AEOLUS: European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched wind-sensing satellite named Aeolus into orbit on board of Vega rocket from French Guyana. It is world’s first wind-sensing satellite dedicated to map Earth’s wind on global scale in particular tropical winds which are very poorly mapped because of almost complete absence of direct observations. The satellite is Aeolus named after guardian of wind in Greek mythology. It will be placed at altitude of 320km above the Earth. It is part of the Copernicus project, a joint initiative of European Union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA) to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief operations. Aeolus space mission was fifth of ESA’s planned Earth Explorer missions. Others already have completed or in operation. They have measured Earth’s gravity and geomagnetic fields, soil moisture, ocean salinity and frozen expanses collectively known as cryosphere.

World Mosquito Day: The World Mosquito Day is observed every year on August 20 to raise awareness about the causes of malaria. The observance of the day seeks to created awareness to prevent and also to fundraise for research into the cure of malaria. World Mosquito Day also marks groundbreaking discovery of British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross when he had identified link between mosquitoes and malaria way back in in 1897. He had found that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.