Selong Belanak: The remote charm of southern coasts

Selong Belanak: The remote charm of southern coasts

Unlike the western coasts of Lombok, Selong Belanak and Lombok’s other southern coasts are still unexplored. That is just one of the many reasons to go there.

When my friend Anin suggested we visit our friend Ana in Selong Belanak, I did not take it seriously and responded immediately because I thought that Lombok was just Senggigi and the famous Gili Islands.

But when she said that the area we would visit was remote (there is no cell phone signal), I quickly said yes.

Holiday without technology intrusion is heaven on earth.

It was luck knowing that Ana’s schedule and mine aligned. To make things short, we finally met in Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport to fly to Lombok together. While the Bali-Lombok flight was only about 20 minutes, it took about two hours to reach Selong Belanak from Selaparang airport, Ampenan.

The April sun scorched on the road, but it was cool inside the car. The ride passed along paddy fields and hills that flanked the road. At certain areas, the road was bumpy and steep.

When the car was climbing another hill, Ana turned her head to me and said, “Hey girl, get ready for the view.”

As the car reached the peak, we were stunned by the blue azure water that sends waves to a pocket-shaped white sandy beach enveloped by lush green hills. A small island was popping out in the middle of the bay, just like a beauty spot.

The area is still relatively untouched by tourists. The only accommodation in the beach’s vicinity was Villa Sempiak, Ana’s workplace. After getting our bags into Ana’s room, we headed to the beach. The white sand was smooth carpet on our feet and the water pleasant.

At night, the ocean sounded a special kind of music with waves hitting the shores. Sounds of nocturnal bugs were amplified in the peaceful atmosphere. The area was free of pollution, including noise and light pollution and a good place to become more familiar with the map of astronomy.

Sitting there at two o’clock in the morning, I tried to find Crux constellation of the southern sky and one that I’m most familiar with, but to no avail. With so many stars in the night sky, they flickered as if they were in a blinking competition.

In the morning, I took a walk on the beach with my friends. There is a fishermen’s village just near the beach and it is was teeming with activities at five o’clock that morning. A group of men pushed boats to sea.

A couple of black storks flew around, trying to catch small crabs or fish, oblivious to the stray dogs that ran around barking. The sun rose from the hills, a sign for us to start our exploration on Lombok’s southern area.

For the journey, Ana asked her friends Amak Susi and Amak Kasturi to accompany Anin and I. Amak is the local word for common men. For men of noble birth, the word is Lalu. Public transportation in Lombok is rare and tourists usually rent a motorcycle or a car in Mataram to get around.

Our first stop was Sade, a traditional village of the Sasak tribe. The village has 150 houses and is inhabited by about 700 residents. Our guide said that usually residents intermarried among their cousins because there was a fine of three buffaloes if the men married with women of other villages.

There are three types of buildings in the village: houses, rice barns and beruga (Lombok traditional gazebo).

According to our guides, only women are allowed to enter the rice barns. Legend has it that the men would become ill if they entered them.

The houses have low roofs so that guests honor the house owners by bowing before entering, the guide said. The house has two floors. The first floor is for parents and the sons, while the second is allocated for the daughters’ room and the kitchen.

From Sade village, we headed to Kuta beach of Lombok, which was quite deserted. There were only three teenagers who approached us to sell us bracelets.

As we walked along the beach, our feet stumbled on the shells washed ashore. We gathered them and it did not take a long time to find a handful of beautiful shells.

While we were at Kuta beach, several boats were coming in. A group of men and women were closing in on a boat that had just touched the beach. While men were pulling the boat ashore, the women were handling the catch of the day. The women hauled baskets of fish out of the boat and carried them on top of their heads. A basket of fish were left on the sand, tempting the children to play with them.

Another deserted beach to visit is Mawun Beach, which also haspocket-shaped terrain. Unlike Kuta Lombok, a free beach, there is parking fee at Mawun Beach.

It was noon when we got there and the sun was scorching mercilessly. Fortunately, there is a big tree just a stone’s throw away on the shoreline. We sat there, sharing the shade with a group of foreign tourists with surfboards.

Nothing needs to be said when nature exercises its charm. The waves move back and forth, the wind blows an airy breeze and leaves rustle. Time seems to stop. But when the sun tilts to the west, it is a sign for us to get on our feet and head back home.

