1. After a 16-year study, German
astronomers have reported
a black hole in the middle of the Milky Way Galaxy. At four million
times the size of the sun, it’s a wonder why hundreds
of international observatories haven’t noticed it before; especially those
in Peru that have been around for 4200 years! Don’t worry about the entire galaxy being
sucked into this massive abyss though because it’s a good 27,000 light years
away. Plus, tonight you should watch out
for the moon’s collision with the Earth! Not really, but tonight’s moon will be
its closest
distance in 15 years.
2. How is Google
Earth costing the government 600,000 dollars? After this
photo of the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base surfaced last year, observant
onlookers noted the building looked quite similar to a Swastika from
above. To correct this architectural
controversy, the government is spending 600K to make renovations to the four separate
buildings. Makes you wonder what your
house is saying from above!
3. The world’s population is
increasing at an astronomical rate according to this population ticker, but
have you ever wanted to put a name to a number?
Babynamemap.com can help you
to find the most popular names in the U.S. and selected countries like Australia, Sweden, Denmark or England. Interestingly, many of the trendy names in America, such
as Emily, Isabella, Jacob, and Christopher are also favorites around the
world!
4. Looking for more gifts for your
geo-loving friend? See if ArtofGeography.com can inspire you!
“The Art of Geography is about combining art, technology, and appreciation of
the natural world.” You can search for custom maps, panoramas, or abstract paintings
that look quite similar to satellite images
from GeoEye.
5. Just like food, language and
music, the holiday spirit is adopted by different cities and transformed into
something that’s unique to place. Check
out Intelligent
Travel’s recent posts on “Celebrating the Season;” a chronicle of the ways in
which different cities around the world celebrate Christmas. Whether you’re soaking in the nutcracker
ballet in Moscow or watching the lighting of the
Rockefeller center Christmas tree in New York, there’s a Christmas tradition almost everywhere
you go!
Bethany for My Wonderful World