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It Turns Out Some Borders *Are* Visible from Space
Universe today ^

Posted on 09/08/2011 8:08:15 PM PDT by cold start

India Pakistani border

This picture shows the illuminated man-made border between India and Pakistan,the line snaking through the landscape, as seen from the International Space Station on August 21, 2011. Of the hundreds of clusters lights, the largest are the capital cities of Islamabad, Pakistan, and New Delhi, India. Credit: NASA/Ron Garan

There is an oft-repeated and perhaps beautiful saying that you can’t see political borders from space. Well, it turns out that saying isn’t true; not anymore. ISS astronaut Ron Garan took this image recently which clearly shows the border between India and Pakistan. Since 2003, India has illuminated the border with Pakistan by floodlights in attempt to prevent ammunition trafficking and the infiltration of terrorists.

“Since the beginning of human spaceflight fifty years ago, astronauts have reflected on how peaceful, beautiful, and fragile the Earth looks from space,” Garan wrote on his Fragile Oasis blog. “These reflections are not clichés that astronauts say because it feels good. It is truly moving to look at the Earth from space.”

But seeing this clearly visible political border was sobering for Garan and his crewmates.

“Realizing what this picture depicted had a big impact on me,” he said. “When viewed from space, Earth almost always looks beautiful and peaceful. However, this picture is an example of man-made changes to the landscape in response to a threat, clearly visible from space. This was a big surprise to me.”

Garan added, however, that the point here is not that we can look down at the Earth and see a man-made border between India and Pakistan. “The point is that we can look down at that same area and feel empathy for the struggles that all people face,” he said. “We can look down and realize that we are all riding through the Universe together on this spaceship we call Earth, that we are all interconnected, that we are all in this together, that we are all family.”

Garan said he believes our world is a place where possibilities are limited only by our imagination and our will to act. “It is within our power to eliminate the suffering and poverty that exist on our planet,” he said.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Science
KEYWORDS: border; goodfence; india; moat; pakistan; space; wall
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To: cold start

So India lights up their border. Sounds like a good idea. If India can do it, why can’t we?


21 posted on 09/08/2011 10:09:11 PM PDT by chopperman
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To: cold start

So India lights up their border. Sounds like a good idea. If India can do it, why can’t we?


22 posted on 09/08/2011 10:09:29 PM PDT by chopperman
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To: cold start

So India lights up their border. Sounds like a good idea. If India can do it, why can’t we?


23 posted on 09/08/2011 10:09:29 PM PDT by chopperman
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To: chopperman

Sorry about the triple post. FR is dragging. It looks like China is also dark.


24 posted on 09/08/2011 10:11:05 PM PDT by chopperman
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To: cold start

So the Indians can build a big long lighted fence, but the Americans are too incompetent to put one on their own border?


25 posted on 09/08/2011 10:58:01 PM PDT by oldbill
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To: chopperman

“So India lights up their border. Sounds like a good idea. If India can do it, why can’t we?”

It would take 32 thousand people to seal the border at 1 per every 300 feet.


26 posted on 09/08/2011 11:24:20 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman! “10 percent is enough for God; 9 percent is enough for government")
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To: BenKenobi

How many Jobs can be created by that? I like it!


27 posted on 09/08/2011 11:36:34 PM PDT by lula ("The TRUTH has no agenda" Glenn Beck)
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To: cold start

“Pakistanis don’t really make very good neighbours.”

Or how about:
Muslims don’t make very good neighbors.


28 posted on 09/09/2011 3:00:12 AM PDT by Ernie Kaputnik ((It's a mad, mad, mad world.))
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To: lula

None. They’d be public service jobs.


29 posted on 09/09/2011 4:45:00 AM PDT by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman! “10 percent is enough for God; 9 percent is enough for government")
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To: BenKenobi

32,000 jobs with millions on welfare


30 posted on 09/09/2011 5:12:43 AM PDT by chopperman
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To: cold start

I am really impressed with the way they have done this fence. And one of our own bears discussion for the Mexican border.


31 posted on 09/09/2011 6:43:34 AM PDT by texmexis best
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To: chopperman

Again, 32k jobs paid for by the public.

If you want to force welfare folks to guard the border, by all means. I’m just saying that that might not be the best idea.


32 posted on 09/09/2011 1:56:25 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman! “10 percent is enough for God; 9 percent is enough for government")
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To: chopperman

Again, 32k jobs paid for by the public.

If you want to force welfare folks to guard the border, by all means. I’m just saying that that might not be the best idea.


33 posted on 09/09/2011 1:56:28 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman! “10 percent is enough for God; 9 percent is enough for government")
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To: spetznaz

You’ve been watching too much tv.


34 posted on 09/09/2011 3:38:02 PM PDT by Track9 (Make War!!)
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To: Track9

Nice one. :)


35 posted on 09/09/2011 9:29:03 PM PDT by spetznaz (Nuclear-tipped Ballistic Missiles: The Ultimate Phallic Symbol)
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To: spetznaz

Freegards.. :)


36 posted on 09/10/2011 4:15:10 AM PDT by Track9 (Make War!!)
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To: texmexis best
one of our own bears discussion for the Mexican border.

Which side of the Rio Grande do you want your fence?

37 posted on 09/10/2011 4:23:25 AM PDT by lonestar (It takes a village of idiots to elect a village idiot.)
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To: lonestar

bookmark


38 posted on 09/10/2011 3:26:08 PM PDT by jdirt
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