Perseid meteor shower 2022: when is the best time to watch the meteor shower

Scientists have revealed the secrets of stars and planets by exploring outer space. Many objects were at first simply mathematically calculated in theory, and when powerful telescopes were invented, these facts were confirmed. Now people have the technical ability not only to photograph amazing space phenomena, but also to understand how everything works with the help of space probes.

 

We have collected cosmic facts to prove that the Universe is much more mysterious than it seems

 

We at Bemorepanda have put together a good dose of scientific space facts for you to show how our Universe is both an amazing and strange place in space.

 

1. The Perseverance rover is looking for signs of life on the Red Planet

NASA's Perseverance landed on the most intriguing planet in the solar system, Mars, two years ago. This happened in February 2021. The task of "Perseverance" is to collect data to answer the question: did someone live on the planet before it became a lifeless desert.

 

The rover is drilling and collecting rock samples, looking for signs of microbial life, testing oxygen production for further human colonization of the planet.

 

Perseverance traveled 211 million km of outer space before successfully landing on the surface of Mars. It took him 7 months of Earth time to do this. NASA plans that the collected samples, which the rover is stockpiling in caches, will be brought back to Earth by follow-up missions in the 2030s.

 

2. A huge cloud of water floats in space

Astronomical observations in 2011 led to a striking conclusion: at a distance of about 12 billion light-years from our Earth, there is a huge accumulation of water vapor in outer space.

 

This is the largest cloud that is known to mankind. It appeared at an early stage of the origin of the Universe, when its age was about 1.6 billion years. Therefore, this accumulation of water vapor in space is also the oldest of all known to astronomers.

 

To imagine its size, you need to try to mentally increase our entire water supply, which is located in the oceans and seas of the Earth, by 140 trillion times. It is unlikely that this will work for an ordinary earthling. But that's not all, here's a little more coolness.

 

Astronomers believe that this grandiose accumulation of steam is nothing more than a source of energy for the life and growth of a black hole. If there is enough carbon monoxide in the form of gas in the cloud, then the black hole has every chance to increase in size by six times with all the ensuing consequences - black holes absorb matter irrevocably!

 

3. Jupiter's Great Red Spot Is Shrinking

The planet Jupiter is a gas giant, which is an accumulation of hot gases. Jupiter's calling card is its Great Red Spot, or GRS (Great Red Spot), which is nothing more than a high-pressure storm raging on the planet - a giant storm, or rather a cyclone.

 

This phenomenon lasts for 300 years, and once its area was three times the diameter of the Earth. But astrophysicists are seeing a gradual contraction of the Great Red Spot, which is getting narrower. Now the dimensions of the GRS are 8000 miles (about 13 thousand km). But you can not worry about the complete disappearance of the Red Spot - it becomes smaller in width, but grows in height.

 

4. Black and white moon of Saturn

Not one moon revolves around Saturn, like the Earth, but as many as 53, and these are only those that received their own names. In addition to them, smaller satellites revolve near Saturn, which have not yet been honored to be named by official science.

 

The brightest and most unusual of the moons of the giant of the solar system is Iapetus, who managed to be two-faced: one of his hemispheres is dark and the other is light. This rocky fragment is small in size - its diameter is 914 miles, or about 1.5 thousand km.

 

The light side is capable of reflecting 20 times more light than the dark side, and scientists are well aware of why this happens. This area is normal ice. But why it is always dark on the other side is not entirely clear. According to one theory, another of the moons - Phoebe - shows a vindictive nature and emits a stream of particles towards Iapetus. According to a more recent theory, Saturn's two-faced moon rotates so slowly that its dark material absorbs heat and therefore darkens more and more.

 

5. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system

It is unlikely that a human foot will set foot on Venus in the near future, because on this hot planet the average temperature reaches 450 - 462 ° C. This is enough to melt the lead, but not enough heat to melt the steel (it needs 2500°F, or 1370°C).

 

450 Celsius means that no form of life known to us today is possible on Venus. By comparison, the average temperature on Earth is only 58.6°F, or 17.8°C. Extremophile organisms can live happily on Earth at 206°F (96.7°C), but even they cannot survive on Venus.