Kota Tua bicycle drivers offer unique experience for tourists

Bicycle taxi drivers play a role in Kota Tua (Old City) tourism in Jakarta, giving a unique experience for tourists who would like to see the old colonial buildings and relics up close and personal.

The drivers, stationed in front of the Museum of History in Fatahillah Park, are organized under the supervision of the Management and Development Unit of Kota Tua Area.

An official of the unit, Agus, said Thursday that the drivers were involved in special activities as requested by museum goers.

The unit also gave them Dutch-colonial styled hats for the passengers to wear.

In general all drivers can simultaneously give on-bicycle tours around Kota Tua and act as tourist guides by giving information on the history of many buildings and relics in the area.

Senior singer appointed as tourism envoy

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik has appointed Eddy Silitonga, a senior Indonesian singer, Indonesian tourism envoy, traveling around the world to promote the country’s tourism.

The journey will include visits to 49 countries on five continents within nine months, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Silitonga's program as a tourism envoy will basically cover three main activities: singing at the various places he visits such as cafes, restaurants and hotels; people-to-people contact with local communities and tourists; and organizing "Indonesian Art Nights” at all Indonesian embassies in the countries he will visit.

Two groups will support the program to be dubbed the "The Indonesian Team for Culture and Tourism Promotion by Eddy Silitonga".

The first group will be called the "Journey Team" consisting of six people, including Eddi Silitonga, who will travel to the 49 countries. And the second group will be the "Support Team”, which will monitor and support the logistics during the journey.

Todung Mulya Lubis, a prominent lawyer, and inspector general of the National Police Agus Wantoro, are advisors to the journey team to help the program succeed.

The program will be implemented from April 16, 2010 to January 10, 2011, Antara reported.

Snow in northern China disrupts Beijing air travel

A state news agency says more than 80 flights out of Beijing have been delayed or canceled after moderate snowfall blanketed northern China.

The official Xinhua News Agency say 64 flights from the Beijing Capital International Airport had been delayed and another 21 canceled by Sunday morning.

Snow fell on the capital city between Saturday morning and early Sunday. Thirteen bus lines running between the downtown area and the suburbs were canceled, but highways remained open.

Parts of northern China have seen the harshest winter in decades, with Beijing earlier this year receiving its heaviest one-day snowfall in 59 years. The cold weather has forced fishing harbors to close and stranded

The lost fortunes of Kemarau

Tales about the island of Kemarau, located near Palembang along the 800-kilometer Musi River that meanders across South Sumatra, are abound, with two of the most recounted riches-to-rags stories involving Chinese ships sailing down the river.

Both regrettably tragic tales could easily pass for mythology rather than straight history. The most popular one about this low-level island — often described as “the island that floats the river” as it mysteriously never seems to flood despite heavy rainfall — recounts the story of a Chinese commercial ship sailing down the river after its captain earned a fortune trading goods in Palembang.

Inebriated from celebrating his success, the captain neglects his sailing duties, sinks his ship near the island and spills all his riches into the river there. Since then, people have been searching the river to recover the fortunes believed to have sunk around the island.

In the second tale, which claims to explain how the island came to exist, a Chinese man by the name of Tan Bu An comes to Palembang to study and falls in love with a local princess called Siti Fatimah.

He asks for her hand in marriage but her parents insist upon gifts to allow the wedding to go ahead.

Tan Bu An sends a messenger back to his father in China asking for such gifts to be provided. When the messenger returns with fruits and vegetables, Tan Bu An is so disgusted he throws the gifts into the river, not realizing his father had placed money inside the edible gifts.

Upon finding out about the subterfuge, the enamored Chinese man frantically jumps into the river to find the discarded treasures, but soon drowns. Siti Fatimah, who rushes to the river the instant she finds out her love is lost in the river, also sadly drowns.

It seems however she had a premonition about her fate, so before entering the river’s waters, she leaves a message saying land may form in the place she will die, and the tree that will grow will be one of love.

Spell of beauty: The tall pagoda is the most outstanding feature of the island.

The land that emerged is said to be Kemarau Island. It is also believed the spirit of Tan Bu An remains on the island and over the years, the local Chinese community has consequently come to see Kemarau as a special place.

