Friday, August 1 is a red-letter day for eclipse enthusiasts. On that date, the sun will be partially eclipsed over an immense area that includes western and central Asia, parts of northern and central Europe, all of Greenland and even a small slice of northeastern North America.
A total solar eclipse — the first in nearly two and a half years — will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada, gives a glancing blow to northern Greenland, then shifts southeast through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk Route of China.
The path of totality for this upcoming eclipse is never more than 157 miles (252 km) wide.
Where it's visible
The total eclipse begins at sunrise over Northern Canada's Queen Maud Gulf, where the moon's umbra will first touch down on the Earth, resulting in Canada's hosting its first total solar eclipse since February 26, 1979.
As the sun comes into view over the north-northeast horizon its disk will become completely blocked by the moon. This is in the area of the famous Northwest Passage, a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic archipelago of Canada. The various islands of the archipelago are separated from one another and the Canadian mainland by a series of Arctic waterways collectively known as the Northwestern Passages. Politically, this region belongs to Nunavut, the largest and newest of the territories of Canada; it was separated officially from the vast Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999.
Although the umbral shadow narrowly misses the towns of Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, and Resolute on Cornwallis Island, its northern edge just clips the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world: Canada's remote outpost of Alert, which lies just 508 miles (817 km) from the North Pole and has a population of just 5. Here, totality will last 43 seconds.
Crossing the open Arctic, the southern half of the totality path slides across the many fjords of northermost Greenland, coming to within 450 miles (720 km) of the North Pole at 9:38 UT over the Arctic Ocean before turning southeast. Totality sweeps over the Norwegian island group of Svalbard, while the northern edge of the umbra's path just grazes Russia's Franz Josef Land island group, then cuts across the crescent-shaped island of Novaya Zemlya on its way to central Asia. The umbra first touches the Russian coast on the Yamal Peninsula. Not far inland, greatest eclipse, producing 2 minutes 27 seconds of totality, is attained near the town of Nadym (pop. ~46,000), just inland from the boot-shaped Gulf of Obskaja.
Spending part of your summer in Siberia may sound a bit more appealing upon hearing that the central path passes almost directly over the city of Novosibirsk, Russia's third most populous city (pop. ~1.4 million) where totality begins at 10:44 UT and will last 2 minutes 18 seconds. The center of the path will then follow the Mongolia-China border for several hundred kilometers, with Olgij, Mongolia getting 1 min 36s of totality. Totality finally whisks into north-central China, crossing the west end of the Great Wall before leaving the Earth at a point northeast of the major city of Xi'an (pop. 3.9 million).
The northern half of Maine as well as the Canadian Maritime Provinces will experience a partial eclipse at sunrise.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
A Total Solar Eclipse at August 1st
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Journey to Explore the Living Passages
Learn more about the living passages, at the same time experience the unforgettable journey across the sea and visiting lands that witness to some of the most important history of mankind.
Vacationers with interest to explore the living passages are definitely going to enjoy this Christian Cruises sailing adventures coached by experienced Bible Explorer Bob and other Great Bible Teachers.
Bible Cruises are going to be held on a privately chartered luxury yacht that holds up to 170 vacationers. The Bible teachings will be done on board and on shore. You are going to visit amazing settings while learning the Bible.
To name few of the tour destination, there are the amphitheatre where the Apostle Paul spoke, the Bible ports like Ephesus, Patmos, Athens, and Pergamum, also to Ephesus where Paul delivered one of his most moving sermons.
In this July, Christian Cruises will bring you Footsteps of Paul. This Christian Cruise will be coached by Bible Explorer Bob Cornuke and other Great Bible Teachers. Your spectacular Mediterranean Christian cruise will be started on July 18 and ended on 26, 2008 on a luxury Star Clippers Cruise Line's own Star Clipper.
For believers who have more time, they can also join the optional extended tour to the island of Malta to celebrate Bob’s discovery of Paul’s anchors. For complete tall sail Christian Cruise Adventure Itinerary please visit www.mychristiancruises.com.
At Georgia Aquarium, guests swim with whale sharks
ATLANTA - It might have been the setting for a "Jaws" movie. Six snorkelers wading like ducks in a row, cruising just below the surface of the water while watching exotic fish dart beneath them. It was all very peaceful, until the mysterious whale shark appeared out of the deep blue.
The whale shark is one of the most perplexing and elusive creatures in the ocean, still largely a mystery even to the marine biologists who have dedicated careers to studying the creatures.
But here, in the confines of the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta, it's impossible not to see the giant whale sharks — particularly when you're in the middle of their fish tank.
