles could explain the opposite behave. Surface air warming in the Arctic is more uniform. Another difference in the Arctic is that, the Northern hemisphere is protected basin, while the Antarctic sea ice floats in open oceans where the ice can expand freely. Many of the models are unable to explain why the Antarctic ice increases.

“If the warming continues, at some point the trend will reverse

WORLD NOT ON TRACK OVER CLIMATE CHANGE

           One of the top UN official said that international leaders are failing to fight global warming, appealing directly to the world’s voters to pressure their politicians into taking tougher action against the build up of green gases.

Halldor Thorgeirsson told the journalists Tuesday that, “We are failing as an international community” and that the world is “not on track” to prevent potentially catastrophic climate change.

           Thorgeisson, a senior director with UN framework convention on climate change, was speaking with two hours left to go before the world powers gather in Paris for another round of negotiation over the future of the world’s climate. Which scientists warn will warm dramatically unless action is taken to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

NEW MEMBERS IN THE SUNDERBANS

          With a spurt in cub sighting in the Sunderbans, officials say actually there could be more tigers in the mangroves than what the latest camera trap study revealed-103. The successive sighting of two cubs, in the forests of Pirkhali under Sajnekhali tourism zone and Arbesi under Basirhat range, have given a new boost to the animal’s critical habitat and conservation efforts in the single largest block of tidal mangrove forest in the world.

        “In the recently-concluded camera trap study, no tiger image was captured in the North 24 Parganas. Last week, a beat officer clicked the snap of a cub with its mother. A big male, which has possibly fathered the cub, was also sighted near the spot. We hope the three will be the newest additions to the figure of 103, the minimum number of tiger in the mangroves.” Said Soumitra Dasgupta- The Sunderbans Tiger Reserve field director. Though a final call could be taken only after comparing their stripe patterns with those of recorded images, he added.

         The good news does not ends with this, there are more good news for the wildlife and the the Royal Bengal Tiger lovers;

         Foresters have also photo-captured another cub, hardly 3-4 months old, with its mother in the forests of Pirkhali I during a routine patrol. “We were all euphoric at that time. The moment the tigress spotted us, she tried to take the cub away from our sight. But the cub was in no mood to hang up on the new-found adventure in its life. He kept staring at our lenses and we had enough scope to take their snaps. Later, the tigress shooed away the cub and again appeared from behind the bushes to have water.” Said a forester, who was present in that spot.

THREE ANCIENT RIVER SYSTEM CREATED VIABLE ROUTES FOR HUMAN MIGRATION

Three ancient river systems, now buried, may have created viable routes for human migration across the Sahara to the Mediterranean region about 100,000 years ago, according to research published September 11 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Tom Coulthard from the University of Hull, UK, and colleagues from other institutions.

Simulating paleoclimates in the region, the researchers found quantitative evidence of three major river systems that likely existed in North Africa 130,000-100,000 years ago, but are now largely buried by dune systems in the desert. When flowing, these rivers likely provided fertile habitats for animals and vegetation, creating 'green corridors' across the region. At least one river system is estimated to have been 100 km wide and largely perennial. The Irharhar river, westernmost of the three identified, may represent a likely route of human migration across the region. In addition to rivers, the researchers' simulations predict massive lagoons and wetlands in northeast Libya, some of which span over 70,000-square kilometers.

"It's exciting to think that 100,000 years ago there were three huge rivers forcing their way across a 1000km of the Sahara desert to the Mediterranean -- and that our ancestors could have walked alongside them" said Coulthard.

Previous studies have shown that people travelled across the Saharan mountains toward more fertile Mediterranean regions, but when, where and how they did so is a subject of debate. Existing evidence supports the possibilities of a single trans-Saharan migration, many migrations along one route, or multiple migrations along several different routes. The existence of 'green corridors' that provided water and food resources were likely critical to these events, but their location and the amount of water they carried is not known. The simulations provided in this study aim to quantify the probability that these routes may have been viable for human migration across the region.

ELEPHANTS FEARS TIGERS

Wild Asian elephants slink quietly away at the sound of a growling tiger, but trumpet and growl before retreating from leopard growls, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found. The work, published Sept. 11 in the journal Biology Letters, could help Indian farmers protect their crops from marauding elephants and save the lives of both people and animals.

"We noticed that the elephants were more scared of tigers than of leopards," said Vivek Thuppil, who carried out the work with Richard Coss, professor of psychology at UC Davis, as part of his Ph.D. in animal behavior.

Thuppil and Coss studied the elephants' behavior in an effort to prevent conflicts between human farmers and elephant herds that raid their fields by night. It's the first study of nighttime antipredator behavior in elephants.

Crop raiding by elephants is a serious problem in India, Thuppil said. Farmers use drums, firecrackers and electrified fences to try to keep them out of their crops. About 400 people a year are killed during these encounters, and some hundred elephants are killed through poisoning, electrocution or other means, according to an Indian government report.

The researchers set up equipment to play back leopard or tiger growls triggered when the elephants crossed infrared beams across paths leading to crop fields, and captured the events on video.

Leopards aren't known to prey on elephants, but tigers will sometimes attack a young elephant that becomes separated from the herd.

Although their initial reactions were very different, the elephants ultimately retreated from growls of both cats.

The elephants might be confused by the leopard growl, Thuppil said. A real leopard would most likely retreat from a group of elephants. Still, there's probably no benefit to the elephants in risking an encounter with a leopard, even if it is not a known predator.

"You don't want to mess with something with claws and teeth," Thuppil said.

"They're acting in a very intelligent way," Coss said.

