MikeLigalig.com

Sedlec Ossuary


Little would you suspect what lies inside ... Image: currybet [Flickr]


Entrance to the Sedlec Ossuary. Image: Curious Expeditions [Flickr]


The chandelier at Sedlec Ossuary. Image: B10m [Flickr]



The Schwarzenberg family's coat of arms, done with at least one of every bone in the body. Image: goldberg [Flickr]

The Sedlec Ossuary resides in a small Roman Catholic chapel in Sedlec, Czech Republic. If you didn't know any better, you wouldn't have guessed that inside the unassuming building is an ossuary containing about 40,000 human skeletons artistically arranged to form decorations, chandeliers, and furnishings!

In the 13th century, an abbot returned to Sedlec with a small amount of earth from Golgotha, the site of Jesus' crucifixion, and sprinkled it all over the abbey's cemetery. This made the grounds of the church a desirable burial site and over centuries thousands of people were buried there.

In 1870, František Rint, a woodcarver was hired to put the heaps of bones in order. He decided to make a work of art out of the skeletal remains: a chandelier made from skull and bones, a coat of arms of the family that paid him to do the work, and even an "artist's signature" done in bone, of course!

Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo


Capuchin Catacombs. Image: deadgoodbooks [Flickr]


Mummies on the wall of the Capuchin Catacombs. Image: Kircher Society

When the Capuchin monastery in Palermo, Italy, outgrew its original cemetery in the 16th century, monks excavated the catacomb below it and began a bizarre tradition that lasted until the 19th century.

The Capuchin monks mummified the bodies of the dead, dressed them up in everyday clothing and then put them on display on the monastery walls. Apparently, it was quite a status symbol to be entombed in the Capuchin monastery - prominent citizens of the town would ask to be preserved in certain clothing or even have the clothes changed on a regular basis according to contemporary fashion!

When the last body was interred in the late 1800s, there were 8,000 mummies on the walls of the Capuchin monastery and in the catacombs.

Terracota Army


Terracota army. Image: MichaelTyler [Flickr]


Image: mkools [Flickr]


Each face and pose of the Terracota army soldier is distinct from the others. Image: Peter Morgan [wikipedia]

In 1974, local farmers in Xi'an, China, discovered a vast underground complex of mausoleum while drilling for water. They had serendipitously stumbled upon the burial ground of Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor and the unifier of China.

According to legends, the First Emperor was buried alongside great treasures inside a tomb with pearl-laced ceilings (in a pattern that represented the cosmos) and channels dug in the ground with flowing mercury to represent the rivers of China. But the most famous feature of the tomb is the Terracota Army, about 8,000 life-like and life-sized statues of soldiers buried alongside Qin Shi Huangdi to help the Emperor rule in the afterlife.

Catacombs of Paris


Catacombs of Paris. Bones from the former Magdalene cemetery, deposited in 1844 in the western ossuary (bone repository) and transferred to the catacombs in 1859. Image: Vlastimil Juricek [wikipedia]


Wall of bones in the Catacombs of Paris. Image: Ivan Paganacci [Flickr]

Officially called les carrières de Paris or "the quarries of Paris," the Catacombs of Paris is a network of underground tunnels and rooms that used to be Roman-era limestone quarries.

In the late 1700s, Paris was suffering from diseases caused by improper burials and mass graves in church cemeteries. Local authorities decided that they would remove thousands of bones and place them stacked in the abandoned underground quarries.

Today, the entrance to the catacombs is restricted and only a small portion of the 186 miles (300 km) worth of underground tunnels is accessible to the public. Secret entrances to the Catacombs, however, dotted Paris - urban explorers have found access via sewers, manholes and even the Paris Metro subway system.