It's also somewhat hard to avoid them: The creatures seemed more intrigued by the visitors, often lumbering toward them like a slow, curious locomotive.
The guests were circling the world's largest fish tank through the aquarium's "Swim with Gentle Giants" program, which plucks six snorkelers and six divers into the 6.3-million gallon fish tank each day.
The visitors are treated to close-up encounters of roving bands of sting rays, sleek hammerhead sharks, enormous grouper and countless other species. But the puzzling whale sharks were the real draw — and for good reason.
The aquarium is the only outside Asia to house the whale sharks, and the only in the world to offer tourists a chance to dive with the creatures. The program's directors pitch it as an innovative and safe way to help visitors better understand animals they'd otherwise never see.
"An immersion experience is the ultimate way of connecting people and animals," said Bruce Carlson, the aquarium's chief science officer.
"It's a real opportunity for us to expand ways for people to get to know the animals here at the aquarium and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our visitors to see animals they'll probably never get a chance to see in the wild."
But the ambitious program has raised concerns from critics who worry that dangling legs and curious tourists could stress the habitat of the whale sharks and thousands of other animals that share the massive tank.
"There's a chance these animals can become stressed because of the increase in the amount of people in their environments," said Lori Marino, an Emory University biologist who studies whale biology. "Not only can it affect their physical health, but their mental health. And we don't know how much stress this puts on the animals or how they could respond."
The Georgia Aquarium is one of the few places that have ever attempted to house the creatures, and the only in the U.S.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Variety info about Toronto!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Most Innovative Hotel Design
Atkins has won an international competition to design a five-star resort hotel set within a beautiful 100 meter deep quarry in the Songjiang district close to Shanghai in China.
The hotel looks almost unreal, but this project is expected to be completed by May, 2009. Its stunning concept designs inspired by the natural water and landscape features of the quarry captured the imagination of judges to quash competition from two other international firms. The quarry will provide protection from the weather, and reduce the energy needs of the hotel. The complex will contain restaurants, cafes, sport facilities, and will even include underwater public areas and guestrooms.
The innovative design of the 400-bed resort hotel stands two levels higher than the rock face of the 100 metre deep quarry and includes underwater public areas and guestrooms. It will incorporate conference facilities for up to 1,000 people, a banqueting centre, restaurants, cafés and sports facilities. Sustainability is integral to the design ranging from using green roofing for the structures above the ground level to geothermal energy extraction. An aquatic theme runs through the design both visually and functionally. Two underwater levels will house a restaurant and guestrooms facing a ten-metre deep aquarium. The lowest level of the hotel will contain a leisure complex with a swimming pool and water-based sports. An extreme sports centre for activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping will be cantilevered over the quarry and accessed by special lifts from the water level of the hotel. - Via - Greenroofs & E-Architect
Friday, April 4, 2008
Largest swimming pool n teh world
In the South American resort of San Alfonso del Mar in Chile, this artificial lagoon and swimming pool is eight hectares in size and contains an incredible 250,000 cubic meters of water. Acknowledged by Guinness World Records as being the world's largest swimming pool, the lagoon trounces all other record holders in the category, including the Orthlieb pool in Casablanca, Morocco, itself a huge 150 meters by 100 meters the San Alfonso pool is 1km in length.
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7 Miracles of the World: Most Famous and Remote Locations
You often felt probably tired from all the stress of city life and wanted to get away from it all. You naturally look for a remote place, where no one can disturb you from your holiday. The following places have inspired writers for generations, have been the hiding place for many outlaws but have remained remote and unfrequented.
Located in the southern Pacific Ocean, the Pitcairn Islands are famous for being home to the descendents of the Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians that accompanied them. Today, the Pitcairn Islands are home to only 50 inhabitants (9 families), being the least populated island and jurisdiction of the world.
More an oasis than an island, Palmyra is a former important city of Syria, now turned into an oasis. Its roots can be traced back to the mid-first century, when the elegant city linked caravan routes, between persia and Phoenicia. Presently, Palmyra is referred to as “bride of the dessert” and is one of the most signicative historial edifices of the Far-east. Various archeological teams are working on and off on the location, uncovering remains of ancient Asirian or Babilonian civilizations.
If you ever wondered what’s the most remote location in the world, here is your answer. Bouvet Island has a reasons for being this isolated: 93% of its surface is covered by glaciers. The island was part of one of James Cook’s quests in 1772, when he left South Africa on a mission to find it. Oddly enough, a flash of light was recorded by a satellite in 1979 likely caused by a nuclear bomb explosion or a meteor. The island also was the setting for the 2004 movie Alien vs. Predator.