Nowadays, the main attractions are a Chinese temple and pagoda, built as a result of those mythical stories.

The Taoist temple, dedicated to a deity that protects homes, villages and rural areas on the island, was erected in the 1960s and receives a fairly constant flow of worshippers. Those visitors usually brave the murky waters of the river by slow sampan (a flat-bottomed skiff usually propelled by two short oars) or fast speedboat to make offerings and say their prayers.

A tall Chinese pagoda erected in 2006 is now the most distinctive feature of this otherwise flat island.

Many Chinese figures are represented in relief or statues, with the most alluring of these being a huge venerable golden standing Buddha, seemingly laughing out loud looking across the river. The island tends to fill up during festival times such as the Chinese New Year, but otherwise remains a haven of peace the rest of the year.

A peaceful moment: Worshippers make their offerings and say their prayers at various locations around the island.

Pilgrims — local and sometimes from Singapore and Malaysia — who come to pay respect to their deities, leaving the sweet smell of their burning incense sticks to waft across the island.

How much truth there is to the tale of Tan Bu An and Siti Fatimah cannot really be said, but hopefuls can still be seen scouring the river looking some of the lost riches of that wedding gift.

With many believing the island is still haunted by the spirit of Siti Fatimah’s suitor, Kemarau remains a sleepy little outcrop of Indonesia, enveloped by the Musi River’s murky waters.

While much of the surroundings are industrial, the island remains a charming get away for those seeking quietness.

Terengganu: Beachland paradise

Peninsular Malaysia is a place of contrasts. On the west coast lies metropolises that attract those who are drawn to the bright lights and glitz of cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Meanwhile, the east coast is dotted with rustic townships where the pace is slower than the former. If anything, visiting the east coast is a revelation, one that enables you to experience the Malaysian heartlands.

Located by the South China Sea, Terengganu was on a trade route in ancient times. Like other Malay states, Terengganu practiced a Hindu-Buddhist culture combined with animist traditional beliefs for hundreds of years before the arrival of Islam.

In the 19th century, Terengganu became a vassal state of Siam. The terms of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 saw power over Terengganu transferred from Siam to Great Britain. During WWII, Japan occupied Terengganu and transferred sovereignty over the state back to Siam. After the defeat of Japan, British control over these Malay states was reestablished. Terengganu became a member of the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and a state of independent Malaya in 1957.


Local bites

The most famous local food is keropok lekor (from 80 sen), which is made from a combination of dough (sago flour) and pounded fish, fried and served with hot chili sauce. Another popular snack, keropok keping (fish crackers; from RM1) is made from sun-dried slices of keropok lekor. Many keropok stalls can be found on the side of the highway that passes through coastal communities. Laksam (or laksang in the local Malay dialect; from RM2.50), a modified version of the ubiquitous local laksa dish, is made from rice flour. Laksam’s thick and soft noodles are served in a bowl of light fresh coconut milk mixed with boiled fish flesh (mainly mackerel), finely chopped cucumbers, chili, onion and long beans. The dish is best savored cold at breakfast.

Another Terengganu specialty is sata (from RM1.20), which is fish cake wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over a grill. Nasi dagang, which is served with side condiments such as spiced chicken (from RM3), is also a local favorite.


What to see

When in Terengganu, visit Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque. Located in Teluk Ibai, which is four kilometers from Kuala Terengganu, the mosque’s white structure occupies five acres. Built in 1991, the mosque boasts an arresting architecture and serenity of its surrounding landscape. The mosque’s design combines Islamic influences and local features. Built with a lake surrounding it, the mosque is set against the backdrop of the South China Sea.

Another attraction is Tasik Kenyir, the largest manmade lake in Southeast Asia. Built between 1978 and 1985, the lake occupies 38,000 hectares. Tasik Kenyir is a showcase of 340 islands, located at the tips of highlands and hilltops that surround Tasik Kenyir, which is located within a national park. There are 30 rivers feeding the lake, 25 waterfalls and 25 species of fish in its waters.

The national park is a lush tropical forest, home to more than 8,000 species of flowers, 2,500 species of plants and trees and 300 species of fungus, as well as 800 types of butterflies, 370 species of orchids, 1,000 species of birds and 200 species of other animals.

