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Paul Smith is a night-sky fanatic and photographer. His obsession is sprites: immense jolts of light that flicker high above thunderstorms. Last October, he guided NASA scientist Dr. Burcu Kosar through the backroads of Oklahoma to catch one herself. Although she’d studied sprites for more than 15 years, she hadn’t yet chased one.

About the Glacial periods of our Earth. Over the past 3 billion years, the Earth has undergone approximately 5 significant ice ages. The first one - Cenozoic Ice Age began 34 million years ago. The latest one - the Quaternary glaciation, which is in progress since 2.5 million years ago. Within the major ice ages there are the periods of severe and mild glacial conditions known as the glacial and inter-glacial periods. The Earth is currently in such an inter-glacial period of the Quaternary glaciation - the Holocene epoch. The most recent glacial period - Quaternary glaciation, have ended between about 120,000 and 11,700 years ago. Interesting facts: The most recent glacial period - Quaternary glaciation, have ended between about 120,000 and 11,700 years ago. Humans developed significantly during the most recent glaciation period, emerging as the dominant 'land animal' afterward as such large species as the mammoth, giant ground sloths, the mastodons, saber-toothed cats etc. which reigned during the glacial period went extinct by its end. Humans were able to adapt to the harsh climate by developing such tools as the bone needle to sew warm clothing. By the start of the mild Holocene epoch, our ancestors were in position to take advantage of the warm conditions by developing domestication techniques and agricultural. An Ice age causes changes to the Earth’s landscape. Glaciers reshaping the surface by displacing soil and rocks, by eroding hills during their unstoppable movement. Humans have recorded about 5 large-scale ice ages throughout the Earth’s history: The Huronian (approx. 2.4 billion years ago), The Cryogenian (approx. 850 - 635 million years ago), The Andean-Saharan (approx. 460 - 430 million years ago), The Karoo (approx. 360 -260 million years ago), The Quaternary (approx. 2.6 million years ago - present). Roughly a dozen major Glaciations have occurred over the past 1 million years. The largest Glaciation peaked approx. 650, 000 years ago and lasted for 50, 000 years. The most recent Glaciation period, known as the 'Ice Age', reached its peak conditions some 18,000 years ago, before passing the baton to the Interglacial Holocene epoch 11,700 years ago.

Our Universe is not silent.. Although space is a vacuum, that does not mean there is no sound in it. Yes, space is a vacuum - so it generally doesn't carry sound waves like air does here on Earth. However, some sounds do exist in outer space, we just can't hear them. Various probes that zoom through the space are capable of capturing radio emissions from astronomical objects. NASA's scientist have designed special instrument known as 'astronomical interferometer' which can record these electromagnetic vibrations, and transfer them into sounds within range of human hearing (20-20,000 Hz). Interesting Facts about our Moon: The Moon's Latin name is Luna. The Moon formed approx. 4.5 billion years ago. Moon is the fifth-largest natural satellite in the Solar System. The moon orbits the Earth at an average speed of 3,700 kilometers an hour. The Moon is in synchronous rotation with Earth - it is always shows Earth the same side. The Moon’s surface is dark. The dark side of the Moon cools to about -169 degrees Celsius. During the lunar day that lasts about a month Moon's surface bakes in the sun at up to 117 degrees Celsius. The Moon is drifting away from the Earth approx. 3.8 cm every year. The Moon has quakes called the Moonquakes. There is water on the Moon. The Soviet Union’s Luna program featured the first successful landing of an unmanned spacecraft on the surface of the Moon in 1966. The USA’s NASA Apollo 11 mission in 1969 was the first manned Moon landing. The first person to set foot on the Moon was Neil Armstrong. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. The Moons is actually more of an oval shape. The Moon is international property. Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt was allergic to the Moon. Astronauts have brought 842 pounds of moon material back to Earth. The dark spots on the moon are called maria.