Valley of the Kings


Valley of the Kings. Image: Shelby PDX [Flickr]


The tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings. Image: Hajor [wikipedia]


Tomb of Ramses III in Luxor, Valley of the Kings. Image: Peter J. Bubenik [wikipedia]


Sarcophagus of the Pharaoh Merenptah in the KV8 tomb of the Valley of the Kings. Image: Hajor [wikipedia]


Luxor Temple. Image: mike nl [Flickr]

Even if you don't know much about the Valley of the Kings, a burial ground of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, chances are you know about one of its occupants: King Tut and the Curse of the Pharaohs that accompany his grave.



In 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered and opened the tomb of Tutankhamen - despite warnings that "Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King." Lord Carnarvon, the funder of the expedition, was the first to die: he was bitten by a mosquito and later accidentally lashed the bite while shaving. His wound became infected and he died of blood poisoning.

Whether the "mysterious" deaths associated with the Curse of the Pharaoh actually had anything to do with opening of the tombs or just great copy to sell newspaper, scientists did recently discover that the tombs indeed contained potentially dangerous molds, bacteria, toxins, and even hazardous gases.

Giza Necropolis


The Pyramids of Giza. Image: liber [Flickr]


The Great Sphinx. Image: ironmanix [Flickr]


The Pyramids of Giza are not too far from the urban sprawl of Cairo. Image: graspnext [Flickr]

There are more than 100 pyramids in Egypt, with the largest and most famous being the complex of pyramids in Giza Necropolis, Cairo, Egypt. This complex consists of the Great Pyramid of Giza (tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu or Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Great Sphinx statue, as well as several other smaller satellite pyramids.

Let's take, for instance, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When it was completed in 2560 BC, the pyramid was 481 feet (147 m) tall with each base side being 758 feet (231 m) wide. The blocks weigh about 1.5 tons each, with the internal granite blocks used as the roof of the burial chamber being about 80 tons each. The ancient Egyptians knew what they were doing: the base sides have a mean margin of error of only 2 1/3 inch (58 mm)! Needless to say, it is an amazing work of engineering.

Westminster Abbey


Westminster Abbey. Image: Inetours


Newton's grave at Westminster Abbey. Image: Sacred Destination

The gothic church Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom was established by Benedictine monks in the tenth century (and rebuilt in the 13th century by King Henry III) - since then it has evolved into both the coronation church for English royalty and the final resting place of monarchs.

Though at first Westminster Abbey was the burial place of kings, aristocrats, and monks, it soon became the tomb-of-choice (if there is such a thing) for the who's who in England. Poets and writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred Tennyson; as well as scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Ernest Rutherford were all interred there.

Tana Toraja


Toraja cave tombs with balconies, filled with tau tau. Image: Kaeru [Flickr]


"In Tana Toraja, everything revolves around death. The graves can be very sophisticated yet sometimes, long after the coffins are destroyed by time, people gently place bones along natural cave 'racks'. Often, the bones are offered cigarettes or various offerings. This is supposed to prevent dead ancestors from bringing bad luck and otherwise making the lives of the living miserable." Image: phitar [Flickr]

The Toraja people in Sulawesi, Indonesia, have what is probably the most complex funeral ritual in the world. When someone dies, the funeral is attended by a lot of people and can last for days! But that's not the strange part - this is: the funeral ceremony is often held weeks, months, or even years after the death (to give the family of the deceased time to raise enough money for expenses).

Torajans can wait that long because they believe that death is not a sudden event but instead a gradual process towards the afterlife (if you're wondering about the smell - the dead body is embalmed within the first few days of death, then stored in a secret place until the funeral ceremony).

After much partying (including the slaughter of one or several water buffaloes), the dead is buried in a stone cave carved out of a rocky cliff. A wood-carved effigy called tau tau, carved with the likeness of the dead person is then placed in the balcony of the tomb to represent the dead and watch over their remains.