There are also limestone caves situated within the park. Pengkalan Gawi is the most bustling gateway located near Tasik Kenyir. Located at the former are a tourist information center and jetty; and it’s where various water sports facilities are available for rent.

For an island getaway, Pulau Redang, situated 45 km off the coast of Kuala Terengganu, is renowned for its incredible azure waters fringed by white sand, against the backdrop of verdant jungle-clad hills. The island boasts two beautiful beaches, Pasir Panjang situated on the east coast, and Teluk Dalam Kecil, a sheltered cove tucked away on the northeast of the island.

Teluk Dalam Kecil is the location of the five-star Berjaya Redang Beach Resort (package deal RM688 nett for three days). The resort’s activities include sea sports, jungle trekking and island tours. For more info, visit www. berjayahotel.com.

Perhentian, another picturesque island, is located 21 km off Terengganu’s coastline. Consisting of two islands, Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil, the waters around Perhentian offer some of the best diving sites in the world.

Lang Tengah, which is a 30-minute boat ride from Redang, is one of Terengganu’s best kept secrets. Located midway between Redang and Perhentian, its sparkling white sand and aquamarine waters are a sight to behold. Lang Tengah also offers spectacular diving experiences, where you’ll come across hard and soft corals and attractive marine life.


Travel Tips

- The primary attractions of Terengganu are the beautiful tropical Perhentian and Redang Islands, where you can engage in water sports. Terengganu has a variety of water sports, such as swimming, snorkeling and diving. So be sure to take along a swimsuit.

- Snorkeling and diving equipment is available for rent. If you cannot dive but are eager to view the marine species under water, you can rent snorkeling equipment.

- Being underwater can be a fun and enjoyable experience. So that you can share the experience of the underwater delights with relatives and friends, be sure to take a waterproof camera with you.

The Moment Comet Eaten up

The Moment Comet Eaten up

A comet has been captured by Nasa being 'eaten' as it flies too close to the sun. The space agency's solar-focused agency - Solar and Helioscopic Observatory (SOHO) - captured footage of the Kreutz Sungrazer as it made its fateful approach.

The footage has proven popular on YouTube and scientific and astronomical websites and blogs. Kreutz Sungrazers are characterised by orbits taking them extremely close to the Sun.

They are believed to be fragments of one large comet that broke up several centuries ago and are named after German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who first worked out that they were related.

A SOHO spokeswoman said the agency gathered the footage using a Coronagraph, which blocks the brightest object in an image. This allows activity around the sun - such as the comet's approach - to be viewed.

It is known as a 'false eclipse' and displays the actual footage of the comet's final seconds, presented i n a way that it can be seen by the naked eye. Hundreds of Kreutz comets, some only a few metres in diameter, have been discovered since the launch of the SOHO satellite in 1995.

Like the comet captured in these images, none have survived the section of their orbit closest to the sun. Experts say a new cluster of Kreutz comets will approach the sun over the next few decades, treating stargazers to more spectacular shows.

Five Mount Ciremai Climbers Strayed away

Five Mount Ciremai Climbers Strayed away

Five Mount Ciremai climbers in Gempol village, Cirebon district, were lost during a hike on New Year’s Eve, and one of them, Muhamad Nur (23), was able to contact his father up on his cell phone. The five climbers, namely Maskon (24), Wahyu (15), Mohammad Nur (23), Budiman (29) and Mila (19), are residents of Central Gempol Block, Gempol village, Gempol sub-district, Cirebon District, Antara learned here Sunday.

They climbed Mount Ciremai on Thursday evening (Dec 31) and then through Apui route, Majalengka regency. Muhammad Nur contacted his father, Bisri (51), on his cell phone.

"Today I received three calls from Muha (Mohammed Nur’s nickname) and the last one was at around 3 pm, but only intermittently and the contacts stopped," Bisri disclosed. Bisri said he was relieved by the calls from his son because it means he is alive, but his voice sounded so weak and he said he was unwel l and lost.

"I heard his voice was very weak. Muha said that his son’s position was in the bottom of a ravine, and food supplies had run out, because supplies were also finished. Muha also admitted he was weak and exhausted so it was hard to move on," Bisri added.

