Station Astronaut Snaps Super Sharp View of the Great Pyramids from Space

universetoday.com/ ^ | on June 13, 2015 | Ken Kremer

[BenLurkin]

On his last full day in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Terry Virts at last captured a truly iconic shot of one of the “Seven Wonders of the World” – the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Virts snapped the exquisitely sharp view of the Egyptian pyramids at Giza on June 10 looking out from the stations windows, just hours before entering the Soyuz return spaceship and closing the hatches behind him for his planned plummet back to Earth.

He proudly posted the spectacular photo on his twitter social media account from space while serving as station commander of Expedition 43.

The three pyramids of Giza dominate the fantastically beautiful photo. They are located about 9 km (5 mi) from the town of Giza on the Nile, and some 25 km (15 mi) southwest of the Egyptian capital city of Cairo.

The Great Sphinx is also located nearby the massive complex of the Great Pyramids and visible in the stunning photo. See map below.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

I have driven through Las Vegas without stopping. One time, leaving California behind and heading east, we say a rainbow ‘ending’ on a casino out in the western Nevada desert. Boy, did I get castigated by others in the car for not stopping!

[dp0622]

i probably would have jumped out of the moving car!!

[beaversmom]

I might have even stopped for that one!

[Rome2000]

Egyptian Driving Rules

From: Matthew Whoolery
Dear Click & Clack,

I am a psychology professor at the American University in Cairo here in Cairo, Egypt, and cars and driving here are a little different. If you haven’t been to Egypt before, you are welcome to come visit us and see both the pyramids for which Egypt is famous and the crazy driving for which Egypt is notorious.

In case you do decide to visit (you really are welcome), let me help you with a certain cultural aspect of this country. It will help you if you need to drive or even if you have the unfortunate task of trying to cross any street here. What I want to provide for you is a set of rules regarding honking. In the U.S., we tend to honk only once in a long while when someone is close to hitting us or after a close miss to express our displeasure. But not so in Egypt. Honking can mean a lot of things and be used in a variety of ways. I’ll provide here an abbreviated list of when you should use your car horn.

Egyptian Honking Rules

Please honk your horn:

When another car is approaching you from the front.
When another car is approaching you from behind
When another car is approaching you from either side
When no car is approaching from any direction (in case someone is thinking of coming near you)
When you are passing another car
When you are approaching a side street and see a car entering the intersection
When you are approaching a side street and don’t see a car entering
When you see a pedestrian (regardless of location)
When you don’t see a pedestrian (in case one is lurking in the shadows)
When you enter a roundabout
When you leave a roundabout
When you feel anxious about something (anything)
When you are excited
When you feel sad
When you feel happy
When you aren’t sure if you should honk, do it anyway.
In other words, honk! honk! honk! Just go for it!

[RoosterRedux]

For an even better view of the pyramids of Giza, try this link...GoogleMaps Pyramids of Giza. It is a panoramic view from the street that leads up to the pyramids...it moves to expose the entire area.