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Laguna Miscanti is a brackish lake in the Altiplano of the Antofagasta Region in northern Chile. It has an area of about 13 km² (5 sq mi) and the shape of an arrowhead. The lake has no permanent surface inflows or outflows apart from several springs, and is primarily fed and drained by groundwater. Laguna Miscanti is located among the volcanoes of the Central Andes, and formed through tectonic processes about 22,000 years ago. It was once larger, but the climate became drier again during the Holocene, and the lake shrank and may have dried out completely, leaving wetlands behind. The lake reformed 3,400 years ago and has persisted since. Laguna Miscanti is an important breeding site for birds and a major tourist destination within the Los Flamencos National Reserve. Prehistoric peoples used the area as a hunting ground, and several archaeological sites have been identified nearby. The smaller Laguna Miñiques lies immediately south, separated from Miscanti by a lava flow. (Full article...)

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Flag of Uganda

... that the flag of Uganda (pictured) features a crested crane, a symbol of fortune, longevity and wealth among the indigenous Baganda people?
... that composer Marta Canales donated the manuscript of one of her pieces to a Carmelite monastery?
... that a pedestrian bridge linking two Luxembourg City neighbourhoods began receiving opposition in the neighbourhood it crosses 18 years before its construction started?
... that Vandal king Gelimer lost the Battle of Ad Decimum because he paused pursuit to mourn his brother?
... that Inori's debut novel received a publication offer when she had almost forgotten about it?
... that the 1644 historical view asserts that China suffered not one but three centuries of humiliation?
... that John Weiss signed with the New York Giants in 1944 despite having no college or professional football experience?
... that a burglary prompted a newspaper's operation to leave the Lithuanian Alliance of America clubhouse?
... that Kai Cenat's Streamer University received more than 1 million applications within minutes of opening enrollment?

In the news

Haakon VIII

Duane Keith Davis is convicted of orchestrating the 1996 murder of American rapper Tupac Shakur.
An attempted coup against the military junta in Niger occurs.
King Harald V of Norway dies at the age of 89 and is succeeded by Haakon VIII (pictured).
In athletics, Masai Russell and Alison dos Santos break the world records for the 100 metres hurdles and men's 400 metres hurdles, respectively at the Weltklasse Zürich.

On this day

September 2: National Day in Vietnam (1945)

Editorial cartoon showing Theodore Roosevelt carrying a big stick

1789 – The United States Department of the Treasury was founded following financial concerns in the new nation.
1870 – Franco-Prussian War: Prussian forces captured Napoleon III at the Battle of Sedan, which led to the collapse of the Second French Empire within days.
1901 – U.S. vice president Theodore Roosevelt first publicly used the phrase "speak softly and carry a big stick" (cartoon pictured) at the Minnesota State Fair, describing his philosophy of negotiating peacefully while simultaneously threatening to use military force.
1946 – The interim government of India, headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, was formed to assist the transition of India from British rule to independence.
1998 – A fire in the cockpit on Swissair Flight 111, en route from New York City to Geneva, caused the aircraft to crash into the Atlantic Ocean near Canada, killing all 229 people on board.

Constantius III (d. 421)
Mary Cecil Allen (b. 1893)
Monte Pearson (b. 1908)
Joshua Soule Zimmerman (d. 1962)

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Desmond Child

The Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, also known as La Musa Awards, was established on October 18, 2012, by Desmond Child (pictured) and Rudy Pérez, and is located in Miami, Florida, United States. The hall of fame is dedicated to "educating, honoring and celebrating the lives and music of the world's greatest Latin songwriters and composers". Child conceived of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame after realizing that he was only the third Latino to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Nominations for inductions are selected by its committee of music professionals, which consists of producers, composers, musicians, and performers, with the winners being voted by the general public. To be eligible for a nomination, the songwriter, composer, or lyricist is required to have their first published work released at least 20 years before the year of induction. The accolades are divided into three groups: inductees, posthumous inductees, and additional honorees. (Full list...)

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The atmosphere of Pluto is the layer of gases surrounding the dwarf planet Pluto. It consists mainly of nitrogen, with smaller amounts of methane and carbon monoxide, produced by the sublimation of surface ices. Its surface pressure is about 100,000 times lower than that of Earth's atmosphere, and varies with Pluto's seasons and orbit. The atmosphere contains a multi-layered haze, probably formed from compounds produced when atmospheric gases react under high-energy radiation. Its temperature rises rapidly above the surface before gradually falling at higher altitudes. Pluto's atmosphere was confirmed through a stellar occultation in 1988 and studied at close range by the New Horizons spacecraft during its 2015 flyby. This New Horizons photograph, taken 15 minutes after the spacecraft's closest approach on July 14, 2015, shows more than a dozen layers of haze in Pluto's atmosphere, backlit by the Sun. The surface shows rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to the horizon. The image was taken from a distance of 11,000 miles (18,000 km) to Pluto; the scene is 780 miles (1,250 km) wide.

Photograph credit: NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI

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