Located in the southern Pacific Ocean, the Pitcairn Islands are famous for being home to the descendents of the Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians that accompanied them. Today, the Pitcairn Islands are home to only 50 inhabitants (9 families), being the least populated island and jurisdiction of the world.
Tristan da Cunha is a group of remote islands in the south Atlantic Ocean inhabited by only 271 people. Apart from its alluring remoteness, the islands are also the ornthologists’ dream, with 14 types of petrel including the greater shearwater, the prion and the storm petrel. Deeded as them “the remotest island in the world”, Tristan da Cunha is an ideal place: it has no crime, no unemplyment and an income tax of several bucks a year.
The Bishop Rock it’s not a destination of its own, but a curiosity most of us will enjoy. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest island, the Bishop Rock consists of a Lighthouse that stands on a rock ledge 46m long by 16m wide, 4 miles west of the Scilly Isles.
Nauru is the world’s smallest island nation, with a surface of only 21 km², also being the smallest independent republic, and the only republican state in the world without an official capital. On the downside, people from Nautru are among the most obese people in the world, with 90% of adults overweight.
The Palm Islands are artificial islands in Dubai, famous for their amazing shape. The islands are The Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali and The Palm Deira. They were commissioned by the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to boost the country’s tourism industry, adding 520 km of beaches to the city of Dubai. Construction is believed to be finished in the next 10-15 years.
Monday, November 19, 2007
[PIC & Info] KIDZANIA
Ready to open on Nov 24, 2007
Kidzania adalah kota anak-anak dalam satu area, terletak di Pacific Place, SCBD, Jakarta Selatan. Seperti layaknya sebuah kota, di sini ada peraturan, pemerintahan, mata uang dan tata cara seperti kota sebenarnya.Di tempat ini anak-anak hingga usia 6- 13 tahun dapat berprofesi sebagaimana layaknya orang dewasa. Mereka dapat bekerja di stasiun TV, Rumah Sakit, Pabrik Coklat, Perusahaan Penerbangan, Polisi, pengacara, dsb.
Anak-anak juga dapat membuka rekening di bank, harus mengambil SIM untuk mengendarai mobil, bahkan ada penjara bagi yang melanggar peraturan. Beberapa brand menjadi sponsor area ini. Seperti stasiun TV dan korannya adalah Metro TV dan Media Indonesia. Sebuah cara yang cerdik untuk menanamkan 'top of mind' sebuah brand dari sejak anak-anak.
Airport ini sponsornya Air Asia
Anak-anak bisa berprofesi sebagai pilot di ruang simulasi ini
Ini suasana kotanya, masih gelap, karena belum beroperasi
Untuk bisa main ini, anak-anak harus ambil SIM. Kalau sudah punya SIM, kalau datang lagi nggak usah ambil SIM lagi
Untuk otomotif ini sponsornya Honda. Sampai khusus bikin Honda Jazz mini
SPBUnya juga ada lho.
Mau car wash juga bisa..
SONY juga ada tuh..
Nah, ini pabrik coklat by Silver Queen
Ada Holcim, Pepsodent, Pocari Sweat, Biscuit Factory by Better, kesempatan branding negh
Ada teaternya juga.. jaringan 21 belum masuk nih
MRT atau Trans Jakarta kah..?
Ini ceritanya green house.. buat yang mau belajar tanaman.
Factory Ice Cream juga ada.
Ini tempat dugem untuk anak-anak
Ada mall-nya juga lho...
Sunday, October 28, 2007
[PIC] WORLD'S LARGEST RESTAURANT
Mang Korn Luang atau lebih dikenal dengan nama Royal Dragon Restaurant adalah restoran terluas di dunia, yg terletak di kota Bangkok, Thailand. Resto ini memiliki gaya arsitek Cina dgn bangunan pagodanya yg dinamai Ten Thousand Year Tower terdiri dari 7 lantai, dan tiap lantai menampung 120 tamu.
Data statistik Royal Dragon Restaurant :
Luas restaurant :
Luas servica area : 16.000 m2
Luas dapur : 740 m2 (untuk parkir 200 mobil)
Luas parking area : 13.372 m2
Luas kantor area : 3.720 m2
Jumlah karyawan :
Waiter : 451 orang
Koki : 322 orang
Staff lain2 : 337 orang
Peralatan :
Piring : 24.500
Dishes : 21.500
Sendok Garpu : 17.282
Data lain2 :
Seats : 5.000
Serving food : 3.000 macam/jam
Karena restorannya sangat luas, para waiter menggunakan roller skate untuk mengantar makanan untuk menghemat waktu dan tenaga.
WOW....