10 Most Fascinating Tombs in the World

by Alex Santoso
neatorama


Newgrange


Newgrange burial mound. Image: mike nl [Flickr]


The wall of Newgrange. Image: Barbara y Eugenio [Flickr]


The engraved slab in front of Newgrange's entrance. Image: mike nl [Flickr]

The burial mound of Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland is definitely one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in the world. Build between 3300 BC - 2900 BC, it is the also the world's oldest surviving building (it's older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt).

Newgrange is impressive: the circular mound is 250 feet (76 m) across and 40 feet (12 m) high. It covers an entire acre (4046 m²). A long tunnel under the mound leads to a high-domed burial chamber, a corbelled vault with ceilings made of huge, interlocking stone slabs.

The entrance to Newgrange is marked with a huge curbstone that is elaborately carved with "megalithic art," which includes spiral and concentric arc motifs chipped into the stone with flint tools.

hanging coffins in Indonesia

hanging coffins in China

Hanging coffins at Sagada, Mountain Province in the Philippines

yes, these are tombs.

In Tabuk City, Kalinga (Philippines), tombs come in different shapes and sizes according to the former life of the deceased. ERNIE PEÃ'AREDONDO 

kun butangan nag bugas, wards, unya dung-agon, puso aka hanging rice ang gawas sa ato. 

missing the dear departed.  praying, trying to pray every which way...

Bonus Armadillo shoes


Alexander McQueen in 2010 released a set of armadillo shoes. They were then popularized by the likes of “Lady” Gaga, and other celebrities, who are not too worried about looking utterly ridiculous in public. The shoes above were the originals â€" many other styles have since followed.


http://listverse.com/

1 Lotus Shoes
China, from the 10th century to 2009


The Han Chinese tradition of binding women’s feet to make them appear as small as a lotus bud lasted well over a thousand years. The last shoe factory to stop mass production of lotus shoes was the Zhiqiang Shoe Factory. The factory added lotus shoes for old Chinese women who still had bound feet to its product range in 1991. In the first two years, more than 2,000 pairs of shoes were sold annually. It announced in 2009 that it will make the shoes only on a special-order basis.

2 The Ballet Boot
1980s-present day


This shoe merges the look of the traditional ballet slipper with the ultimate high heel. The illusion is to force the wearers feet almost en pointe, like those of a ballerina using an ultra long heel. The Ballet Boot originally gained popularity in the 1980s, and is now available worldwide through specialty stores and online.

3 Wooden Bridal Shoes
France, late 19th century


The clogs were made in one piece of the trunks of walnut trees which formed a rectangle with its roots. Later the branches of a tree were pulled and warped in a special way to pre-shape the tree for making this type of clogs.

4 Padukas (Toe-knob sandals)
India, 1700s


Ceremonial padukas, or toe-knob sandals, is the name of India’s oldest, and ultimate footwear. They were little more than a sole with a post and knob, which was situated between the big toe and second toe. They were commonly made from silver, wood, iron or even ivory.

5 Heelless shoes
2007


Heelless shoes made their debut on Antonio Berardi’s runway in 2007, and were made famous by Victoria Beckham in 2008.

6 Chopines
Italy, 1580 â€" 1620


The debut of these shoes was during the renaissance, but they were still the shoe of choice for many Italian women at the beginning of the 17th century. These treasured shoes were made of wood, and either covered with fine silk or velvet. They were embellished with silver lace, tacks, and were finished with a silk tassel.

7 Plaited birch bark shoes
Finland, mid-20th century


In the early part of the 20th century, women wore bark shoes daily, with cloth foot wrap inserts. They were also used as overshoes to protect more costly leather shoes against rain, mud and snow. These shoes were commonly made from Birch bark, but they could also be made from linden or lime-tree bark. Norway, Sweden and even Russia have all had their own version of the footwear. The lifespan of bark shoes is limited to about one week.

8 kabkabs
Lebanon, 14th-17th century


Silver studded Wooden stilts known as “kabkabs” or “nalins” were once a practical way for women in the Middle East to protect themselves from dirt and discomfort on wet, muddy streets and in hot, wet bathhouses.

