Stalking Venus

This is a photograph of the concrete dome on Runit Island. The island, which is part of Enewetak Atoll was fitted with its unusual concrete cap because of the simple small fact that beneath it lie 111,000 cubic yards of radioactive soil and debris from the Bikini and Rongelap atoll nuclear tests.

The dome covers the 30 foot deep, 350 foot wide crater that was created by the May 5, 1958 Cactus test. The cost to build this dome was around $239,000,000 – let alone the cost to the environment.

Above you can see the crater on Runit Island next to another crater created by a test bomb. Pretty scary stuff when you consider that these were just “little” test bombs.

To view in Google Earth, point it to these coordinates: 11°33’09.10″N 162°20’50.21″E

I’ll leave you with this happy thought: North Korea is testing its rocket technology by launching intercontinental (Taepodong 2) capable missiles into the atmosphere. US intelligence believes that North Korea has every indication of being a nuclear-ready country, and the launch was in direct defiance of United Nations Security Council ruling 1718, which expressly forbids North Korea from testing ballistic missiles.

Interesting times boys and girls!

Photos by the Defense Special Weapons Agency. Clicky-click for full size.