 

At the same time, it is worth considering that the "Morning Star" is not located closer to the Sun than the rest - it is in second place after Mercury. Venus, on the other hand, has a super-dense atmosphere that can hold greenhouse gases, and therefore the planet is an uninhabitable “gas chamber”.

 

6. Amazing speed of rotation of neutron stars

The birth of neutron stars occurs at the moment of explosion and death of stars, the mass of which is 8 times greater than the Sun, and as a result of a supernova explosion. These celestial bodies are very small in size - their radius is from 10 to 20 kilometers, and their mass is about the same as that of the Sun, but they have a huge density.

 

If you theoretically weigh one teaspoon of the substance that makes up a neutron star, then the scales will show one billion tons. How much such a star will weigh as a whole is hard to even imagine, although it is possible to calculate. If people were on the surface of a neutron star, they would experience the force of gravity 2 billion times more powerful than Earth's.

 

The most amazing thing is the speed of rotation of these celestial bodies. Due to the compression of the core and a sharp decrease in inertia, the new neutron star begins to rotate very quickly - up to 43 thousand revolutions per second, however, the speed slows down over time. Astrophysicists have calculated and then discovered more than 2500 neutron stars in outer space.

 

7. A distant planet with a diamond core

Exoplanet 55 Cancer e is a celestial body in the status of a super-Earth, which is approximately twice the size of our Earth and is part of the distant planetary system of the star in the constellation Cancer. It was named Janssen and studied with the help of modern telescopes and satellites.

 

The planet is located far from us - at a distance of 40 million light years. 55 Cancri e revolves around its star in a very low orbit, making one revolution in 18 Earth days - a year there lasts a little more than two weeks! Such proximity of one side of the planet to the star leads to heating to a temperature of 2400 ° C - this is an ocean of lava on the surface. The other side heats up to 1100°C and has an atmosphere.

 

Scientists have suggested that 55 Cancer e has carbon in its depths, which, due to high temperatures and density, may well have the form of graphite and diamonds, and there are very, very many of them!

 

8. Ice space cryovolcanoes

A volcano on our planet is a geological object that spews molten and red-hot lava from its depths. In space, at low temperatures, volcanoes also operate, but they spew out frozen water, ammonia and methane, which come out in the form of steam, cryolava and volcanic snow.

 

Many cryovolcanoes have been discovered on the planets and satellites: Pluto, Triton - the satellite of Neptune, Titan - the satellite of Saturn, on Europa and Io - the satellites of Jupiter. On Io, NASA probes have detected very high activity, with plumes of frozen steam from hundreds of vents stretching horizontally for 400 km. Why cryovolcanoes erupt is still not exactly clear, researchers call the gravitational attraction of cosmic bodies the reason.

 

9. Our galaxy will collide with the next

Together with our solar system, we are hurtling through space in the Milky Way galaxy. The nearest neighboring Andromeda galaxy is a huge distance of 2.5 million light years. But the problem is that the Milky Way and Andromeda are flying at cosmic speeds towards each other, and someday a collision is inevitable, astrophysicists say. As a result, both galaxies will be destroyed, and everything we know about the world and space will disappear.

 

The speed of these star formations is 250 thousand miles per hour (402 thousand km / h), and given the enormous mass of both objects, the death of stars and planets is inevitable. As a result, what remains will be a completely different galaxy, which has nothing in common with our star-planetary system.

 

What should humanity do? You can relax a little: the collision will not happen earlier than in 4 billion years, so for now you can safely go about your business.

 

10. Space cold welding

On our planet, we connect two metal parts by welding: we heat the metal until it reaches its melting point, after which the molecules combine.

 

But in outer space, if we want to join metal parts, we don't need hot welding. No other similar steps are needed. There is a method of cold welding - when metals are connected either by compression or by shear sliding. At the same time, the protection in the form of an oxide layer is erased, which prevents the metals from merging under Earth conditions.

 

But there is no air and oxygen in space, and this layer is lost, so nothing prevents electrons from flowing from part to part, fusing them into one.

 

11. Uranus has a strong orbital inclination and a long winter.

The planets revolve around the Sun with some tilt. For example, our Earth has a tilt angle of 23 degrees. Thanks to this, we know the pronounced seasons and the change of weather - in summer the part of the planet where we live leans closer to the sun, and therefore we are warm, and in winter our territory is at a far distance, and we have cold.