9 Men’s high heels
Europe, 1700s


Shoes and stockings became very important for men in the 1700s, when the tailored coat and breeches came into fashion and the focus shifted to the lower body. Boots went completely out of style in favor of these new elegant heels, now elaborately decorated with ribbons, rosettes or buckles.

Top 10 Most Bizarre Shoes in History


10 Okobo
Japan, 18th century â€" today


The height of Okobo shoes generally measures at 5 1/2 inches (14 cm), and the wood sole is carved hollow, giving them a very distinctive sound when one walks in them.

Quote from: hofelina on October 31, 2013, 08:38:33 PM


6. Cool Grass Tire Stools

i like this best.  and that tire island planter at the back.  sundogon ni nako labon naa miy 6 ka tires nga gilamok lang.  thanks, hof.

after all, i can't make it to tagbilaran to lasso fr chic and bugsay, as i've imagined.  face not healing yet from kurikong.

hello, fr chic!  great to hear from you.  we understand that your homecoming was not only earthshaking, you were at the right time, right place for another kind of spiritual outreach--being part of the relief efforts, as is, where is.  to god be the glory.

p.s. pictures bi.

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“Also the coastline will be farther than usual, and sinkholes will become soil depressions,” he added.

Cave Inspections

Jasareno also advised local officials in Bohol to inspect caves in the province before opening it to the public because “the stalagmites or stalactites may have been disturbed after the earthquake, which could lead to the collapse of parts of the cave.”


more at http://www.mb.com.ph/new-sinkhole-found-tagbilaran-city-residents-told-to-evacuate/

“We will be able to finish the map of the entire province by December but as we complete a portion, we already hand out the map to the respective local government units,” he pointed out.

He also noted that change in the topographic feature of Bohol has changed after the earthquake.

“After the earthquake, we have expected cracks, which are part of the process over time. The environment will adjust to it like the soil will cover the rupture,” he said.

Jasareno has not yet received reports on how many households will be affected but pointed out that “only a portion of Purok 7 and 8 in Barangay Poblacion Uno” is affected by the sinkhole.

“Sinkhole is a natural phenomenon in Bohol because 80 percent of its soil is made of limestone, which is water soluble. Over geologic time or millions of years before the limestone will be dissolved. But it becomes hazardous if there is a rupture because the soil cover could induce landslide,” he explained.

MGB is currently mapping out Bohol province to determine the exact location of sinkholes and number of affected households, Jasareno said.

New sinkhole in Tagbilaran; nearby residents to evacuate

by Ellalyn De Vera
October 31, 2013

Manila, Philippines â€" Residents of a Tagbilaran City village in Bohol were advised yesterday to immediately evacuate as they are living on top of a newly discovered sinkhole.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Leo Jasareno said they advised the residents to leave the place as “tension cracks were observed, which could lead to possible rupture.”

The 5-meter by 4-meter wide sinkhole with a depth of 2 meters was discovered after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Bohol last October 15. It is one of 50 sinkholes discovered after the quake.

the map.  evacuation advised.   

too bad if they fight...

kadako sa iyang kamot nga managpa, paigo gyod tawon ang tibook nawong sa babaye, tsk, tsk, tsk.  better be a reticent wife.

goodness me.  it looks like a weapon of mass destruction.

with due respect to the mullah...

moolah is a US slang for money; origin unknown (oxford dictionary of modern slang)

Quote from: Lollapalooza on October 30, 2013, 01:43:40 PM


Good boy Morocho ^_^

he's battle-scarred intawon.  you're great, morocho.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on October 30, 2013, 11:51:23 AM

a real champion!  yeheeey!

Quote from: Lollapalooza on October 30, 2013, 11:42:24 AM


Blouse: P390 (buy 1 take 1 pa + borloloy nga kwintas)
Pants: P350 (with discount)
Sandal: Free (hinatag man)
Earrings: P100/pair

Total cost: P840.00

dressing for comfort, dressing wisely.  congrats!