The Daredevil Driver Jumps and Sets World Record

The Daredevil Driver Jumps and Sets World Record


Daredevil Travis Pastrana has smashed the world record for the longest jump in a rally car by leaping 269ft in his Subaru. He made the near perfect jump from a pier in Long Beach, California to a barge anchored in the harbour, beating the previous record by 98 feet.

His vehicle skidded sideways after landing and slammed into a safety wall at the end of the barge. Pastrana emerged and ran up to the landing ramp where he did a backflip into the water.

Around 20,000 people had gathered to see the stunt which is part of Red Bull New Year, No Limits series.

The 26-year-old said afterwards: 'It was a wild ride.

'The flight was awesome. I couldn't have asked for anything better.'

After teasing the crowd with a warm-up run down the 1,000-foot run-in and up the take-off ramp, Pastrana did it for real, flying across approximately 220 feet of water to the landing ramp.

Pastrana said he skidded at the end because the dew had set in about 10 minutes before he took off. Had he landed straight and stopped before the wall, he planned to spin doughnuts in celebration.

Asked about the condition of his car, he laughed and said: 'Good-ish. It's not a submarine, so I think that's good.'

The old record was 171 feet set by Pastrana's Subaru teammate, Ken Block, in a rally car in November 2006.

Pastrana, who had wanted to break that mark by more than 100 ft, added: 'There's a 40-foot window where I wasn't going to break or die, and I hit it right in the middle.'

The driver is well known for his stunts. He was the first to do a double backflip on a motorcycle, and he's gone on to win four straight Rally America championships.

In 1999, Pastrana announced himself to the action sports world when at age 15 he celebrated an X Games gold medal by jumping his motorcycle into San Francisco Bay. That stunt got him into trouble, and he lost his prize money along with his medal.

As part of his Nitro Circus TV show, he's done such crazy stunts as riding dirt bikes off a ramp into the Grand Canyon and parachuting the rest of the way down; and jumping out of a plane without a parachute, confident that a fellow skydiver with a parachute who jumped out at the same time would catch up to him and guide him to earth.

Embers 10,000 Times Hotter than Our Sun

Embers 10,000 Times Hotter than Our Sun

The glowing embers left behind by one of the most powerful type of explosions in the Universe have been revealed for the first time. Remnants from giant fireballs unleashed by a supernova are still glowing at temperatures 10,000 times hotter than the Sun thousands of years after the event.

They were captured by the Japanese Suzaku space observatory, after unusual features were detected in the Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443), 5,000 light years away. The strange phenomenon was picked up in the x-ray spectrum, so the satellite, which studies such forms of electromagnetic radiation, was best placed to study it.

A supernova remnant usually cools quickly due to rapid expansion following the explosion. Then, as it sweeps up tenuous interstellar gas over thousands of years, the remnant gradually heats up again.

But Suzaku's X-ray Imaging Spectrometers were able to separate the x-rays by energy in much the same way as a prism separates light into a rainbow of colours. This allowed astronomers to tease out the different processes that occur in the remnant over time.

'This is the first evidence of a new type of supernova remnant - one that was heated right after the explosion,' said team leader Hiroya Yamaguchi at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan.

They found evidence in the Suzaku spectrum that indicated large amounts of silicon and sulfur atoms from which all electrons had been stripped away. These 'naked' nuclei produced X-rays as they recaptured their lost electrons.

Stripped atoms requires temperatures higher than 17million celsius and so could only have been created immediately after the supernova explosion.

'Suzaku sees the Jellyfish's hot heart,' team member Midori Ozawa said.

Terengganu: Beachland paradise

Terengganu: Beachland paradise

Peninsular Malaysia is a place of contrasts. On the west coast lies metropolises that attract those who are drawn to the bright lights and glitz of cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Meanwhile, the east coast is dotted with rustic townships where the pace is slower than the former. If anything, visiting the east coast is a revelation, one that enables you to experience the Malaysian heartlands.

Located by the South China Sea, Terengganu was on a trade route in ancient times. Like other Malay states, Terengganu practiced a Hindu-Buddhist culture combined with animist traditional beliefs for hundreds of years before the arrival of Islam.

In the 19th century, Terengganu became a vassal state of Siam. The terms of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 saw power over Terengganu transferred from Siam to Great Britain. During WWII, Japan occupied Terengganu and transferred sovereignty over the state back to Siam. After the defeat of Japan, British control over these Malay states was reestablished. Terengganu became a member of the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and a state of independent Malaya in 1957.


