Israa Seblani, a 29-year-old Lebanese bride, figured that it would be just another Tuesday as she stood smiling and posing for her wedding video. Little did she know that moments later, the world around her would be shattered by a powerful shockwave that nearly blows her off her feet. In just seconds, all of the structures around her and the photographer are covered in piles of smashed glass from the blown-out windows. Read more for the footage and additional information.
Photo credit: NN744234
Apple Central World is now the second and largest retail location in Thailand, located in the heart of Ratchaprasong, Bangkok’s famous intersection. It also has the first-ever all-glass design, housed under a cantilevered Tree Canopy roof spanning two levels via a spiral staircase that wraps around a timber core. Or, you can ride a stunning cylindrical elevator clad in mirror-polished stainless steel. Read more for a video tour, additional pictures and information.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, nicknamed the Doomsday Vault, is essentially a secure seed bank on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago. It’s managed by the Norwegian government, the Crop Trust, and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). Recently, the area has been experiencing a heat wave, which saw peak temperatures of 71.7° F (averages 48°F in July) in Longyearbyen, a small town on the northern Norwegian island of Svalbard, setting a new record. Read more for two videos and additional information.
China has successfully launched its Tianwen-1 mission to Mars mission on a Long March-5 carrier rocket, which took off under perfectly clear skies around 12:40 p.m. from Hainan Island. Zhang Xueyu, launch commander, announced “The Mars rover has accurately entered the scheduled orbit,” to cheers in the control room. This marks the second flight to Mars in a single week, after the UAE orbiter was sent off on a rocket from Japan on Monday. Read more for a video and additional information.
The United Arab Emirates successfully launched its first mission to Mars early on Monday, as the Hope Probe blasted off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 1:58 a.m. UAE time / 6:58 a.m. Japanese time Monday on a seven-month journey to the red planet. Once the probe arrives, it wil orbit the planet and then send back data about the atmosphere. Read more for two videos, including a livestream, and additional information.
It’s not everyday that you see drones putting on a light show, much less one reminding you to wear face masks, wash your hands and socially distance. That’s what happened in Seoul, South Korea, this past weekend. Around 300 drones were used to showcase motivational and awareness messages during this coronavirus pandemic. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: NASA / Hinode/ XRT
On June 21, 2020, a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse is set to occur, which also marks the Summer Solstice. Since the moon is too far away from Earth to block out the entire Sun, it leaves a sliver visible, resulting in an annular solar eclipse and giving the appearance of a “ring of fire” around the moon starting around 5:43 p.m. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Astronomers and night workers on remote sites from Cape Lambert to Hope Downs in Pilbara, Australia witnessed a bright light just before 1:00am. Reports of this stunning green fireball came from as far away as the Northern Territory and South Australia. It has not yet been confirmed as a meteoroid, but some speculate that it could be the remains of a recently launched rocket. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: Comune di Negrar di Valpolicella
The last thing archaeologists expected to find in Verona, Italy while conducing excavations at a vineyard in Verona was a well-preserved mosaic floor dating back to the third century A.D. The first traces of this ancient residence was discovered in a hilly area above the town of Negrar di Valpolicella, near Verona, in 1922, but it took a team from the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Verona to uncover the stunning find. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Facebook
In England, the government is now allowing groups of up to 6 people meet outside in parks or private gardens as long as you follow the guidance and remain 6-feet apart. Most are following the guidelines, but at least one group decided to descend upon the old Chinnor quarry in Oxfordshire, which is also known as the “Blue Lagoon”, but not for the reasons you may think. Many were photographed jumping off the cliff edges into the water and going for a leisurely swim. Read more for a drone video and additional information.