Amateur astronomers look forward to the Perseid meteor shower every year in August, and NASA predicts that the 2019 event will be among the finest ever. The new moon will offer the best viewing conditions, allowing the shooting stars to shine, so we may thank it for that. The greatest Perseid activity occurs on the nights of August 12 and 13, however, the Perseids are visible from July 17 to August 24. For the optimum viewing experience, get away from buildings and city lights. You'll be oohing and ahhing as up to 100 meteors per hour zip by.

On the first day of Navratri, it is customary in Northern India to sow barley seeds in earthen pots. These sprouts are used as lucky symbols on the day of Dussehra. The men tuck them behind their ears or in their caps.

Hermione Granger was widely regarded as one of the most brilliant witches of her generation, but when she is reintroduced to fans during the post-Battle of Hogwarts time jump in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, she appears to be leading a very normal existence. Of all, there's nothing wrong with it, but she looked destined for more. In the years thereafter, Hermione has fulfilled her promise, rising through the ranks of the Wizarding World's governing body to become Minister of Magic in 2019, succeeding her predecessor, Kingsley Shackelbolt.

The character of Macbeth was loosely based on Mac Bethad mac Findláich, a Scottish King in the 11th century. There are some significant differences between Shakespeare's storey and reality, and while the Bard portrays Macbeth's reign as brief and bloody, the real king was widely regarded as a successful and fair ruler, reigning from 1040 to 1057.

The blue whale is the world's largest living creature, dwarfing even the largest dinosaurs. Blue whales can grow to be over 100 feet long and weigh more than 100 tonnes. Their hearts are the size of a small car and can weigh up to 1,300 pounds. Blue whales have massive arteries that pump blood through their massive hearts and into their vital organs, which is unsurprising. These arteries are so large that a fully grown human could swim through them; however, you should not attempt this.

In the world's oceans, lakes, and freshwater rivers, stingrays are thought to exist in roughly 220 different species. One of the ocean's rarest species, the small eye stingray has a wingspan of nearly 7 feet, white markings, and tiny eyes (hence the nickname). 7 Only a few sightings were reported before the early 2000s, but this is gradually changing; in the previous 15 years, researchers have counted 70 sightings off the southern Mozambique coast.

Under all the ash and pumice that Mount Vesuvius' eruption left behind, many bodies were found. Italian architect Giuseppe Fiorelli discovered many of these had left holes in the ash layers after collapsing in 1863. He came up with the concept of injecting plaster into these holes to produce plaster casts of the Pompeii mummies. Since then, as they work to learn more about what transpired during this enormous tragedy, researchers and other architects have found this to be helpful.

The Christ the Redeemer statue defies the adage that lightning never strikes twice. The statue is struck by lightning several times a year, necessitating ongoing repairs. A violent storm in 2014 broke off a piece of the Christ's thumb and wounded his skull.

"When things are going well, [romantic love] is a very powerfully wonderful addiction," said Helen E. Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University, in a 2006 TED Talk. That's because the hormones released by your brain when you're in love are intensely euphoric, to the point of making you addicted to love—and the person you're in love with.

Poveglia, Italy, is the world's most haunted island. The Romans quarantined plague patients on Poveglia Island in the 18th century. Those infected with the plague, along with other diseased people, were abandoned on this island to die. This area was later converted into a mental hospital, which closed in 1968. Poveglia is off-limits to visitors, so any other creepy facts about this island will remain hidden.

Snow crystals usually form unique patterns, but there has been at least one instance of identical snowflakes in history. Two snowflakes collected from a Wisconsin storm were confirmed to be twins in 1988 at a Colorado atmospheric research centre.

Other minerals can be combined with sand, lime, and soda ash to produce different colored glass. Adding nickel oxide, for example, results in the violet glass.

Boys, in general, require motivation to learn. If you're having trouble motivating your son, try connecting learning to his interests. They may learn to play a musical instrument if they know they can play in a band, or they may practise kicking if they see it will help them score more goals. If they enjoy skateboarding, chances are they want to learn more about it, so use this as a motivator if reading is a challenge for them.

Despite what James Cameron's renowned 1997 film may have led you to think, the owners never claimed that the ship would never sink. According to historian Richard Howells, "the general public was unlikely to have thought of the Titanic as a unique, unsinkable ship prior to its maiden voyage."

Despite the fact that they have recently gained popularity. Cupcakes are far from a new invention. They've been around for more than 200 years. They were mentioned in the late 18th century, so don't think of them as miniature cakes. In every way, they are much more than that.

Perhaps the least known fact about Budapest is that it is home to the world's only UNESCO World Heritage Site metro system. The Budapest Millennium Underground line, which opened in 1896, is Europe's second oldest metro line, after the London Underground. Why was it given the name Millennium? Because Hungary celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 1896, the Millennium Underground was born. The line (M1) that connects Heroes' Square and Vörösmarty Square is still in use today.

Ferrari is no longer a family-owned company. Enzo Ferrari sold half of the firm he controlled outright to rival Italian carmaker Fiat Group in 1969. The transaction provided Ferrari with much-needed capital. Just before his death in 1988, Enzo Ferrari and his son Piero Ferrari sold even more of the firm, leaving the Ferrari family with only 10% control. The parent company of Ferrari is now known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, according to a recent filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Today, the Ferrari family earns just a small portion of the earnings from Ferrari sales and branded items, which are worth billions of dollars each year.

Because of Halloween, the candy industry in America earns an average of $2 billion per year (that's 90 million pounds of chocolate). According to History.com, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion on Halloween each year, which includes candy, costumes, and decorations. (Of course, Christmas is the most commercial holiday in the United States.)

Shells left over during lobster processing are typically discarded in landfills. A University of Maine researcher designed golf balls with a core made of lobster shells in an effort to make them valuable and keep the money in the lobster industry. They're also biodegradable, making them ideal for golfing on cruise ships or on courses near bodies of water.

You cannot get your passport photo taken while wearing a uniform, hats, caps, or even sunglasses. In fact, if your hair obscures your face, you will need to be photographed again. Only commercial employees, such as pilots and flight attendants, are eligible for approval.

Do you start your day with coffee? Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Caffeine can inhibit the production of cortisol, which your body produces in the morning. It is said that two to three hours after waking up, between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. for most people, is the best time to drink coffee because your body's cortisol levels begin to drop and require a boost.