 

But the ice giant Uranus has a planetary tilt "beyond". Its rotation angle is nearly 98 degrees, making its placement relative to the Sun "on its side and slightly head down". The planet makes a full revolution around the Sun in 84 Earth years, so the "season", in our understanding, here lasts 21 years, with 42 years being a polar day, the other 42 being a polar night. The winds of Uranus reach a speed of 240 m/s, and the temperature drops to minus 224 °C. In short, this planet is cold, very cold.

 

12 Largest Canyon System On Mars

Mars is already fairly well understood thanks to the advent of powerful telescopes and space probes, and NASA's Perseverance module is currently doing a detailed study.

 

This amazing planet has the largest and most extensive canyon found among the planets of the solar system, including Earth. The Mariner Valleys are a gigantic canyon system discovered by Mariner 9 back in 1972. It is 4,500 km long, ten times the length of the Grand Canyon in the United States, and covers a quarter of the entire circumference of Mars.

 

The width of the canyons reaches 600 km - this is 20 times the Grand Canyon, and the depth reaches 11 km, seven times the largest canyon on Earth. It is believed that the Mariner Valleys were formed during the formation of the planet and deepened due to erosion, and possibly the powerful giant volcanoes of the Martian province of Tharsis.

 

13. Mercury shrinks in size

It was believed that our Earth is the only planet in the solar system that continues to shrink. This is caused by tectonic activity, when the movement of lithospheric plates under the earth's crust releases energy and deforms the surface, which leads to gradual compression.

 

But now there are other data. Earth is not the only planet that is gradually shrinking in size. The smallest planet in the solar system, Mercury, as it turns out, is also in the process of warping. This was revealed by the MESSENGER spacecraft in 2016. Rock-like landforms, called fault ledges, have been discovered, which indicate that the planet is still in the formation stage, although 4.5 billion years have already passed since the creation of the solar system.

 

14. Neptune warms itself

Neptune happened to be at the farthest end of the solar system with a distance of 4.55 billion km from the Sun, so that the year on this ice giant lasts almost 165 Earth years. At the same time, Neptune is spinning as best it can - it rotates around its axis at a speed of one revolution in 16 hours.

 

It may seem that a severe cold and darkness reigns on the planet, but this is not entirely true. What is on Neptune is hurricane-force winds and storms that accelerate to 600 m / s. But if the planet does not have enough light and heat from the Sun, then you have to produce this heat on your own, which Neptune does.

 

Its internal temperature is much higher than that of Uranus, due to which weather changes occur. The exact cause is not yet known, but it is believed that the hydrogen, which is located in the depths of Neptune, increases the heat. The planet produces its own heat 2.6 times more than it can receive from the Sun, so it is terribly cold in the upper atmosphere - minus 220 °C, and inside the planet warms up to plus 7000 °C.

 

15. Saturn and its mysterious hexagon

The size of Saturn is 9.5 times larger than the Earth, and despite the fact that the planet has no solid and consists of gases, its mass is 95 times greater than that of the earth. Saturn makes one revolution around the star in 29.45 Earth years, but it turns around its axis in 10 hours 32 minutes, ranking second in terms of rotation speed after Jupiter.

 

The features of Saturn include its extraordinarily beautiful rings, consisting of particles of ice and stones, and in addition, a completely unique and amazing phenomenon - a regular hexagon located at its north pole. This is nothing more than a cluster of clouds, but scientists have not yet figured out why they took the correct geometric shape. It is only known that one side is 13800 km and four of our planets Earth can easily fit inside this formation.

 

The hexagon rotates with a period of 10 hours. 39 min., but at the same time it does not change its shape. A strong turbulent vortex is raging inside it, and this storm has been going on, according to observations, for 40 years now. Perhaps the strange shape is due to zonal jets extending downwards in high-pressure areas.

 

16. Cosmic distances are beyond imagination.

People do not even think about the fact that they live on a small planet that flies in a boundless dark space. We measure the distance using the time we spend on the move - for example, to work 30 minutes, to the store 10 minutes walk.

