Ultimate Places

Found this very cool picture of the Milky Way on Wikipedia’s website. Thanks to the Park Service guy that went through the effort to make it.

I ran across this website awhile back looking for good examples of how Flash can be used as a powerful educational tool, rather than just for goofy internet ads. Its amazing to me what they have done with the technology, and how it  really brings the study of archaeology alive for the general public. It would be the perfect tool for getting young students interested in science, something I think is badly needed these days.

Theban Mapping Project

Valley of the Kings (Wikipedia)

Another website I have found really interesting is the one produced by the Alaska Volcano Observatory. I first encountered it just before a trip to the lower-48 in 2006, when I was concerned enough about the ongoing eruptions of the Mt. Augustine Volcano, which had been disrupting air travel at that time.

What struck me in watching the website during that time and since is just how active Alaska really is tectonically, not only from an earthquake standpoint, but when it comes to volcanoes also. In the time I have watched the site at least one or more of the 40+ active volcanoes in Alaska and across the Aleutians to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula have been erupting on some level.

All of these volcanoes pose a significant risk to local and international air travel, and in the early years it was shear luck that a few eruptions didn’t claim the lives of hundreds of unsuspecting passengers. In fact the Observatory if I am not mistaken was created because of the very real hazards these volcanoes pose.

The most active volcano currently (and the one pictured here)is Pavlov on the Alaska Peninsula, near Cold Bay.

Mt. Augustine - Google Map / Wikipedia

Pavlov - Google Map

I’ve lived in Alaska for a number of years, and have always found the Aurora Borealis to be a fickle phenomenon. Between their unpredictability and the cold weather that typically coincides with the best viewing times, you have to either be a really hardy soul, or a fall in love with them to venture out on a regular basis to watch and wait for them.

Given my hit or miss experience with them, this is why I was really surprised to find a better way of forecasting when they are likely to be good. I’m sure this online resource has been known for years by some, but for me it was refreshing to see. Maybe now I can hedge my bets a little bit better, and freeze a little less.

For those outside the general path of the Aurora, hopefully you find a fascinating resource, and a potential planning tool if you ever decide to venture to Alaska in the winter.

For more on the Aurora Borealis visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)
http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/auroraforecast/

Below are a series of shots that were taken as the eclipse occurred between 1-2 A.M on August 28, up in Alaska. I used a Nikon Coolpix 5700, which lies somewhere in the middle between your typical point and shoot camera and a serious digital SLR. The exposure varied between 4-8 seconds, mounted on a tripod. I wasn’t expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised by the results.
For more information on lunar eclipses (and some really neat photos) visit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_eclipse

Until the other day I had always thought the largest cavern in the world was in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. But it turns out the largest cave chamber is actually located in Deer Cave, in Malaysia’s Gunung Mulu National Park. The cavern, known as the Sarawak Chamber is over three times the size of the “Big Cave” in Carlsbad, and measures approximately 600m long, 400m wide and 100m high. This is equivalent to nearly 38 acres, or 10 jumbo jets parked end to end.

Here is the best picture I have found so far, to give you sense of the scale of the cavern. And its only the first 200 meters!

To find Gunung Mulu National Park, look in the northeast corner of the following map.

Related Websites:

Gunung Mulu National Park Website

Gunung Mulu National Park Photos

Deer Cave and Gunung Mulul National Park Photos

More Photos from Gunung Mulu National Park

Like its famous cousin, the Annapurna Trek, the Khumbu Trek offers passage through a part of the world that nobody should miss if they get a chance. Not everyone might have the will or ability to tackle Everest, but with enough desire, I think the Khumbu Trek is open to just about anyone.

The trek these days starts largely in Lukla (after flying in), but if you have more time, you can include the lower half of the trail that Sir Edmund Hillary followed before his ascent of Everest. This lower segment is known as the Jiri Trail, named after its starting point in the village of Jiri. The trek climbs up through the mountain valleys below Everest with numerous stops along the way including the most famous of which are Namche Bazaar, and Everest Base Camp.

