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Oct 27, 2024 28 tweets 8 min read Read on X
Megalophobia: the fear of large things 🧵

1. This is a single image Pasha Bulker ran aground on Nobbys Beach in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, while waiting in the open ocean outside the port to load coal during a big storm on June 8, 2007. Photo by Murray McKean.
2. An iceberg passing near a house in Greenland Image
3. The Vegas Sphere feels like you've stepped onto another planet... or, in this case, as if another planet has landed on ours.

It’s probably a megalophobe's worst nightmare. Image
4. Eros, the second largest near-Earth asteroid.

Named after the Greek god of love, Eros has an elongated shape and a volume-equivalent diameter of approximately 16.8 kilometers (10.4 miles).

5. A ship and its Captain Image
6. This is what a giant banana would look like in Earth's orbit

7. Seeing the scale of the pyramids alongside people passing by gives you an entirely new perspective.
8. The size of ships Image
9. K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet), after Mount Everest at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet).

10. A giant hangar in Halbe, Germany.

People indicate scale. Image
11. What happens if the Moon crashes into Earth?

12. A full-sized school bus next to haul trucks Image
13. Norwegian cruise ship hits an iceberg
14. The Kelpies during a thunderstorm

Located between Falkirk and Grangemouth, Scotland, this pair of 30-meter-high steel horse heads represents kelpies, shape-shifting spirits from Scottish and Irish folklore believed to inhabit lochs. Image
15. Underwater waterfall, Mauritius

This optical illusion, visible only from above, makes it appear as if the island is being pulled into a massive drain due to sand and silt runoff on the ocean floor. Image
16. A person sitting on the clock tower in Mecca Image
17. On February 7, 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless ventured out into space and away from shuttle Challenger using only a nitrogen propelled backpack — the first person in history to do so. Image
18. A boat under a massive bridge Image
19. A woman next to an enormous Sequoia tree in the 1950s Image
20. Gordon Dam, Australia Image
21. Open spillway gate at the Funil Hydroelectric Power Plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

22. The size of Al-Khazneh, Petra

This surreal structure was masterfully carved out of the sandstone rock face.

Human for scale. Image
23. The size of this marble quarry makes the excavator look like a toy

24. Botanical Park of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Founded in 1808 by King John VI of Portugal, it is considered one of the richest and most important in the world. Image
25. The size of this breathtaking church in Iceland

At 74.5 meters (244 ft), Hallgrímskirkja is the largest church in Iceland and one of the tallest structures in the country. 📸: icelandic_explorer
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this thread, please retweet the first post and follow me for more content: @JamesLucasIT
One more: the enormous 18th-century flags of the French ship Généreux and the Spanish ship San Ildefonso, pictured with people for scale.

These ships were truly massive: Le Généreux was 55.87 meters (183.3 ft) long, slightly longer than San Ildefonso at 53 meters (174 ft). Image
Also, if this kind of content interests you, I have some exciting news: my newsletter just launched!

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More from @JamesLucasIT

Feb 4
Why do some paintings feel alive?

Artists like Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Velázquez didn’t just paint — they sculpted with the dance of light and shadow.

A thread of some of the best examples 🧵

1. Caravaggio, the Master of Light Image
2. Magdalene with Two Flames (1640)

Profoundly influenced by Caravaggio's style, Georges de La Tour focused on "tenebrism," the dramatic effects of light and shade.

Notice how the light from the candle illuminates the room and casts a shadow of Magdalene on the wall. Image
3. The Milkmaid (1657)

This stunning work by Vermeer is a feat of realism, with the woman and table seeming to possess real weight and presence.

The light streaming through the window doesn’t obscure the bread crusts' rough texture or flatten the maid's waist and shoulders. Image
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Jan 30
Art memes thread 🧵

1. The legacy media: Image
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Jan 29
40 years ago, something truly magical happened in Rome…

The Eternal City was blanketed by a rare snowfall, with over 50 cm (20 inches) of snow.

Here’s a thread that will take you back in time to that unforgettable winter 🧵 Image
The surreal beauty of Castel Sant'Angelo blanketed in snow Image
The Pantheon Image
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Jan 27
Periodic reminder that Gian Lorenzo Bernini was only 23 when he carved The Abduction of Proserpina from a single block of marble.

A thread about one of the most beautiful sculptures ever created by a human being 🧵

Crafted between 1621 and 1622, this stunning Carrara marble masterpiece demonstrates the sheer brilliance of a young artist destined for greatness.

It depicts the powerful god Pluto as he drags the goddess Proserpina into the depths of the Underworld. Image
The composition is dynamic, with every fold of Proserpina's drapery and Pluto’s tense body exuding a palpable sense of motion.

Bernini’s masterful precision brings his figures to life, their bodies frozen in time yet brimming with raw, explosive energy.

Read 6 tweets
Jan 26
The most beautiful tombs on Earth - thread🧵

1. Tomb of Napoleon in Paris Image
2. Taj Mahal, India

Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, this iconic white marble mausoleum is celebrated worldwide for its breathtaking architecture and is revered as a symbol of eternal love. Image
3. The Mausoleum of Hadrian, Rome

Also kwown as Castel Sant'Angelo, it was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family.

At one point, it held the title of the tallest building in Rome.

Read 20 tweets
Jan 23
Earth as you’ve never seen it before 🧵

1. Mars is so bright it reflects on the ocean as it rises. Captured by astrophotographer Abdul Dremali in Rhode Island in 2018, this phenomenon won’t occur again until 2035. Image
2. Amazing footage of Earth from the ISS

3. Have you ever seen a sunset and a solar eclipse at the same time? Now you have.

Dan McGlaun took this incredible shot at Big Spring State Park, Texas, on May 20, 2012. Image
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