 

But in space, you have to measure the distance in light years. One light year is the distance that a ray of light (its speed is 300 thousand km / s) is able to overcome in one calendar year. To imagine this scale, let's take the distance from the Earth to the Moon - it will take only 1.3 seconds for the beam to travel these 380 thousand km to our satellite. It would take nine hours for a modern spacecraft to do this.

 

But if we decide to fly to our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, we will have to travel 4.246 light years (at the speed of light). The same journey in a car at a speed of about 100 km/h would take 356 billion years.

 

17. Twinkling Stars

If we look at the sky, we will find that the stars twinkle and twinkle, but the planets do not, they continue to shine with a steady light. Why it happens?

 

The explanation lies in the mobility of our planet's atmosphere. The light that the star emits enters the atmosphere and is refracted in it, which our eyes perceive as flickering. The planets seem large to us, and their reflected light is also refracted in the atmosphere, but due to the size of the planets, these distortions are compensated, as a result of which our eyes see a steady brilliance.

 

18. Temperature spread of Mercury

Even on Earth, one can encounter a large spread in the values of a street thermometer, when in summer it is plus 45 ° C in the region, and minus 30 ° C in winter. But small in size Mercury has gone much further and can greatly surprise with its temperature drops.

 

Since this planet is located closest to the Sun and the period of its revolution around the star is the shortest - only 87.97 Earth days, Mercury has no atmosphere and there has been no geological activity along with internal heat over the past few billion years, and the temperature change is significant.

 

So, at night at the equator on the surface of the planet it is minus 173 °C, during the day this area warms up to plus 427 °C. This spread is the widest among all other planets in the solar system. In the polar zones, the temperature is more stable and does not rise above minus 93 °C. If you suddenly find yourself on Mercury as a traveler, you will have to rack your brains well, choosing your wardrobe.

 

19. Planetary diamond showers

Probably, diamond planets exist somewhere, and scientists even point to these amazing celestial bodies, but they are far beyond our solar system.

 

But even among the closest neighbors of the Earth there are planets in the atmosphere of which it can rain from real diamonds. The gas giants Jupiter and Saturn are able to turn the methane they are made of into carbon black under the influence of thunderstorms raging on the surface. As the soot settles, it becomes graphite, which crystallizes into diamonds.

 

When these diamond crystals, about one centimeter in diameter, approach the red-hot core, they melt and transform into diamond liquid droplets. Thus, those astronauts who dare to take these diamonds into their pockets have very little time left.

 

20. What is more - sand or stars?

Carl Sagan said that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on the entire earth. Astronomer Bob Berman decided to check and refuted this statement. For calculations, he applied mathematical methods: he multiplied the 100 billion stars that one galaxy in our Universe has by the probable number of galaxies (which is from 200 billion to 3 trillion galaxies). Then he counted how many grains of sand are in one cubic centimeter and multiplied by the amount of sand on Earth. And what turned out? There were as many grains of sand as there are stars in the universe.

 

Applying makeup during filming is not a quick process. Mainly when not only the image of the character depends on it but also on the film's overall success. The Deadpool actors must endure many hours of sitting in the make-up chair and all their manipulations, sometimes reminiscent of “torture.”

 

Changed beyond recognition! What makeup can do to actors

 

Bemorepanda found examples of what actors go through to make their on-screen characters stand out and memorable. For example, make-up for 8-9 hours. And this, it turns out, is not the most challenging thing that they sometimes have to face.

 

1. 8-9 hours, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique in X-Men

 

“It was a nine-hour make-up process. Throughout three films, we managed to cut it down to seven hours, but it was still... a lot. And I realized pretty quickly that this was my job, which was to apply all this makeup! — Rebecca Romijn, Looper

 

2. 8-9 hours, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in X-Men: First Class

 

In First Class, the filmmakers stayed accurate to Rebecca Romijn's original costume. But for Jennifer Lawrence, the body paint caused such severe skin irritation that she had to call a doctor. For the next film, X-Men: Days of Future Past, they switched to bodysuits. It also helped save all that time on set.

 

“I'm so excited because I'm going to wear a tight suit. It will be from the neck down so that it will cut time and blisters." - Jennifer Lawrence.

 

3. 8.5 hours, Jim Carrey as the Grinch in The Grinch Stole Christmas

 

The process of putting on makeup and costume took so long that the film producer brought in a CIA officer whose job was to help people endure torture.

