1.Goa Maritime Conclave

Why in News?

• The Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)-2019 was inaugurated by the National Security Advisor,Ajit Kumar Doval, at Goa on 4th October 2019.

About Conclave:

• The Indian Navy hosted the ‘Goa Maritime Conclave – 2019’, in its bid to foster friendly relations with maritime neighbours.
• The focus of the conclave is on capacity building among Indian Ocean Region (IOR) navies to tackle emerging maritime threats, as well as discussing cooperative strategies for enhancing interoperability among partner maritime agencies.
• Naval War College, Goa, is hosting the event which is a follow-on to the maiden Goa Maritime Conclave held in 2017.
• The theme for the conclave is “Common Maritime Priorities in Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and need for Regional Maritime Strategy“.
• Apart from Indian Navy, Chiefs of Navies and senior representatives 10 Indian Ocean littoral countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri-Lanka, Seychelles, Maldives and Mauritius attended the conclave.
• The sub theme for the first session(2017) was “Opportunities and Challenges in IOR”

2.Cosmic Web

Why in News?

• A network of ‘filaments’ connecting the galaxies, called the cosmic web, was imaged for the first time by Very Large Telescope in Chile.

About:

• Galaxies across the universe are connected by a complex structure made up of filaments of dark matter and sheets of hydrogen gas.
• The network connecting these intergalactic filaments is known as the “cosmic web”.
• According to researchers, after the BigBang, much of the hydrogen gas in the cosmos collapsed to form sheets, which in turn broke apart to form the filaments. It is at the intersection of the filaments that galaxies and black holes are formed.
• So far, all this was theoretical knowledge. Now, astronomers have mapped the radiation from the gases in these filaments for the first time.

3.Harpy Eagles

Why in News?

• Pictures of a Harpy eagle went viral after a Twitter user posted it earlier this week. The internet is scared, confused as well as baffled with the pictures that several are of the opinion looks more like a man wearing a costume than a Harpy eagle.

About Harpy Eagles:

• Class: Aves; Order: Falconiformes; Family: Accipitridae; Genus: Harpia; Species: Harpia harpyja
• Size and Weight: The harpy is one of the largest species of eagle. As is often the case with birds of prey, females are larger than males. The birds can grow to 36-40 inches. Females weigh between 13 to 20 lbs (6 to 9 kg). Males weigh between 9 and 11 lbs (4 to 5 kg). Its wings are relatively short, enabling the bird to maneuver through its thick-forested surroundings.
• Geography: The harpy eagle is found primarily in South America, in countries like Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and northeast Argentina. The species is also found in areas of Mexico and Central America, though the populations are far smaller.
• Lifespan:The bird’s lifespan is believed to be 25-35 years.
• Conservation Status and Threats: The species is at-risk due to increased habitat loss from development, logging, and agriculture. It’s currently listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.