FlipFact of the Day: As the kids these days would say, the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) has a romantic life that can be described as #relationshipgoals. The stories are true: It is, in fact, a monogamous, loyal partner by nature.
Upon reaching sexual maturity (which takes about 5 to 7 years), the bird selects a single mate. They raise their young together and stay a couple for the rest of their lives; if one of them dies, however, the surviving eagle searches for a new mate. Interestingly, eagles think of human caretakers as lifetime partners as well; in these instances, an eagle cannot be paired with another eagle.
Today’s Science History Milestone: On July 4, 1868, American astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born. While working at the Harvard College Observatory, she studied Cepheid variable stars, which change in brightness over set periods of time. She observed a connection between the amount of time it took for these stars to change in brightness and their actual brightness. Eventually, this discovery not only provided us with a way to measure the distances of stars and galaxies, but also changed how we understand the size of the universe itself.
Still remember your 5th-grade science classes? Test your knowledge and see if you still remember these facts and fundamental concepts in human anatomy, biology, botany, and other branches of science. Click here to try the “Are You Smarter Than A Pinoy Fifth-Grader” Challenge.
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Image: atlasobscura.com
References
- https://www.flipscience.ph/plants-and-animals/philippine-eagle/
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