 

4. 8 hours, Halle Berry as Jocasta Ayres (and five other characters) in Cloud Atlas

 

In addition to her role as Jocasta Ayres, Berry is also known as:

 

- Louise Ray

 

- Ovid

 

- Meronym

 

- Native woman

 

- Indian party guest

 

5. 8 hours, Christian Bale as Dick Cheney in "Power."

 

“In the old days, when we were sculpting foam fixtures, we would reshape the jaw and chin area a bit because it would compress a bit. But now, in silicone, we must accentuate the cheekbones and jawlines because his weight pulls him down. So it isn't easy. It would help if you had to know what you're doing." — Makeup artist Greg Cannom, Vox.

 

6. 7-8 hours, John Hurt as John Merrick in The Elephant Man

 

The make-up for John Hurt, resembling the real-life John Merrick, was created using the casts of Merrick's body in the Royal London Hospital.

 

7. 7 hours, Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna ​​in Stranger Things 4

 

Take a behind-the-scenes look below for a closer look at the process.

 

 

8. 7 hours, Michael Dorn as Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation

 

According to Michael Dorn, over time, the makeup process has become easier:

 

“Now it's not that weird because it used to be quite difficult because they used a lot of glue and makeup. It was just a natural process."

 

9. 7 hours, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson in Deadpool

 

Seven hours is a very long time, and the makeup artists were uneasy when Ryan Reynolds once pranked them by ripping it all off after they were done.

 

Here's how it was:

 

 

10. 6 hours, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze in "Batman and Robin."

 

For some close-up shots, Arnold had to put an LED in his mouth, and at some point, it became quite dangerous:

 

“When you put it in Arnold's mouth, Arnold's saliva seeps into the seams of this thing and attacks the batteries. Batteries begin to disintegrate, and battery acid may begin to enter Arnold's mouth." — Makeup artist Jeff Dawn, THR.

 

11. 6 hours, Gary Oldman as Mason Verger in Hannibal

 

Greg Cannom, who worked with Christian Bale on The Authority, was Hannibal's makeup artist:

 

“I knew we could get away with [Oldman] more than any other actor. He first said, "Can we open my eye?" It's disgusting. I showed people pictures of [Oldman as Verger], and they all just said, “Oh my God!” and left, which made me very happy.” — Cannom, The Guardian.

 

12. 5-6 hours, Doug Bradley as Hellraiser in Hellraiser

 

“The process started with Clive sketching out his ideas that we had to work through together, and then we came up with other ideas based on those sketches. Initially, Pinhead was not at all what he is now. He was much more like Nightbreed's Shunu Sassi character, with only needles sticking out of the top of his head. I looked at it and thought, "Clive [Barker, director], we can't do it with that budget." I knew this makeup would last six days, and we couldn't do it on such a tight budget. He said, "Okay, let's think about it." That's when we came up with this grid pattern on a lifecast to determine where we were going to insert what were originally supposed to be six-inch nails. Clive looked at the mesh and decided he liked its symmetry, so we left it in place." — Makeup artist Bob Keane, DailyDead.

 

13. 5 hours, Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 

Greg Cannom ("Power," "Hannibal") is back in business:

 

“I had time to get it right, which I don’t usually do in a film. We did intensive tests for two weeks before filming started at every age and did make-up after make-up. The make-up had to work. Otherwise, the film wouldn't have worked." — Kann, Variety.

 

14. 5 hours, John Matuszak as Sloth in The Goonies

 

Back in 2019, 34 years after the release of The Goonies, test shots of the Sloth makeup were finally found.

 

15. 5 hours Dave Bautista as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy 

 

“Drax started with a five-hour make-up, and gradually the time began to decrease, as expected. Such extensive makeup is a real challenge for the team because it is so complex.

 

“Every day, a plastic mold was offered that was the exact shape of David's body, with perforated holes indicating where the prosthesis begins and ends. Through it, a drawing showing a map was applied to rice paper.

 

“All teams had different tasks in this sequence. Some begin the application of paint, while others complete the shading of the dentures. We added subtle layers of browns, reds, and greens to the base gray to break up the tone and spice it up before the final color unwrapping.

 

"The whole body is then sealed with a retainer so that it can withstand daytime shooting." — Makeup artist David White, Business Insider.

