D Tuesday, September 15, 2009 METRO record rain: If you thought our barbecue summer was a bit of a damp squib, thank the heavens you dont live on Saturn. A powerful 5,000km-wide lightning storm broke out in January 2009 and has just become the solar systems longest continuously observed thunderstorm, breaking the 225- day record set by a storm observed on Saturn in 2007-08 by Nasas Cassini spacecraft. wash bug: Feel fully cleansed when you step out of a hot shower? Well, be warned you could just have picked up a nasty bug. Shower heads are breeding grounds for bacteria, a study has found. About one in three harbour enough Mycobacterium avium to cause lung disease in the elderly, pregnant or unwell. People should avoid plastic heads and blasting water on to their faces, US experts said. fly away: Most birds will move rather than stay in an area where the climate is not right for them. The few species such as the Annas Hummingbird that did not pack up and fly away to a new town when the climate changed in Californias Sierra Nevada mountains were better able to exploit human-altered habitats, according to US researchers. If you have a story for MiniCosm please e-mail us at news@metroireland.ie MINICOSMSCIENCE & DISCOVERY IN BRIEF who plays Hermione in the movies based on the childrens novels by author JK Rowling, took the title for the highest grossing actress of the decade. Angelina Jolie retained her world title as most powerful actress but her partner Brad Pitt was knocked off the top spot by Johnny Depp as most powerful actor. Strictly spins away with a world record STRICTLY Come Dancing has entered the record books as the worlds most suc- cessful reality TV show. The format has been sold to 38 countries, meaning it is an even more popular brand than The X Factor or Big Brother and their spin-offs. It is a hit in countries including Russia, China and India and is particularly big in the US, where the show is called Dancing With The Stars. As well as Dancing With The Stars, Strictly Come Dancing has inspired other formats and spin-offs such as ice-dancing versions, said Craig Glenday, editor of the 2010 Guinness World Records book. That, together with the massive number of view- ers, means it is the most successful. Meanwhile, Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe was named highest grossing ac- tor of the decade after each of his films earned an average of almost 450million at the box office. His Hogwarts sidekick Emma Watson, By Jo Steele Top reality brands Strictly Come Dancing: Sold to 38 countries around the globe as Dancing With the Stars Big Brother: Sold to 19 countries. Germany holds the record for the longest uninterrupted TV show in history, running for 8,763 continuous hours X Factor: The show and variations of it are broadcast in 18 countries. Last years British X Factor final, won by Alexandra Burke, attracted 13.2million viewers Pop Idol: It spawned spin-off series in about 30 countries. The second season final of American Idol attracted 38million viewers Spot the difference: A model in a bizarre outfit struts the catwalk at New york Fashion Week Picture: AP index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html