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Fig (1)

A partly cloudy sky showing clouds of various altitudes

Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, PSC Senior Astronomy Specialist

On 6 January 2007, the second day of a major rainstorm, heavy rains fell in the morning. By about 11:00 EET, a faint rainbow appeared in the northwestern sky. Mr. Aymen Ibrahem, PSC Senior Astronomy Specialist, was in the BA Plaza, observing the improving weather, and also keeping an eye on beautiful garden snails that were feeding on plants, and playing acrobats as well.

Garden snails are land snails that breathe air, unlike other marine species that breathe through gills. They are herbivores, feeding on plants and vegetables. They are very slow creatures, crawling at speeds of a few mm per second.

"Garden snails are fascinating creatures," said Ibrahem. "I always enjoy observing their amazing behavior. They often play clever acrobats while thriving to reach plant leaves."

Fig (2)

Out for Food

Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, PSC Senior Astronomy Specialist

Garden snails are nocturnal animals; but during rains and humid weather, they are active during daytime. Ibrahem pictured their activities with a variety of telephotos and macro lenses. He would like to share his photos with the readers of the PSC website.