Here is the best Khumbu trek map I have found online. This map is also worth looking at. It shows the traditional starting point at Jiri.

In addition to Everest, some of the notable mountains along the route include Tramserku, Kongdi Re, Ama Dablam and Kang Taiga.

Here is a map of Nepal to give you a sense of the location of Everest and the Khumbu in relation to everything else.

Related Websites:

Kripples in the Kumboo - Except for the cost of getting to Nepal, there is little excuse for not making the trip after you visit this site.

Photos from the Khumbu Trek

More Khumbu Photos - TrekEarth

Sir Edmund Hillary - Wikipedia

Namche Bizzare - Wikipedia

The Taj Mahal, located in Agra (north central Indi), represents the high point of Mughal architecture, and stands as one of the world’s great historic buildings. The Taj Mahal combines elements of Indian and Persian design as well as those of Hinduism and Islam. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his late wife Arjumand Banu Begum (also known as Mumtaz Mahal), and stands as the greatest of the many tombs and other monuments that Shah Jahan had constructed during his lifetime.

What adds to the beauty of the Taj Mahal is the landscaping and the design of the overall grounds and buildings that surround the monument. The building was inspired by a variety of earlier Mughal monuments, including the Humayun’s Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s Tomb and the Jama Masjid. Its also been said, that was a source of inspiration for other monuments, including the Palace of Versailles, and the reflecting pool on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

Another legend which has been passed down, and remains disputed, is that Shah Jahan planned an identical tomb for himself that would lie on the opposite side of the river from the Taj Mahal and be built from black marble instead of white. I don’t know how credible the legend is, but such a sight would have been nothing less than amazing.

If you are interested in seeing the Taj Mahal one day, you can see its general location in India on this map.

Related Websites:

Photos from the Taj Mahal and related buildings

Photo of the Taj Mahal from space (this picture more than anything else seems to lend credibility to the idea of Shah Jahan’s desire to build a second building.

Mughal Empire - Wikipedia

Emperor Shah Jahan - Wikipedia

While Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico, doesn’t hold the record as far as the longest cave (that distinction goes to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky), or the largest cave (Lubang Nasib Bagus, Malaysia) in the world, it does offer a variety of everything, a wonderful assortment of beautiful cave formations, and unlike some its very accessible.

Over 100 caves can be found in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, all of them formed as part of an ancient Permian-age fossil reef. The largest cave chamber is known as the “Big Room”, and has enough space within to fit more than 6 football fields inside of it, or roughly 8 acres. The deepest cave in the park (Lechuguilla Cave), and indeed one of the longest caves in the world was found only recently (1984) in the park’s back country. Cavers in their exploration of Lechuguilla have found over 100 miles of passages running as deep as 1,567 feet. This makes it the 5th longest cave in the world and the deepest cave in the United States.

The park is open year-around, although the best season to visit, if your worried about weather conditions above ground, is in the fall. The main cavern itself remains a fairly constant 56 degrees through out the year.

As noted previously, Carlsbad Caverns is located in southeast New Mexico, near the Texas border. Appropriately, the closest town is named Calsbad. Here is a map to guide you.

Related Websites:

Geologic History of Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns Photos

Pictures of Carlsbad Caverns

More Photos of Carlsbad

Carlsbad Caverns NP - Wikipedia

A very surprising news article came out in the last few days about scientist discovering what appears to be ancient denistry on 6,500 year old teeth from Pakistan. Scientists believe the practice was performed using small bows and pieces of flint, but aren’t sure what the “dentists” were doing, because only a few of the teeth drilled, showed signs of decay. They also haven’t found signs of fillings being applied to drilled teeth. Imagine getting your teeth drilled without a pain killer. Damn that had to hurt.

For more on this story you can find the complete article here…..