Quote from: Lollapalooza on October 30, 2013, 11:39:56 AM
You Won't Believe How Much These Fashion Editors Spend On Their Outfits

To be a fashion editor, one must have excellent taste -- but does that mean expensive taste? For Anna Dello Russo and Giovanna Battaglia, definitely. In a new video for Moda Operandi, Dello Russo, an editor for Vogue Japan, quips:

Anna: "To me, I have to look expensive. I need a kind of fifty..."
Giovanna: "$50,000!"

Anna: "$50,000 each outfit a day."


Anna claims they were only kidding, but we decided to put this to the test by choosing two outfits the fashion editors have recently worn and tallying up the approximate cost.* Keep in mind that these numbers don't include the pricey hair and makeup products undoubtedly used along with any outerwear they may or may not have sported throughout the day. Here's just one example:

Giovanna Battaglia, editor of L'Uomo Vogue



Total cost of dress, shoes and earrings: $8,715


Anna Dello Russo, editor-at-large for Vogue Japan


Total cost of dress: $68,000

Enough said.

*We found comparable items by the same or similarly-priced designers to approximate the cost. These numbers are estimates and in no way 100 percent accurate.

~huffingtonpost.com~

and they both look funny.  but i wonder what the total price is for the outer attire that woman behind anna dello russo is wearing?  she definitely is the better dressed one.

but cats in space are not strange, bai hubs.  cats anywhere are okay, you know.

Quote from: wardiflex on October 30, 2013, 03:22:31 PM
i need more power and good health o Lord...i want to survive unta makaya nako ni tanan nimong pagsuway... Thank you so much sa tanan.. fight pa!

you will survive all your trials, wards, because you've been obviously gentle with yourself.  our prayers for more strength and blessings for you.

Quote from: Lorenzo on October 30, 2013, 12:40:03 PM
On November 7 to the 8 I will be attending a medical seminar in Rosemont , Illinois on new research on stereotactic radiosurgery. I will be attending the symposium with other esteemed medical doctors, most of whom are oncologists, radiologists, hematologists, pulmonologists. Excited.

that's great, lorenz.  enjoy and learn more! 

Quote from: Lollapalooza on October 30, 2013, 11:22:17 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY my one and only dear BROTHER MARK!!!! Lampas na edad kalendaryo.... labyu <3

tb birthday greetings to your brod, loll!

look closer, pareha baya sila ug buhok.  puro pa gyod patok.

ako gyod hinooy inahan aning bataa di na lang gyod nako gukdon kay mahimo kong laing sine, way angay. 

at least, the boy can get away with it.  what a great story.

Quote from: Lorenzo on October 30, 2013, 01:15:18 PM
Hehehe, my best friends..

Quote from: vrglguapo on October 30, 2013, 03:20:36 PM
POLYGAMOUS...HEHEHE

one more for the maximum limit for the number of wives, lorenz, hehehe.

Quote from: Lorenzo on October 30, 2013, 01:02:43 PM
As i re-activated my facebook, I couldn't help but look at my old facebook photos , college years, and smile at the young faces of yesteryear...

young indeed.  you all look fresh-faced.

that tyke could be the future pope francis II!  who can say?

http://news.yahoo.com/

Eventually Francis convinced the child to take a seat. But he didn't go back to his spot on the steps. Instead, the rambunctious youngster sat on the Pope's chair while he continued his speech, which led to this a-dor-a-ble photo that @pegobry posted on Twitter.


PEG @pegobry
Love. Kid runs on stage during @Pontifex speech, hugs him, Pope sits him on his chair to continue the speech.
9:01 AM - 29 Oct 2013

The interaction goes to show a.) the Pope has some serious cross-generational appeal and b.) you can get away with a lot when you're a kid and don't know any better.

But the boy's misadventure didn't end there. He kissed the cross around the Pope's neck.



