Not that kind of rare.
The kind of things not seen very often; like I found in these photos from historyfanatic.com & emlii.com. I found them fascinating. I hope you will, too!!
The Fukang Meteorite, which was found in Fukang, China in
2000. It is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old.
On the outside meteorites look like volcanic rocks, but
astronomy photographer Jeff Barton cracked them open to reveal the glittering
geodes inside. To capture the stunning shots of meteorite guts, Barton cut the
rocks open with a rock saw with a diamond-coated blade. He then ground down a
stamp-sized piece so thin light can pass through it, like sun through the
windows of a cathedral. Photos are subsequently taken with polarizing filters
and a DSLR attached to a petrographic microscope.
The Koroit opal field is an opal mining
area in Paroo Shire in South West Queensland, Australia. It is known for the
very distinctive type of boulder opal that is found in its mines. In Queensland
boulder opal is found within a 300 km wide belt of sedimentary rocks in the
Winton Formation. Here opal is found as a kernel in small concretions.
Bismuth is a chemical element
which is 86% as dense as lead. It is a brittle metal with a silvery white color
when freshly produced, but is often seen in air with a pink tinge owing to
surface oxidation. This marvel of nature is found in a series of geometrical
lines and figures that
resemble something of a sci-fi movie.
resemble something of a sci-fi movie.
FLOWERS
The Rafflesia Arnoldi is the
largest flower in the world. It is found in the rainforests
of Indonesia. It can grow to be 3 feet across and weigh up to 15 pounds! It is
a parasitic plant, with no visible leaves, roots, or stem. When in bloom, the
Rafflesia emits a repulsive odor, similar to that of rotting meat. This odor
attracts insects that pollinate the plant.
At 2.27 meters (7ft 5in) high, the Amorphophallus titanum is
considered the longest flower in
the world. It smells terrible.
the world. It smells terrible.
This weird little plant is
called a Snapdragon or Dragon flower or, if you want to sound even smarter, The
Antirrhinum. Once the flower has died, the seed pod begins to look like the
skulls you see here. Apart from being creepy as hell and alleged protectors of
the garden, if you wore this about your body you would appear to be more
“fascinating and gracious”. Though I imagine if anyone actually did find this
on you, fascinating and gracious are not the only things they will think about
you.
COLORFUL EDIBLES
A variety of Zea mays, is a
corn grown in the Andes region of South America. It is common in Bolivia,
Ecuador, Peru. The kernels of Purple Corn have long been used by the people of
the Andes to color foods and beverages, a practice just beginning to become
popularized in the industrialized world. Besides its use as food and dye,
purple corn is thought to have many health benefits.
The purple color of these
carrots is actually due to anthocyanin pigments. The history of these carrots
can be traced back to Rome and Central Asia, where they were grown as early as
the 10th century. Purple carrots, still orange on the inside, were sold in
British stores starting in
2002.
2002.
Red bananas, also known as Red
Dacca bananas in Australia, are a variety of banana with reddish-purple skin.
They are smaller and plumper than the common Cavendish banana. When ripe, raw
red bananas have a flesh that is cream to light pink in color.
ANIMAL KINGDOM

ANIMAL KINGDOM
Sometimes referred to as a 'living rock'. Pyura chilensis is a
tunicate that resembles a mass of organs inside a rock. It is often found in
dense aggregations in the intertidal and subtidal coast
of Chile and Peru. It is the closest anyone can get to finding blood in a stone.
of Chile and Peru. It is the closest anyone can get to finding blood in a stone.
This unusual squid, despite its
delicate, decorated appearance, was found 1,650 lung-crushing feet (500 meters)
beneath the surface of the North Atlantic. Scientists on a recent deep-sea
expedition found the squid, called Histioteuthis hoylei, along with an
abundance of other species thought to be very rare, if not unknown, elsewhere.
Jewel squid are known for their mismatched eyes, one of which is larger than
the other to scope for prey in the deep’s darkness.
The black swallower
lives up to its name by being able to consume prey 10 times its own mass and
twice its length. It grows to only about 10 inches, but can chow down on
species much
larger than its main body by storing them in its massive distended stomach.
larger than its main body by storing them in its massive distended stomach.
The Tasmanian
Giant Crab AKA “Giant Deepwater Crab” is one of the largest crabs in the
world. It weighs a mighty 29lb with a 15-inch shell. It has a white shell with claws that are
splashed in red.
These majestically beautiful
creatures are a rare species of the peacock. White peacocks are not albinos;
they have a genetic mutation that is known as Leucism, which causes the lack of
pigments in the plumage.
And lastly, a picture of everyone on Earth except for one:
When astronaut Michael Collins shot this
picture from the lunar orbiter during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, he was literally the only member of humanity
not in the photo.

----fishducky
Love the common sense in a display case. I am a tad surprised at how big it is. Only one owner, rarely used...
ReplyDeleteIt's a one of a kind thing!!
DeleteI love the inner wisdom picture, that's going to be a bookmark soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with the giant deepwater crab, catch just one and have enough curry crab to feed an army.
Do you mean the closing picture?
Deleteyes.
DeleteThese are incredible Fran.
ReplyDeleteI thought so!!
DeleteWow! Interesting photos! I like the snapdragon seeds!
ReplyDeleteLisa
Creepy little buggers!!
DeleteI'm fascinated by the rocks and geodes--especially the Bismuth!!! I want one!! That is the most awesome stone I have ever seen!!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of rocks--I felt bad for the living rock getting sliced in two. So many interesting rarities!! :)
That bismuth was really neat looking!!
DeleteBig, stinky flowers are kind of scary. I would love to see the peacock in person.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
He must be gorgeous!!
DeleteGood stuff, especially the "Killer Cow."
ReplyDeleteThanks--glad you approve!!
DeleteThis was fascinating. I love the white peacock, it is just gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI agree!!
DeleteI love stuff like this. Makes you realize how little we know about our planet.
ReplyDeleteI have seen those peacocks. A rancher in Fl had several. They are beautiful---they look like lace.
I think that's a good description!!
DeleteSome of those rocks are absolutely amazing. Hard to believe they weren't man made.
ReplyDeleteMother Nature does pretty good work!!
DeleteGreat post! Those geodes are gorgeous. The opal, too. I've always loved opals, and as a young girl, used to admire the opal rings my grandmother and aunt both wore. They told me I couldn't have one, because it wasn't my birthstone, and it was bad luck to wear one if it wasn't your birthstone. (sigh) Maybe one of these days, I'll get one anyway. (What a rebel!)
ReplyDeleteGee, with a crab that size, I wouldn't have to buy so many of them for dinner. Then again, I may not have a big enough pot...
Couldn't you boil them in your bathtub?
Delete