A 10pm blood red night rainbow over Scotland! Image credit: Stefan Lee Goodwin
A moonbow (also known as a moon rainbow or lunar rainbow) is a rainbow produced by moonlight instead of direct sunlight. 

Apart from the light source, its formation is no different from that of a solar rainbow: it is created by light being reflected in water droplets in the air caused by rain or a waterfall, for example. They are always positioned on the opposite side of the sky from the Moon relative to the observer. Mentioned at least since Aristotle’s Meteorology (circa 350 BC), moonbows are much fainter than daytime rainbows, since the surface of the Moon reflects a smaller amount of light. 

For this reason, it is much more difficult for the human eye to discern colors in a moonbow, as the light tends to be too dim to activate the color receptors in our eyes. As a result, we usually see moonbows to be white, but their colors do appear in long exposure photographs.

                   Lunar rainbow over Kihei, Maui, Hawaii, US. Image credit: Arne-kaiser 

Moonbows are best viewed at and around full moon, when the Moon is at or nearest to its brightest phase and is not obscured by clouds. 

For moonbows to to appear, the Moon must be low in the sky (at an elevation of less than 42 degrees, preferably lower) and the night sky must be very dark. But since the sky is not completely dark on a rising/setting full moon, moonbows can only be observed two to three hours before sunrise, or two to three hours after sunset. And, of course, there must be water droplets (e.g. from rain or spray) in the sky, opposite the Moon. 

This set of requirements makes moonbows much rarer than solar rainbows – they actually occur less than 10 percent as often as normal rainbows. Sometimes moonbows can also be observed during full moonrise during the winter months, when the sky is darker and rain falls at extreme latitudes. 

The definition of the colors is subject to the size of moisture drops present in the air: the smaller they are the less vivid the colors will be. A night rainbow on Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia. Image credit: Garry
Apart from rain, moonbows can also be induced by spray, fog or mist. In the USA, such bows may be seen around various waterfalls including Niagara Falls, New York, Yosemite National Park, California, or Cumberland Falls, near Corbin, Kentucky. 

Victoria Falls, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe is also widely known for spray moonbows. A spray-induced moonbow (lunar rainbow) at Victoria Falls (Zambia side). Image credit: CalvinBradshaw 

How to spot a moonbow? 

As noted above, moonbows are only visible for about 3 days around full moon, when viewed against a dark sky near the end of evening twilight, or before sunrise. In middle latitudes, the best time for moonbows is summer full moons, when the Moon spends more time low in the sky. 

In other seasons, moonbows may last only an hour. In showery weather, always look for a pale moonbow when the Moon is low and bright. You probably won’t see much colors, but if you mount a camera on a tripod, you can capture the colors easily.
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  Termitomyces titanicus. A rather fitting name for such a huge species. Image credit: Danny Newman
In Zambia, where mushroom-gathering is an important part of life, the Termitomyces titanicus is especially held in high regard. 

While the largest fungus (and organism) in the world is of the genus Armillaria and is currently consuming Oregon on 1,000 hectares, Termitomyces titanicus is the world’s largest edible mushroom, with a cap that can measure a little more than three feet (one meter) across. 

Interestingly, this giant mushroom species was unknown to Western science prior to 1980, despite its size and the fact it was a common item in native markets. This family living in Zambia purchased this giant specimen on the road to Lusaka, the capital city. Image credit: Words from the Wild
The name Termitomyces refers to how the mushroom grows inside a termite hill. The mushrooms in this genus have a symbiotic relationship with termites and grow on their fecal matter, breaking down plant material as food for them. 

Decayed mushroom tissue is another food source for the termites. In turn, the fungi associated with termites receive a steady supply of plant material, in a location with fine-tuned temperature and moisture content optimal for growth. The mushrooms are connected to the heart of a colony of fungal breeding termites. Image credit: Aanen and de Beer
But why does the mushroom grow so big? Well for one, it acquires a huge amount of resources from its insect mutualist, as termite colonies can reach densities in the millions, with countless individuals foraging for organic material to feed them. But it’s size is not only due the large amounts of energy it obtains: this horizontally transferred fungus must spread enough spores to be found by suitable termite species. 

In low producing savanna ecosystems, the distribution of termite mound may be quite patchy. So, to ensure that it gets a good chance at finding a suitable substrate, the fungus has evolved one of, if not the, largest mushrooms on the planet. The larger the mushroom, the more spores it produces, making it easier for initial termite foragers to actually find them. A Termitomyces titanicus found in a village outside Upemba National Park. Image credit: Blimeo
Titanicus grows in the winter during the rains, which is prime mushroom season in its habitat. It has a meaty texture and a savory, smoky taste which is considered to be particularly delicious. 