 

16. 5 hours, Zoe Saldana as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy 

 

“This time, I was picked up at three in the morning - my dog ​​was not even happy about it. I had to sit for five hours for five months. It was crazy, but it paid off. The film is fantastic." — Zoe Saldana, US Weekly.

 

17. 5 hours, Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle in The Fly

 

“Yes, Chris Wallace got an Oscar for it. And Stéphane Dupuis put me in the dentist's chair for five hours and used this thing. And then another hour after we finished… well, you know, labor, labor, labor… took it off. This suit is a little tight... the rubber suit... so I look so... ugly. And then prosthetics. — Jeff Goldblum, Yahoo.

 

18. 6 hours, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Terminator in Terminator 2: Judgment Day

 

“Maria walked onto the set in the midst of filming Terminator 2. And then she saw me - when half of the face disappeared, and the eye lit up. All this weird makeup... So she started screaming and crying on set because she didn't understand why dad looked like that." - Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

19. 5 hours, Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose

 

Marion Cotillard didn't mind the five-hour make-up because she's a big fan of Edith Piaf and wanted to give her credit:

 

“It was very stressful, but she was a powerful person. I love tragedy. Not in my life. But I love to play a tragedy. It allows me to express so many things. At the same time, I feel empty and full of emotions; I feel alive." — Marion Cotillard, Under the Radar.

 

20. 5 hours, Tim Curry as Lord of Darkness in "Legend."

 

“We had terrible negotiations about what parts of me would be visible. I fought and begged to have my own eyes… My eyes were solid contact lenses, like wolf or cat eyes, which were very painful to install because they took a cast of your eye and inserted it into your eye. If it hurt, they scratched him a little until he stopped hurting.” — Tim Curry, Legend commentary.

 

 

 

Only a few of us can have the opportunity to communicate with a star. Many regularly attend concerts of their favorite performers, someone even got an autograph from a celebrity, but not everyone can boast that, for example, Bill Murray nursed you as a child. These "pearls" were shared by people from our article, boasting on the Internet of their meeting with a star.

 

“Bill Murray looked after me and my brother. Here is a photo of us in the late 1980s "

 

"My uncle tripped and fell in front of the Queen of England in 1987"

 

“My father and Elvis. He always told us that they hung out together, but before this photo we didn't believe him. "

 

"When I took a selfie, I told Samuel L. Jackson to show what he really thinks about these things."

 

 

“Today at work my mom was told to drive this 'bum' off the golf course. It turned out to be Bill Murray "

 

"My son looks more like Harry Potter than Harry Potter himself."

 

"My dad played against Michael Jordan in high school."

 

“My wife met Chris Pratt. Anna Faris did not approve of this "

 

 

"My wife's face on our wedding day compared to when she met Rob Lowe."

 

"My husband, when he was a little boy, with Alice Cooper in 1989"

 

"I got a little nervous when I met Morgan Freeman."

 

“Today my mom didn't answer my call. I sent her a message asking why she was so busy and she sent me this photo. "

 

 

"Chuck Norris admires my friend's father's cock in the 80s."

 

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are known to troll each other in a friendly way, and a Jackman fan decided to take advantage of this.

The girl put on a dress with the image of Reynolds in a wreath to meet the idol and he burst out laughing when he saw this. But for the sake of the photo, he showed anger on his face.

 

“I met Jim Carrey and he was really amazing! I never thought he would make faces with me, but he did a great job! "

 

"A friend of mine met Beyoncé in New Orleans and she said," Whatever face you make, I'll repeat it. "

 

 

“My brother and I met our favorite superhero (Hulk) when we were 4 years old. As you can see, we were a little disappointed because Lou Ferrigno was not green. "

 

“A buddy of mine met this weird dude in a dinosaur shirt and zebra print pants. Come on, just kidding, I know it's Jeff Goldblum. "

 

"My dad with Muhammad Ali, 1970s"

 

“I met David Hasselhoff at our local radio station in the early 80's. However, in this photo I don't look too impressed. "

There are many places to travel in the world. Beautiful cities, beautiful places. Diverse cuisine and even more diverse cultures.