And refused to be ushered back to his seat and, as other people came on stage to greet the Pope, the boy did his best to keep them from honing in on his new buddy, the Pope.

Pope Francis meets perhaps biggest, certainly cutest fan

by Mike Krumboltz
Yahoo News, 30 October 2013

A young boy wandered onto the stage at the Vatican this past weekend, hugging Pope Francis as he tried to give a speech.The boy, who looks about 6, was originally sitting on the steps near the Pope, while Francis listened to followers address him at the Vatican's Year of Faith Celebration. Boys will be boys, and this one wanted a closer look at the man in the robe. So, he wandered up to give a personal hello.

A young boy approached and hugged Pope Francis while he was addressing the faithful during the Year of Faith Celebration at St. Peter's Square at The Vatican in this photo provided by Osservatore Romano on Sunday, October 26, and released October 29. The boy, who was sitting on the steps, wandered near the Pope and eventually gave the Pontiff a hug. Pope Francis then convinced the child to take a seat but instead, the eager youngster sat on the Pope's chair while he continued his speech. AFP/Osservatore Romano

bilib bitaw ko mo-test nato si lord on high.  earthquake tuod sa bohol, lihok tanan, karon naa nay geology ug ruins tours didto nga wa sa una.  hurot akong bilib baya sa resilience of the human spirit.

lord, palayo intawon ug baha.  bisan asa.  bun-og na man intawon ta ug natural disasters uy.  pero di na lang ko moreklamo...

That’s the spirit. But the Boholanos’ resilience and indomitability in the face of disaster cannot stand alone. Now is the time for everyone to put their money where their mouths and social media hashtags are, and make an effort to back the province in its efforts to get back on its feet. The mantra of the season should be “Visit Bohol.”


http://opinion.inquirer.net/

And so the ruins and the fault line will now be part of the Bohol tourism product, he said. The famed Chocolate Hills, too, will now have the added attraction of a mound or two split open by the quake, revealing the limestone core. The new tourism activity even has a proposed name this early: the Geo-Science tour of Bohol. Said the governor: “Bohol will be a good learning center for culture, arts, heritage, environment and geology.”

Bohol will be unable to resuscitate its tourism industry without adequate and safe infrastructure. But it is refusing to yield to paralysis and confusion. The initiative to turn the island’s fault line into a tourist sightâ€"to mine opportunity in disaster, in effectâ€"has the blessings of the local government. “Bohol’s attractions have not diminished but added,” said Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto. “[It] still captures tourist interest with its so many other points… People would like to see what happened to these churches after the earthquake.”

In all, six Bohol churches were pulverized and 17 others were badly shaken. Fr. Milan Ted Torralba, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, estimates the rehabilitation cost for the Bohol churches, not counting those likewise affected in neighboring Cebu, to reach at least P100 million.

Raising all that money and directing it to the restoration of religious edifices, no matter their historic and cultural import, will take time and a careful calibration of political realities. Right now, much of the rehabilitation effort is aimed at providing immediate relief to some 380,000 people displaced by the disaster. Damage to infrastructure is also significantâ€"some 12,102 houses now uninhabitable, 55,846 partially damaged and 38,342 partially affected. With aftershocks still ongoing, that tally may still rise.

Prospective visitors will be happy to know that the popular Loboc River Cruise, the flagship tourist attraction in the town that also hosts a world-renowned children’s choir and a historic church that dates back to 1734, has resumed operations, a mere two weeks after the quake and after the damaged docking piers were quickly repaired. Loboc’s San Pedro Apostol Church, however, said to be the second oldest such structure on the island, suffered massive damageâ€"a toppled façade, its intricately decorated ceiling turned to rubble, half its bell tower shornâ€"that would take years and enormous resources to rehabilitate. It was among six churches designated as national cultural treasuresâ€"aside from Loboc, those in Baclayon, Loon, Dauis, Maribojoc and Dimiaoâ€"that either sustained heavy damage or, as in the case of Loon’s circa-1850 Church of Our Lady of Light, were completely destroyed.