And a single cap can provide a full meal for an entire family…
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The tree has a distinctive external shape that makes it look like a huge umbrella, as the leaves grow only at the end of branches and point upwards. It has many branches; it grows by dichotomy, which means that each branch is divided into two until the leaves finally grow on the branches' ends. It produces a lot of green leaves that are renewed every three or four years; they fall and other leaves grow in their place. 

The dragon blood tree is a rare plant categorized under the dracaena genus of the Asparagaceae family. It grows in rocky grounds and on high locations, where it preserves water for many years; it is drought-tolerant and can adapt to arid conditions in which there is less water and soil. 

The dragon blood tree dates back to over 50 million years; it first appeared in the Mediterranean. It can now be found in a nature reserve containing 360 species of endangered plants and animals in Socotra, Yemen. It can also be found on Mount Dhofar in Oman, and in some subtropical forests. What makes this tree stand out among other trees in the world is that it bleeds when it is truncated; the bloody liquid is a type of red resin that has no smell or taste. 

This resin is of great importance, as it contains an effective substance known as draco, which has multiple medical uses and is part of the pharmaceutical industry to treat some health problems, such as: 

 Watch what happens when they cut a dragon blood tree off:

  This tree produces red honey that is one of the most expensive honey types in the world that has many health benefits; the roots are also used in some treatments including rheumatism. 

Moreover, the tree's wood is used in some industries, including bee cells industry; as for the leaves, they are used in making rope. 

We must also not forget its importance as a giant umbrella; many endangered animals live under its shadow to protect them from harmful sunrays. The tree is also known as the “Brothers Blood Tree”, in reference to the story of Cain and Abel, in which the first murder on Earth took place. 

In a Yemeni legend, it is said that Cain and Abel were the first to live on the Socotra Island; when Cain killed his brother, Abel, his blood was the reason the brothers blood tree (Dragon blood tree) grew.
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Every year in the fall, this beautiful tree sheds, and leaves behind a beautiful ocean of yellow leaves. The Ginkgo tree, also known as the maidenhair, is sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because, despite all the drastic climate changes, it has remained unchanged for more than 200 million years. 

It is a living link to the times when the dinosaurs ruled the earth. This specimen has more than 1,400 years of life.
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In the case of the Paraná, one of the most exciting discoveries was made at its delta: an island 120 meters in diameter, almost completely circular in shape, and floating freely on its axis. Image credit: Parque Nacional Ciervo de los Pantanos
So-called floating islands are found in many parts of the world, including Finland, Turkey, Italy, Serbia, the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine, Lake Titicaca on the border between Bolivia and Peru, Lake Loktak in India, and many other places. 

However, this Argentinean island stands out from the rest because of its shape and its continuous rotation. Floating islands are usually based on large roots that have ended up in the water and on which some other aquatic plant starts to grow. 

Plants found along the shoreline of wetlands often spread inwards from the shore, to where their roots no longer reach the deeper parts of the lake or river. 

When this happens, they use the oxygen in their root mass as buoyancy and the surrounding vegetation as support to survive in the water.

However, occasional violent storms can tear away these floating islands of vegetation, which can then be carried back and forth across the lake by the wind. 

Usually, they find calm somewhere again along the shoreline or break up completely due to stronger winds. In some cases, however, the floating islands may persist for longer periods. In the aforementioned Lake Titicaca, for example, a group of 120 islands has been taken by an indigenous tribe, the Uru, but these islands require constant maintenance to survive. 

The unusual piece of land known only as “El Ojo” (Eye Island) was formed by some very special currents that keep the circular island in constant motion. 

As it collides with its surroundings, it repeatedly detaches the muddy bits that might have given it a rest. The island itself was just recently discovered by Argentine filmmaker Sergio Neuspiller, who was looking for a location for one of his films about paranormal phenomena when he came across the island in the delta. 

He didn’t know at the time that the piece of land was spinning around slowly – he only found out when he returned to the site shortly afterwards and was surprised to see that the island had moved elsewhere in the meantime. 

The movement can also be seen in Google satellite images taken at different times. The recordings also prove that the island has been in the Paraná delta for almost 20 years, since 2003. Neuspiller got preoccupied with the question of the rotating island later, around 2016, when he, together with an engineer from New York, started raising funds to find out what’s behind the phenomenon. 

They wanted to collect 50,000 dollars to solve the mystery, but since not even a fifth of the amount came together, their investigation, which would have also covered the supernatural, was not completed. What a shame.
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