Mount Everest’s New Height
Officials from Nepal and China, the two nations that border Mount Everest, just announced a new official height for the mountain. Now documented as standing at 8,848.86 meters (29,031.69 feet) tall, Everest measures three feet more than the previous height, which was recorded in the 1950s. A number of facts impact Everest’s official height: earthquakes can cause it to sink somewhat, while shifting tectonic plates push it further upward. Nepal announced its mission to record the mountain’s height in 2018, and committed over $1 million to the task. Trigonometry, satellite technology, teams of human surveyors and more were employed for the immense project, but scientists agree that the resulting number is a “moving target.” Read more at The Washington Post.
Image courtesy of Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
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