 

Travel destinations in Europe - where there are no crowds of tourists

 

We at Bemorepanda have collected 36 places and reviews of European destinations on the travel subreddit, where you can find beautiful scenery, exciting culture, and, of course, delicious food... and most importantly - all this without vast crowds of tourists. At a minimum, these places you should read about and expand your historical horizons due to this, albeit online for now.

 

1. Patmos, Greece

 

“It's a very small island that's easy to navigate because it's... so small. Almost all beaches are sandy (comfortable, unlike rocky ones). The towns are very nice, with various cocktail bars and cafes where you can enjoy the evening.” —TooManyKittiesInHere

 

2. Haarlem, Netherlands

 

“This city is only 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam, but it has a very different vibe. There are beautiful fields of tulips, some great restaurants and cool medieval houses.” — yeesh_kabab

 

3. San Sebastian, Spain

 

“This part of Northern Spain, just across the border from France, has some of the best food in Europe. San Sebastian is a gourmet mecca where you can dine on street food or dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant. You can go to restaurants for weeks on end before you run out of new options.” — Thrill_Monster

 

4. Azores, Portugal

 

“It amazes me how many people don't know about these islands. It's an absolute dream right in the middle of the Atlantic, surrounded by stunning volcanic landscape and crystal blue lakes." — some_jay

 

The Azores are Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I spent three weeks there, traveling around the islands, and the city of Furnas on the island of Sao Miguel was just magical.”

 

5. Assisi, Italy

 

“No wonder there are so many amazing places to visit in Italy, but this place has become my favorite. It is a small town on top of a hill and it is very beautiful. Everything I met there was incredibly beautiful. There is a big church in the city, so some tourists come here for it, but in general there are much less people than in large cities. However, it boasts that Italian charm that tourists are looking for." — Buzzybuzz11

 

6. Tallinn, Estonia

 

“I really didn't expect much when I went to Tallinn. I stopped by while traveling from Helsinki to London, and for good reason. Damn it was beautiful and the people were so friendly. I would go back there for a real vacation again.” — fredzesty

 

7. Heidelberg, Germany

 

“It's a beautiful, classic German riverside city surrounded by lush, deep green hills. There are few tourists here, a magnificent center and a stunning castle. You can make your visit to Heidelberg an easy day trip, or you can stay there to look around. Sometimes I really felt like I was walking through a fairy tale village and I can only imagine how stunning it becomes in the winter.” — deleted

 

8. Lucerne, Switzerland

 

“On a trip through Europe, stopping in cities like Paris and Munich, my favorite place was Lucerne. I stayed in a small family ski chalet in the Alps, not far from the city. He was heavily influenced by the Italians, French, Germans and British. Different regions have very different feelings, cuisines and cultures, but the whole country boasts breathtaking landscapes.” — madisonntate

 

9. Armenia

 

“I strongly recommend leaving the capital. No matter how beautiful Yerevan is, it is nothing compared to the surroundings. The country is not very big, so you can easily get to all these places in an hour and a half driving.” — ProfObladee

 

10. Segovia, Spain

 

“While visiting Madrid, I was recommended by some locals to take a day trip to Segovia and I am so glad I did. This is a great town with a very interesting history. The aqueduct is just incredible at sunset. When I think back to my trip to Madrid, Segovia is the first thing I think of." — ohheeverybody

 

11. Comporta, Portugal

 

“Many people head straight to the Algarve when looking for a truly Portuguese beach, but Comporta, a sleepy fishing town about an hour from Lisbon, was incredible with all its modest seafood restaurants located right along the beach.” — Hannah Loewentheil

 

12. Rotterdam, Netherlands

 

“IMHO, Rotterdam is the best city in the Netherlands. It has architecture, culture, parties, cool bars and great parks. Everything is here.” — Achterhaven

 

13. Slovenia

 

“Now everyone is going to Croatia, but I really liked Slovenia. Triglav is very beautiful. I never made it to Ljubljana, but I can't wait to get back." — d_-_-__p

 

“Tourists go crazy for Lake Bled, but in my opinion, Bohinj in Slovenia is a real gem. It is only 30 minutes away from Bled, so you can see both places in one trip.” — rebekaaab

 

14. Cahors, France

 

“Cahors and its surroundings are amazing. There are many bike paths and trails, many small villages and hilltop castles, and one of the oldest bridges in Europe. It's like a scene from a fairy tale, without the crowds of tourists." — jennybrasil

