“The titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum (from Ancient Greek amorphos, “without form, misshapen” + phallos, “phallus”, and titan, “giant”) is a flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. The titan arum's inflorescence is not as large as that of the Talipot palm, Corypha umbraculifera, but the inflorescence of the Talipot palm is branched rather than unbranched”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Kew Gardens employee Lauren Bird Royal examines the flowering of the Titan Arum lily at the Botanical Gardens at Kew on September 30, 2005 in London, England. For the first time in horticultural history, the Titan Arum lily can be seen at all three active stages in its lifecycle – in flower, fruit and leaf.The flowering corm is nearly three metres tall and weighs 91kg and is very rarely seen outside of the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

South Korean police officers show their martial arts' skills during the official launch ceremony of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit on February 15, 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. The Korean National Police Agency launched a security squad, exclusively established for the successful hosting of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. The 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit will be held in Seoul from March 26-27, 2012. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Assam's Veerangana commandos take part in a rehearsal for India's Republic Day parade at Khanapara in Guwahati, India January 23, 2017. India celebrates its annual Republic Day on January 26. (Photo by Anuwar Hazarika/Reuters)

Demonstrators help a fellow protester during clashes with security forces during an opposition rally in Caracas, Venezuela on April 4, 2017. Protesters clashed with police in Venezuela Tuesday as the opposition mobilized against moves to tighten President Nicolas Maduro' s grip on power. Protesters hurled stones at riot police who fired tear gas as they blocked the demonstrators from advancing through central Caracas, where pro- government activists were also planning to march. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research centre located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,258 residents, and serves as the United States Antarctic science facility. All personnel and cargo going to or coming from Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station first pass through McMurdo.

The Royal Observatory just announced its Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2013 winners. Australian photographer Mark Gee was chosen among a thousand amateur and professional photographers around the globe to win the top title. His work is part of an exhibition of the winning photographers, which opened on Sept. 19 at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The Royal Observatory shared with us the winners and notable mentions of the competition. Their descriptions of the prizewinners can be found below the images.

“Don't take the life too serious”. (Photo by David Olkarny)

A participant plays a game on her phone as others watch during a break in a traditional Chinese opera competition at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China, November 26, 2016. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)