China and Nepal say they have determined the “most accurate height of Everest that we have ever had,” calculating it to be about 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet) high. That’s almost a meter taller than the mountain’s previous recognized height. CNET reports: The two countries, which border each other at the mountain’s summit, shared the news in a joint virtual briefing Tuesday…
Tag: Nepal
Everest Gets an Altitude Adjustment: Nepal and China Agree on Height
How tall is Mount Everest? Until now, it depended on whom you asked. China said it was 29,017 feet. Nepal said it was a little taller, at 29,028 feet. The countries have closed that 11-foot gap and reached an agreement. From a report: The world’s tallest peak this week will get a new, unified official height from the two nations it…
Pluto’s snowcapped mountains are unlike any on Earth
A new study shows how methane snow accumulates on Pluto’s mountain peaks. These snowcaps – first seen by New Horizons in 2015 – look a lot like ones on Earth, but form in a very alien environment. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/methane-snowcapped-mountains-on-pluto-new-horizons…
What Mars Would Look Like If Its Surface Was Covered With Water
schwit1 writes: A new map shows what the red planet would look like if 71 percent of its surface area was covered with water — around the same proportion as Earth. The results are spectacular: it shows two distinct landmasses forming, each of which would seem to form continents. While the left side shows a dramatic, mountainous terrain that includes Olympus…
Endangered tigers have made a remarkable comeback in five countries
The number of wild tigers is on the increase in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Russia, say conservationists Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2250138-endangered-tigers-have-made-a-remarkable-comeback-in-five-countries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020
On the heels of the June solstice, the new moon will sweep directly in front of the sun on Sunday, June 21, 2020, to stage an annular – ring of fire – solar eclipse for the world’s Eastern Hemisphere. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/annular-solar-eclipse-on-june-21-2020…
Slowing the Coronavirus Is Speeding the Spread of Other Diseases
schwit1 shares a report from The New York Times: As poor countries around the world struggle to beat back the coronavirus, they are unintentionally contributing to fresh explosions of illness and death from other diseases — ones that are readily prevented by vaccines. This spring, after the World Health Organization and UNICEF warned that the pandemic could spread swiftly when children…
Happy Buddha Purnima on May 7
Buddha Purnima – Buddha’s birthday – is celebrated on a full moon day in the month of Vaisakh (April/May) according to the Hindu calendar. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/photo-moon-buddha-purnima-may-7-2020…
World’s shortest man has passed away aged 27
Khagendra Thapa Magar had been recognized as the shortest man in the world who was able to walk. Born in 1992 in the Baglung district of Nepal, Khagen… Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/333877/worlds-shortest-man-has-passed-away-aged-27…
When did humans start altering Earth?
The ArchaeoGlobe Project assessed knowledge on human land use over the past 10,000 years, through the contributions of more than 200 archaeologists. It concluded that, by 3,000 years ago, most of Earth was already transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers and pastoralists. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/when-humans-start-altering-planet-earth-anthropocene…