Local bites

The most famous local food is keropok lekor (from 80 sen), which is made from a combination of dough (sago flour) and pounded fish, fried and served with hot chili sauce. Another popular snack, keropok keping (fish crackers; from RM1) is made from sun-dried slices of keropok lekor. Many keropok stalls can be found on the side of the highway that passes through coastal communities. Laksam (or laksang in the local Malay dialect; from RM2.50), a modified version of the ubiquitous local laksa dish, is made from rice flour. Laksam’s thick and soft noodles are served in a bowl of light fresh coconut milk mixed with boiled fish flesh (mainly mackerel), finely chopped cucumbers, chili, onion and long beans. The dish is best savored cold at breakfast.

Another Terengganu specialty is sata (from RM1.20), which is fish cake wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over a grill. Nasi dagang, which is served with side condiments such as spiced chicken (from RM3), is also a local favorite.
What to see

When in Terengganu, visit Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque. Located in Teluk Ibai, which is four kilometers from Kuala Terengganu, the mosque’s white structure occupies five acres. Built in 1991, the mosque boasts an arresting architecture and serenity of its surrounding landscape. The mosque’s design combines Islamic influences and local features. Built with a lake surrounding it, the mosque is set against the backdrop of the South China Sea.

Another attraction is Tasik Kenyir, the largest manmade lake in Southeast Asia. Built between 1978 and 1985, the lake occupies 38,000 hectares. Tasik Kenyir is a showcase of 340 islands, located at the tips of highlands and hilltops that surround Tasik Kenyir, which is located within a national park. There are 30 rivers feeding the lake, 25 waterfalls and 25 species of fish in its waters.

The national park is a lush tropical forest, home to more than 8,000 species of flowers, 2,500 species of plants and trees and 300 species of fungus, as well as 800 types of butterflies, 370 species of orchids, 1,000 species of birds and 200 species of other animals.

There are also limestone caves situated within the park. Pengkalan Gawi is the most bustling gateway located near Tasik Kenyir. Located at the former are a tourist information center and jetty; and it’s where various water sports facilities are available for rent.

For an island getaway, Pulau Redang, situated 45 km off the coast of Kuala Terengganu, is renowned for its incredible azure waters fringed by white sand, against the backdrop of verdant jungle-clad hills. The island boasts two beautiful beaches, Pasir Panjang situated on the east coast, and Teluk Dalam Kecil, a sheltered cove tucked away on the northeast of the island.

Teluk Dalam Kecil is the location of the five-star Berjaya Redang Beach Resort (package deal RM688 nett for three days). The resort’s activities include sea sports, jungle trekking and island tours. For more info, visit www. berjayahotel.com.

Perhentian, another picturesque island, is located 21 km off Terengganu’s coastline. Consisting of two islands, Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil, the waters around Perhentian offer some of the best diving sites in the world.

Lang Tengah, which is a 30-minute boat ride from Redang, is one of Terengganu’s best kept secrets. Located midway between Redang and Perhentian, its sparkling white sand and aquamarine waters are a sight to behold. Lang Tengah also offers spectacular diving experiences, where you’ll come across hard and soft corals and attractive marine life.


Travel Tips

- The primary attractions of Terengganu are the beautiful tropical Perhentian and Redang Islands, where you can engage in water sports. Terengganu has a variety of water sports, such as swimming, snorkeling and diving. So be sure to take along a swimsuit.

- Snorkeling and diving equipment is available for rent. If you cannot dive but are eager to view the marine species under water, you can rent snorkeling equipment.

- Being underwater can be a fun and enjoyable experience. So that you can share the experience of the underwater delights with relatives and friends, be sure to take a waterproof camera with you.

Partial Lunar Eclipse and Blue Moon New Year's Eve

Eclipses of the moon occur twice a year, on average. Each eclipse is visible only on the half of the Earth turned towards the moon at the time the Earth's shadow falls on the moon.

There will be a partial eclipse of the moon on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31. Because of its timing, it will not be visible in North and South America, but will be visible over most of Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The event will also mark the second full moon of the month in North America, thereby garnering the title of "blue moon." Unless unusual atmospheric circumstances come into play — such as widespread dust from a volcano — the moon will not be blue, however.

