Alauda

Alauda is a genus of larks with four species found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands.

These birds are 14–18 cm long and live in cultivation, heath, natural steppe and other open habitats. The long, unbroken song is a clear, bubbling warble delivered high in the air while the bird is rising, circling or hovering. They are fairly undistinguished: streaked brown above and pale below, with a short, blunt, erectile crest. In flight, they display a short tail and short broad wings. The tail and the rear edge of the wings are edged with white.

Their diet consists of seeds, supplemented with insects in the breeding season. They nest on the ground in tufts of grass, with three to six eggs per clutch. They form flocks when not breeding.

Species in taxonomic order

Skylark (Italian band)

Skylark is an Italian power metal band founded in 1994 by Eddy Antonini and is still active today.

History

Skylark was founded by Eddy Antonini in 1994 with the intent of exploring several musical styles in one project. After adding four members, the group recorded the 1995 album The Horizon and the Storm, the first of a series of yearly releases. From 1996 they released on the Italian label Underground Symphony. The 1997 released Dragon's Secrets received several positive reviews in metal magazines. Antonini also recorded a solo effort, When Water Became Ice, in 1998 in between Skylark releases.

Skylark (rocket)

Skylark was a British sounding rocket design. The Skylark was first launched in 1957 from Woomera, Australia and its 441st and final launch took place from Esrange, Sweden on 2 May 2005. Launches had been carried out from sites in Europe, Australia, and South America, with use far beyond the UK by NASA, the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), and German and Swedish space organizations.

History

The design first dates to 1955, when initial work was carried out by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and the Rocket Propulsion Establishment at Westcott. The first vehicles were ready less than two years later, and sent for testing to Woomera during the International Geophysical Year.

During the 1960s Skylark evolved into an excellent platform for space astronomy, with its ability to point at the Sun, Moon, or a star. It was used to obtain the first good-quality X-ray images of the solar corona. Within the UK national programme, the frequency of Skylark launches peaked at 20 in 1965 (from Woomera), with 198 flights between 1957 and 1978.

Sky+

Sky+, or Sky Plus, is a personal video recorder (PVR) service for Sky in the UK. Launched in mid 2001, it allows the user to record, pause and instantly rewind live TV. The system performs these functions using an internal hard drive inside the Sky+ set top box. Its chief competitors in the UK market are the Freeview+, Freesat+, BT Vision, and Virgin Media's V+.

In the Republic of Ireland, Sky+ competes with UPC's Digital+ box which offers 160GB or 250GB of storage. As of 30 September 2009, there were 5.9 million customers with Sky+.

The £10 per month subscription fee was discontinued for subscribers from 1 July 2007, but will continue for Freesat from Sky use.

Technical information

Sky

The sky (or celestial dome) is everything that lies above the surface of the Earth, including the atmosphere and outer space.

In the field of astronomy, the sky is also called the celestial sphere. This is viewed from Earth's surface as an imaginary dome where the sun, stars, planets, and the moon are seen to be traveling. The celestial sphere is conventionally divided into regions called constellations. Usually, the term sky is used informally as the point of view from the Earth's surface; however, the meaning and usage can vary. In some cases, such as in discussing the weather, the sky refers to only the lower, more dense portions of the atmosphere.

During daylight, the sky appears to be blue because air scatters blue sunlight more than it scatters red. At night, the sky appears to be a mostly dark surface or region scattered with stars. During the day, the Sun can be seen in the sky unless obscured by clouds. In the night sky (and to some extent during the day) the moon, planets and stars are visible in the sky. Some of the natural phenomena seen in the sky are clouds, rainbows, and aurorae. Lightning and precipitation can also be seen in the sky during storms. Birds, insects, aircraft, and kites are often considered to fly in the sky. Due to human activities, smog during the day and light pollution during the night are often seen above large cities.

Sky (building)

Sky (also known as 605 West 42nd Street) is a mixed-use building in Midtown Manhattan developed by the Moinian Group. The building was originally known as "Atelier II" due to its proximity to another Moinian rental, Atelier. The building contains residences and retail space. The building is one of two major developments by Moinian in the Special Hudson Yards District, the other being 3 Hudson Boulevard. At 656 ft., is the 59th tallest building in New York City.

History and construction

The Moinian Group purchased the site in 2005. It originally held a gas station and a parking facility. The project first broke ground in 2008, but construction was stalled due to the recession from 2009 until 2012, and the project was dubbed, like several nearby developments, a "zombie project" because Moinan retained ownership of the site but did not continue development. Activity resumed with a redesign by David Rockwell, replacing the original by Costas Kondylis. Construction began again in 2013, and was completed by the end of 2015.Tishman Realty & Construction was the firm responsible for the construction of the building.