GÁSADALUR VILLAGE IN THE FAROE ISLANDS
Gásadalur is located on the west-side of Vágar, Faroe Islands, and enjoys a panoramic view over the island of Mykines. The tiny village (of 17 in 2007) is surrounded by the highest mountains on Vágar and lies at 62°6’44′N 7°26’5′W.
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The islands form a self-governing country under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. The total area is approximately 1,400 km² (540 sq mi) with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people.
The Faroe Islands has been a self-governing dependency of Denmark since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have taken control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands also has representatives in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation.
Photograph by GARETH CODD PHOTOGRAPHY
THE CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN VANCOUVER
Photograph by MICHELLE LEE
The Capilano Suspension Bridge crosses the Capilano River in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The current bridge is 136 metres (446 ft) long and 70 metres (230 ft) above the river. It is part of a private facility, with an admission fee, and draws over 800,000 visitors a year.
The bridge was originally built in 1889 by George Grant Mackay, a Scottish civil engineer and park commissioner for Vancouver. It was originally made of hemp ropes with a deck of cedar planks, and was replaced with a wire cable bridge in 1903. In 1910 Edward Mahon purchased the Capilano Suspension Bridge. “Mac” MacEachran purchased the Bridge from Mahon in 1935 and invited local natives to place their totem poles in the park, adding a native theme. In 1945, he sold the bridge to Henri Aubeneau.
A SUNSET ECLIPSE
Photograph by GIL NARTEA
In this beautiful capture we see two children gazing at a partial solar eclipse over Manila Bay in the Philippines back in 2009. As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses (like the one above) only part of the Sun is obscured.
The Sun’s distance from the Earth is about 400 times the Moon’s distance, and the Sun’s diameter is about 400 times the Moon’s diameter. Because these ratios are approximately the same, the Sun and the Moon as seen from Earth appear to be approximately the same size: about 0.5 degree of arc in angular measure. The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is an ellipse, as is the Earth’s orbit around the Sun; the apparent sizes of the Sun and Moon therefore vary.
As it is dangerous to look directly at the Sun, observers should use special eye protection or indirect viewing techniques.
FRACTAL PATTERNS IN DRIED OUT DESERT RIVERS
Photograph by ADRIANA FRANCO for National Geographic
This incredible aerial photograph by Adrian Franco was selected as National Geographic’s Picture of the Day for April 9, 2012. In it we see the incredible fractal patterns rivers (now dried out) have made as they spread into the salt flats of the Baja California Desert in Mexico.
These patterns are nearly identical to the Lichtenberg Figures that result from an electrical discharge (e.g., scars from people struck by lightning have the exact same patterns).
THE STUNNING GREEN VINE SNAKE
Photograph by SUHAAS PREMKUMAR for National Geographic
The Green vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta), is a slender green tree snake found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is diurnal and mildly venomous, normally feeding on frogs and lizards. Green vine snakes are slow moving, relying on camouflaging as a vine in foliage to hunt.
The snake expands its body when disturbed to show a black and white scale marking. Also, they may open their mouth in threat display and point their head in the direction of the perceived threat. There is a widespread myth in parts of southern India that the species uses its pointed head to blind its human victims.
The species is viviparous, giving birth to young that grow within the
body of the mother, enclosed within the egg membrane. Their venom is
mild and causes swelling, with symptoms usually subsiding in three days.
COLLIDING RIVERS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Photograph via I_let_my_dog_lick_my
In this incredible photograph we see the junction of the Rhone and Arve rivers in Geneva, Switzerland. The river on the left is the Rhone, which is just exiting Lake Lehman. The river on the right is the Arve, which receives water from the many glaciers of the Chamonix valley (mainly the Mer de Glace) before flowing north-west into the Rhone on the west side of Geneva, where its much higher level of silt brings forth a striking contrast between the two rivers.
THE COCONUT OCTOPUS
Photograph by Mario Neumann
Amphioctopus marginatus, also known as the coconut octopus or veined octopus, is a medium-sized cephalopod belonging to the genus Amphioctopus. It is found in tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean. It commonly preys upon shrimp, crabs, and clams, and displays unusual behaviour, including bipedal walking and gathering and using coconut shells and seashells for shelter.
The main body of the octopus is typically around 8 centimeters (3 in) in size, and, with arms, approximately 15 centimeters (6 in) long. In this amazing capture by photographer Mario Neumann, the contrast of the white suckers to the rest of the octopus and sea floor makes it look like some kind of alien spaceship!