Since it is a partial eclipse, the moon will just brush past the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, never becoming totally immersed. It will, however, be deep enough into the shadow that shading and reddish color should be visible.

Even though the eclipse isn't visible for most of us in North America, it's still possible to enjoy this event through astronomy simulation software like Starry Night. An armchair skywatcher can use this software to view the eclipse from any point on Earth.

Here's how the eclipse will play out (these times will be the same for most of western Europe and central Africa):

As the sun sets in the southwest, the full moon rises in the northeast. At 6:17 p.m. local time Friday the moon begins to enter the Earth's shadow, though it is undetectable at first. At 7:52, the moon enters the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra. Maximum eclipse is at 8:23, and the moon leaves the umbra at 8:53. The last traces of the shadow are gone by 10:28.

Observers in other parts of the Old World will have to make adjustments for their local time zones. Australians may catch a glimpse of the eclipse just before moonset at dawn on Jan. 1. Again, the eclipse is not visible from the Americas.

Saturn As You Rarely See It Cassini Mission Captures Planet in Its Natural Colours

Famed for it's spectacular ring system, this stately, natural-colour image has captured Saturn as you rarely see it. The planet dwarfs its icy moon Rhea in this image from Nasa's Cassini mission, with just a single dark band where we would expect to see the thousands of orbiting rings.

Rhea, which is 949 miles across - almost the distance from Land's End to John o'Groats - is captured orbiting beyond the rings on the right of the image. A small shadow below the rings on the left is cast by its moon Tethys.

This awe-inspiring picture was taken with the wide-angle camera on the Cassini-Huygens robotic spacecraft mission, a co-operative project bewteen Nasa, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters and then combined to create this natural colour view.

The image was taken aboard the Cassini orbiter on 4 November, from 808,000 miles away. Saturn is the second biggest planet in our Solar System and takes up the same space as around 833 Earths.

Classified as a gas giant the planet has sixty-one known moons. Astronomers have been baffled by Saturn's rings ever since they were discovered by Galileo in 1610.

The rings are each composed of billions of ice and rock particles, which range from being as small as a grain of sugar to as large as a house.

It's Every Boy's Dream...

Sunday, 20 December 2009

It's every schoolboy's dream - from the tiny rows of ammunition to the miniature cockpit canopy gracing this stunning model aircraft.

It is an exact replica of a P-51D Mustang which was America's primary long-range fighter plane during the Second World War. And it was made by a retired dentist who used some of his instruments to create it.

Built on a 1/16 scale, every part is fully functional, linked by an intricate series of minuscule chains, cables and hinges. The undercarriage retracts and the controls work, although the levers are so small they have to be operated with a pair of tweezers.

Young C Park, from Honolulu, took three years and 6,000 hours to complete the model. Cut away on the left side to show the internal workings, all the sections were machined from common aluminium roof flashing. The metal is annealed to the proper softness, making it easier to form and carve.

Mr Park, 77, used more than 50ft of aluminium, reforming and shaping it on a lathe until he was happy with the result. The metal was usually moulded over a wooden support, but for the large area of the skin behind the cockpit he used the ball of his foot to get the correct shape.

According to Mr Park, working with aluminium is not so different from dental work using gold. Both can be annealed, work-hardened, burnished and made malleable. He also used his dental tools to drill parts of the fuselage and make indentations in the surface of the wing.

The aircraft is 25in long, 10in high and has a wingspan of 27in. It is now on display at the Joe Martin Foundation Craftsmanship Museum in Vista, California. Kids seven and under searched for items related to video games, while older kids were heavy into music, with 34 percent of teens and 27 percent of tweens searching for music-related topics. The Miley Cyrus song "Party in the USA" was the most-searched for tune among kids, while "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eye Peas took the No. 2 spot.

Mr Park's fascination with fighter planes began as a teenager after he discovered a Second World War aircraft scrapyard and grew when he served as a young man in the Korean War in 1952. Of the Mustang, he says: 'It is the most beautiful of all the Second World War fighters.'

It served as a bomber escort and reconnaissance aircraft and by the end of the war had destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft, more than any other type of US fighter in Europe.(KOMPAS.com)