The Grand Canyon

Obviously, when we look at a distant galaxy, we are able to quickly grasp just how small we truly are; however, we don’t need to gaze off into the night sky to be amazed by our Lilliputian size(Gulliver’s Travels, anyone?). In order to get a sense of the immensity of our world, ultimately, the only thing that we need to do is stand at the brink of the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon is a little over 270 miles (440 km) long, and at its largest gap it extends just about 20 miles (29 km). To give you a bit of a comparison, the state of Rhode Island is a mere 48 miles (77km) long and 37 miles (60km) wide. Ultimately, the canyon is just 25 miles (40 km) shorter than Ireland. And it is deep. At its deepest point, it extends down over a mile (6,000 feet or 1,800 meters). What’s more? Not only is the Canyon mind-blowingly large, but it’s also one of Earth’s very few natural surface features that can be seen from satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

To learn more about the Grand Canyon and see more amazing images, visit:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-grand-canyon/

Image source:
http://www.smartnetzone.com/grand-canyon-pictures/