Bohol may have been devastated by the quake, but it’s clear that it hasn’t lost its entrepreneurial bent for tourism. Before the quake, the province had enjoyed a reputation as a national trailblazer in turning its myriad attractionsâ€"from pristine beaches to the rare tarsier, from the Chocolate Hills to centuries-old churchesâ€"into an innovative tourist experience that integrated leisure, adventure, history and heritage. Like Bali, Bohol was an enchanted island that had it all, and hordes of local and foreign visitors have heeded its siren call. This year, some 2,770 Japanese tourists and 10,932 Koreans visited Bohol from January to Juneâ€"a 14-percent increase from the same period last year.

Editorial

That’s the spirit

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Tuesday, October 29th, 2013

“The Great Wall of Bohol” is how the phenomenon that appeared in the wake of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the province is now being called. Such was the power of the Oct. 15 temblor that it forced up a 3-meter-high rock wall and produced a big gash in the land that now runs through some of the most bucolic farmlands and woods on the island. It’s a remarkable sight illustrating the geological violence that occurs during an earthquake, and Boholanos were quick to spot an opportunity when a number of tourists began asking to see the fault line. These days, Barangay (village) Anonang, which hosts a portion of the fissure, carries a sign that says: “This way to the fault line.” And visitors are streaming in.

1 Vacuum Energy

Credit: NASA-JSC-ES&IA



Quantum physics tells us that contrary to appearances, empty space is a bubbling brew of "virtual" subatomic particles that are constantly being created and destroyed. The fleeting particles endow every cubic centimeter of space with a certain energy that, according to general relativity, produces an anti-gravitational force that pushes space apart. Nobody knows what's really causing the accelerated expansion of the universe, however.


http://www.space.com/

2 Quasars

Credit: NASA-MSFC



These bright beacons shine to us from the edges of the visible universe and are reminders to scientists of our universe's chaotic infancy. Quasars release more energy than hundreds of galaxies combined. The general consensus is that they are monstrous black holes in the hearts of distant galaxies. This image is of quasar 3C 273, photographed in 1979.

3 Neutrinos

Credit: Jeff Miller/NSF/U. of Wisconsin-Madison



Neutrinos are electrically neutral, virtually mass-less elementary particles that can pass through miles of lead unhindered. Some are passing through your body as you read this. These "phantom" particles are produced in the inner fires of burning, healthy stars as well as in the supernova explosions of dying stars. Detectors are being embedded underground, beneath the sea, or into a large chunk of ice as part of IceCube, a neutrino-detecting project.

4 Galactic Cannibalism

Credit: F. Summers/C. Mihos/L. Hemquist



Like life on Earth, galaxies can "eat" each other and evolve over time. The Milky Way's neighbor, Andromeda, is currently dining on one of its satellites. More than a dozen star clusters are scattered throughout Andromeda, the cosmic remains of past meals. The image above is from a simulation of Andromeda and our galaxy colliding, an event that will take place in about 3 billion years.

5 Gravity Waves

Credit: Henze/NASA



Gravity waves are distortions in the fabric of space-time predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. The gravitational waves travel at the speed of light, but they are so weak that scientists expect to detect only those created during colossal cosmic events, such as black hole mergers like the one shown above. LIGO and LISA are two detectors designed to spot the elusive waves.

6 Exoplanets

Credit: ESO



Until about the early 1990s, the only known planets in the universe were the familiar ones in our solar system. Astronomers have since identified more than 500 extrasolar planets (as of November 2010). They range from gargantuan gas worlds whose masses are just shy of being stars to small, rocky ones orbiting dim, red dwarfs. Searches for a second Earth, however, are still ongoing. Astronomers generally believe that better technology is likely to eventually reveal worlds similar to our own.