Saturday 16 March 2013

Bhangarh Fort, India

One of the most haunted places in the world is India’s Bhangarh Fort. Based on Indian legends, the palace is cursed in such a way that everyone who stays in it dies, with the soul remaining trapped within its walls for centuries without the possibility of a rebirth. Perhaps, the most intriguing part about the fort is that the houses in the said area can’t have roofs.
This is because if a roof is built, it collapses for no logical reason. You might also want to heed the warning about not staying in the area after the sun sets. Aside from the restlessness and anxiety that may be experienced, a safe return from Bhangarh Fort isn’t guaranteed.

Monday 14 January 2013

The Overtoun Bridge

The Overtoun Bridge is an arch bridge located near Milton, Dumbarton, Scotland, which was built in 1859. It has become famous for the number of unexplained instances in which dogs have, apparently, committed suicide by leaping off it. The incidents were first recorded around the 1950's or 1960's, when it was noticed that dogs – usually the long-nosed variety, like Collies – would suddenly and unexpectedly leap off the bridge and fall fifty feet, to their deaths. In some cases, however, the dogs would survive, recuperate, and then leap off the bridge again. What makes this tragic mystery even more mysterious is that many of the dogs that jump from Overton Bridge jump from the same side and from almost the same spot: between the final two parapets on the right-hand side of the bridge.

Tuesday 8 January 2013

The Disco Star

V838 Monocerotis is located in the constellation Monoceros, which is about 20,000 light years from earth, and was at one point considered one of the largest stars in the universe.

In 2002, the brightness of the star shot up suddenly. It was thought to be a simple nova, which is what happens when the remaining core of a dead star (known as a white dwarf) accumulates too much hydrogen gas from a neighboring star, causing a fantastic explosion. The star dimmed after a couple weeks, as expected, and scientists put it in the record books as a nova.

But less than a month later, the star burst into light again. Since the time period between the explosions was too short to be caused as two separate novas, astronomers were puzzled and took a closer look.