Starship Asterisk*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives wrote:
<<The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and area. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres above sea level, it is the lowest country on the planet. It is also the country with the lowest highest point in the world, at 2.3 metres.

The Maldives consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers, making this one of the most disparate countries in the world.


__Coat of Arms of Maldives

The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine ridge 960 kilometers long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs from north to south. On 26 December 2004 the Maldives were devastated by a tsunami. Only nine islands were reported to have escaped any flooding, while fifty-seven islands faced serious damage to critical infrastructure, fourteen islands had to be totally evacuated, and six islands were decimated. A total of 108 people, including six foreigners, reportedly died in the tsunami. The destructive impact of the waves on the low-lying islands was mitigated by the fact there was no continental shelf or land mass upon which the waves could gain height. The tallest waves were reported 14 feet high.

Comparative studies of Maldivian oral, linguistic and cultural traditions and customs confirm that the first settlers were Dravidian fishermen from the southwest coasts of what is now the south of the Indian Subcontinent and the western shores of Sri Lanka. According to a legend from the Maldivian Folklore, in the early 12th century AD a medieval prince named Koimala nobleman of the Lion Race from Ceylon, sailed to Rasgetheemu island. By then, the Aadeetta (Sun) Dynasty had for sometime ceased to rule in Malé, possibly due to invasions by the Cholas of Southern India in the Tenth Century. The indigenous people in Malé Atoll, the Giraavaru invited Koimala to Malé and permitted him to be proclaimed king. Koimala Kalou (Lord Koimala) reigned as King Maanaabarana, was a king of the Homa (Lunar) Dynasty.>>

JohnD wrote:Strange. In all the similar eclipse photos I've see - not that many - the multiole images have been in the same orientation.
But these aren't. See in the middle of the rosette of images from the main palm. There are three nearly central, at about 7 o'clock which rae differently oriented to those further form the centre.

JohnD wrote:Strange. In all the similar eclipse photos I've see - not that many - the multiole images have been in the same orientation.
But these aren't.
See in the middle of the rosette of images from the main palm. There are three nearly central, at about 7 o'clock which rae differently oriented to those further form the centre. I thought this might be an artefact, like the shadows in diferent directions in Apollo pics that fascinate the woowoos, that are due to the short focal length lens used. Is this a similar effect?