Wild elephant populations are stable or even increasing in forest areas, Thuppil said. While the forest itself is protected, human settlement increasingly has moved into the buffer areas surrounding the forest, which elephants pass through while foraging or visiting different patches of forest.

BIG WHALE COLONY FOUND IN SRI-LANKA

There was a time when the big whales were hunted almost to extinction. In 1966, this was changed, when the protective laws were enacted to blues, the largest animal of the planet. Now there is a new development and it is good one- A huge Blue Whales colony has been discovered in Sri Lanka.  Last year Amos Nachoum scouted Sri Lanka for the fifth time in order to set up diving and photography operation- His first exploration in Sri Lanka was in 1982. According to his description he was amazed what he saw. He has been waiting all the time for the moment.

HAPPY TO BE NAKED AT 34

                       The new survey reveals that 34 is the magical age when 40% of women admitted that they take a good look at their naked bodies passionately, everyday.
                        When the respondents were asked about their favorite part of the bodies, 30 per cent of the women said they were proud of their breast while 22 per cent of the women were proud of their legs. However, 50 per cent of the ladies wanted a flatter tummy..

NINE BLACKBUCKS FOUND DEAD IN LUCKNOW ZOO

         Since September 7, nine blackbucks have died in Lucknow zoo. The post mortem report says that acute broncho pneumonia is the causse of the death. The zoo authority is checking that whether the other blackbucks are also affected or not.
         

RHINO SHOT DEAD BY FOREST GUARDS- IN ASSAM

              An adult rhino was allegedly shot dead by the forest guards at Barbheti village in Assam's Sonitupr district on this Sunday. Five days ago this rhino strayed into the village. The Forest guards were trying to guide the straying rhino to the Kaziranga National Park. Around 8:30 am the rhino attacked five forest guards. Those guards have nothing to do at last and they shot the creature. The rhino received five bullet injury and died on the spot.

RARE FOSSIL APE DISCOVERED IN CHINA

                A team of researcher has discovered the cranium of a fossil ape from shuitangba, a Miocene site in Yunnan province, China.
               According to a team member Nina Jablonski, juvenile crania of apes and hominins are extremely rare in the fossil record, especially those of infants and young juveniles. This cranium is only the second relatively complete cranium of a young juvenile in the entire Miocene- 23-25 million years ago- record of the fossil apes throughout the old world, and both were discovered from the late Miocene of Yunnan Province.
               The cranium is also noteworthy for its age. it's just over 6 million years old, dates to near the end of the Miocene, a time when apes had become extinct in the most of the Eurasia. 

SELLING WHITE RHINOS TO SAVE THEM- IS THAT A SOLUTION?

                   In effort to curb rhino poaching, the South African Govt. is taking a different approach- selling them. Within the last two years the Kruger National Park (KNP) has sold 170 white rhinos to private ranches. This is necessary to improve the conservation of status of white rhinos in the country by establishing rhino populations on the private ranches.
                   KNP has been a target of rhino poaching because of its long international boundaries. It has lost 381 rhinos, the official statistics reveal. Selling the rhinos also generate the income of the KNP. Though no black rhinos have been sold as reported. black rhinos are critically endangered species, of which fewer than 5000 remains in the wild, worldwide.

                    South Africa is the home of rhinos since the beginning. 70% of the rhino population lives here. But illegal poaching stoked by growing demand for the rhino horns has diminished the rhino population in South Africa.
                    But selling the rhinos is a alternative solution, if KNP can not find a good way to stop this poaching then the day is not far when all the rhinos are either sold or killed by the poachers.

LAND VANISHES IN EAST SUNDARBANS

           The upper Bidya and Raimangal regions in the Sunderbans, key human and wildlife habitat in the eastern  parts of the mangroves, are under severe threat of inundation due to the sea-level rise.

           A recent study by the World Bank and the Institute of Environmental Studies and Wetland Management (IESWM) has suggested to de-populate parts of some islands along the fringe areas on this parts so that the existing embankments can be moved back to allow a wider tidal channel to develop. This will, in turn, lead to deposition of sediments which can raise the land faster than the sea level rise.

            The study has also alerted  if the sedimentation can’t keep pace with the sea level rise- believed to happening at 3 millimetres annually- the Sunderbans may see a huge loss of mangroves which will put the survival of the endangered Royal Bengal tiger at risk. A recent camera trap report has captured presence of at least 55 tigers on this part of the mangroves.

            Agreeing to the report WWF-INDIA’s Sunderbans chapter head Anurag Danda said there is a need to De-populate some islands, as once these erode the man groves will get new sediments which will help it flourish in the future.

            But for now, the fate of 3.5 million people living within 20 km of the mangroves’ northern and eastern boundaries and more than 50 tigers believed to be ruling the forests of its eastern region hang in the balance.

             However, the IESWM senior scientist Somenath Bhattacharyya is of firm opinion that with proper modelling a d consequent management, it is possible to save the Sunderbans even with 1 metre sea level rise.

              The West Bengal Govt. has to handle this matter very sincerely as this is very important issue of the ecosystem. It’s already proved that the Sunderbans is the only habitat where the tigers have maintained their own regions. Why this endangered species do not have the attention of the WB Govt. is a very interesting question. May be they have no voting power, that is why they are neglected so far.

NEW MOON OF NEPTUNE

                        Nasa scientists have discovered a new moon orbiting planet Neptune using the Hubble space telescope. This new moon is estimated to be more than  12 miles across, makes it the smallest known moon in the Neptunian system, which already had 13 known moons.