Tag Archives: sun

Nature India Photo Story: The enigmatic sun

Posted on by

In our visual storytelling blog series titled the ‘Nature India Photo Story’, we feature photo stories that explore the realms of science, wildlife, environment, health or anything else that smells of science.

Here’s a photo story and a personal essay by B. Lakshmi Sowjanya on the mystical aura of the sun, arguably the most prominent among all celestial objects.

Sowjanya is a geneticist, a Bio-CARe Woman Scientist, and a postdoctoral researcher at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Her research interests are in the field of molecular oncology and lipidomics. She is keen on nature photography, and immensely enjoys capturing the Sun, drawing poetic parallels for life from its many hues.

Sun1

{credit}B. Lakshmi Sowjanya{/credit}

The Sun has not only attracted humans forever but also supports all life-sustaining activities on planet Earth. Several cultures around the world worship the Sun. Amazingly enough, the distance between Earth and the Sun is exactly right for life-conditions to flourish. Closer, we would burn; farther away, we would freeze.

In my photography journey, I try to capture glimpses of the Sun through clouds spread across the sky. As I set sight on the warm colours of the setting Sun, I am transported to an enchanted world. It has been an amazing journey so far, shooting the Sun in different colours, shades and moods.

Sun2

Sun6

{credit}B. Lakshmi Sowjanya{/credit}

These photographs were taken at the West Coast of India during winter (October to January) at dusk in Honavar taluk (14° 16′ 48″ N, 74° 26′ 38.04″ E), Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka state. They show the magical play of the clouds, humid weather conditions of the seashore, and the hues of sun rays.

In these photographs I tried to capture how differently we can visualize the Sun in the same season. The climate, atmospheric gases and clouds in the sky could greatly impact the way in which we see the Sun.

Sun4

{credit}B. Lakshmi Sowjanya{/credit}

Even as it signals an end, a sunset promises renewal. With the last rays peeping over the horizon comes the realisation that tomorrow holds endless possibilities. The descending Sun embodies the sheer power of an utterly romantic moment. Just like love at first sight, the sight of the Sun takes my breath away, leaving me speechless. I feel a rush of love and gratitude for Mother Nature.

Sun5

{credit}B. Lakshmi Sowjanya{/credit}

There is science behind these feelings, too. Watching sunsets promotes psychological effects believed to enhance satisfaction in life. Sunsets are a moment to pause in preparation for a new phase of life; a time of renewal, learning, and moving ahead with challenges. Sunsets can be real blessings.

I admire the steadfastness of the sun – an eternal and untiring effort to repeat the daily cycle, day after day, until all energy is spent, bidding us goodbye with a promise to return the next day in all its power and glory.

Sun3

{credit}B. Lakshmi Sowjanya{/credit}

This collection of radiating hues represents some of the most beautiful moments and most wonderful memories of my life. The ‘sweet light’ time, just before the sunset, is perhaps the best time for serial sunset photography. It is during those fleeting moments that the bright and pale shades of red tend to be even more dramatic, enhancing sunset photos and making the colours pop.

You can follow this blog series online with the hashtag #NatureIndphotostory. If you have a photo story to tell, email your high resolution entries with a short narration and a couple of lines about yourself to npgindia@nature.com with the subject line “Nature India Photo Story”. If it appeals to our editorial team, your photo story might get featured on this blog.

Suggested posts:

Nature India Photo Story: Cubanacan the Litigon

Nature India Photo Story: A midnight date

Nature India Photo Story: The kingfisher feeds

Nature India Photo Contest

UAE’s green city grabs the attention of international researchers

Posted on by

Masdar city, in the heart of the Gulf desert, on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, has no light switches or water taps. In Masdar, movement sensors control lighting and water in order to cut down electricity and water consumption by nearly half. The city is touted by the UAE as possibly “one of the world’s most sustainable eco-cities.”

And now University of Birmingham researchers are presenting it as a model to teach the UK and the world about saving energy and resources, contrasting it with energy systems in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

They analyzed the differences and similarities between Masdar, founded very recently in 2008 against an urban environment, and Birmingham, a well-established post-industrial city that has evolved over 400 years. “Masdar City benefits from starting from a blank slate, whereas Birmingham has existing processes, procedures and an ageing infrastructure to negotiate,” according to the researchers.

Masdar is primarily powered by Shams 1, one of the largest concentrated solar power plants in the Middle East, and it houses the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, which carries out renewable energy research.

“We compared two very different cities – both aspiring to be ‘low-carbon’. Masdar has started well by building low-rise, energy-efficient buildings with smart metering,” says lead author Susan Lee, from the department of civil engineering. “Data from such buildings can help to change people’s behaviour and help develop more energy-efficient new and retrofitted UK buildings. The UAE is a hot and arid place; experience gained in Masdar will help us plan here in the UK for projected hotter summers, with more frequent heatwaves, particularly in cities, as the climate changes.”

Birmingham, says the researcher, has a few things to teach Masdar as well, including how the city adapted to new energy requirements. Lee believes that Masdar can also benefit from her university’s research into hydrogen fuel-cell cars.