National Geographic Society
P.O. Box 98199
Washington, DC 20090-8199
800-647-5463
Lat/Lon: 38.90531943278526, -77.0376992225647
Inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888
RSS Syndication
OK, it’s not like we watch America’s Next Top Model religiously, praying for something to blog about—like, say, the so-called environmental theme (which pretty much went up in smoke when a photo shoot was staged next to a burning car) or the fact that the models’ (and host Tyra Banks’s) modern-day weaves can’t compare to the awesome mummy with a weave. But really, how can we not watch? This show is a cultural touchstone! Don’t take our word for it. This week, the New York Times profiled Heather, the contestant with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Anyway, there we were last night, tuning in for the penultimate episode in this sorry cycle (because really, Tyra, kicking Heather and Lisa off—what are you thinking?), and the models are in China, which is a topic of interest to National Geographic. And the show gave the impression that China's Great Wall can be seen from space.
Now it sure would be amazing if the Great Wall could be seen from the space, or specifically from the moon. That lunar claim has been made at least since 1923—and in National Geographic Magazine!. But according to NASA’s Web site, when astronauts went to the moon in 1969, they couldn’t see the Great Wall at all. Nor does the wall readily pop up in photos from the International Space Station.
A NASA spokesman explains: "In fact, it is very, very difficult to distinguish the Great Wall of China in astronaut photography, because the materials that were used in the wall are similar in color and texture to the materials of the land surrounding the wall.”
But there are exceptions. In radar photography from space, the Great Wall is visible. As Tyra might say, “I have in my electronic hands, a picture of Mongolia, taken from the International Space Station in 2004 (image above). The light was just right, the wall was set off by snow. If you squint, you can make out segments of the Great Wall.” (The arrows help). And if you squint even harder, you can see Tyra’s weave.
— Marc Silver
Photograph courtesy NASA
Subscribe to RSS feed
Ancestry.com
Buy NG Photos
Special Issues
Comments
Dec 1, 2007 10AM #
I think this may be the funniest thing I have read in a month. It is almost winning a dare that you can't put "america's top model" and "nasa" in the same story and have it make sense. So thoroughly enjoyed it!
Post a Comment