 

15. Tromsø, Norway

 

“This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and wonderful people live here. I dream of leaving my job in America and moving there to live. From Tromsø you can take the bus to so many great places...” — johnnyseattle

 

16. Bulgaria

 

“Many people don’t realize that Bulgaria is located right above Greece, so the climate and food are somewhat similar. It's cheap to stay, eat and drink here. Plus it's very safe." – coreytrevor

 

17. Lithuania

 

“Vilnius is an absolutely amazing capital city. The old town has beautiful historic architecture, and the arts district is fun and quirky. All this is surrounded by really beautiful nature.

 

In Lithuania, there are many ways to enjoy nature in addition to hiking, such as boating on the Baltic Sea.” — TheLovelyLeda

 

18. Northern Greece

 

“I am a historian of ancient times and have spent a lot of time in Greece. The north is overlooked, but there are real treasures there. I especially love Meteora: pictures can't convey how beautiful it is there." — Deirdre_Rose

 

"Mountain Greece. Almost all foreign tourists think that only the Greek islands are worth visiting, but Greece offers many beautiful mountain villages in the north, where there are excellent hiking trails.” — CowboyKm

 

19. Girona, Spain

 

"Barcelona is a fantastic city, but Girona, its neighbor in Catalonia, is a hidden gem that many people don't notice." —dazzlingminion93

 

20. Toulouse, France

 

“Toulouse, located near the Spanish border, is my favorite city in France. The food is second to none and the parties there never seem to stop.” — njred

 

21. Sifnos, Greece

 

“This is the best choice for a holiday on a Greek island off the beaten track. It is a small picturesque island without the huge crowds you find in Mykonos and Santorini. It has delicious food, great hospitality, culture (the island is famous for its weekly festivals and pottery), interesting sights, beautiful scenery and hiking trails. To be honest, I can't think of anything I don't like about this place." — Girishajin89

 

22. Scottish Highlands

 

“Most of the people I know never thought of coming here and it's a real shame for these people. The Scottish Highlands are stunningly beautiful - simply breathtaking. It feels like you're on another planet." — fredzesty

 

23. Bratislava

 

“Many people traveling in this part of Europe tend to skip it and go directly to Vienna, Prague and/or Budapest, but I recommend staying in Bratislava for a day or two. It's really cheap, the old town is cozy, the food is great, and the view from the Castle is amazing." — edwinodesseiron

 

24. Brussels, Belgium

 

“I LOVED Brussels. There were waffles on every corner, the best fries you'll ever have in your life, amazing beer and incredible chocolate. This is a hidden gem of Europe!” - Hanks_backyard_deals

 

25. Albania

 

“The Albanian Riviera is similar to the Greek islands, but without their price tag and tourists. Plus, you'll have access to national parks for hiking, delicious food, and stunning beaches." — SalamancaVice

 

26. Istria, Croatia

 

“Rijeka and the whole region of Istria in Croatia are extremely underestimated. Beautiful beaches with few tourists can be found further south, in Split or Dubrovnik.” — deleted

 

27. Marseille, France

 

“Marcel has a bad reputation, but I think he is amazingly handsome. And it has some of the best, freshest seafood I've ever eaten." — willard_price

 

28. Pienza, Italy

 

“Pienza is located in Tuscany, but there are far fewer people and tourists than other cities such as Siena, San Gimignano and Florence. It is a small and extremely picturesque town where you can wander around and take in the hilly views. You are sure to stumble upon hidden gems such as family owned trattorias, cheese shops selling local pecorino di Pienza and much, much more.” — Hannah Loewentheil

 

29. Granada, Spain

 

“Granada in Spain is absolutely beautiful. Here is the Alhambra, which took second place in the ranking of one of the wonders of the world. Tapas (snack at the bar) is free with every drink and the weather is amazing.” — helenmaryskata

 

30. Emilia-Romagna, Italy

 

“Bologna has the largest historical center in Italy, but it is visited by very few people compared to how many tourists come to Venice, Rome or Florence. It is also the gastronomic capital of Italy. There are many students and a very cheerful city, and it is very beautiful.” — Protodeus

 

31. Zagreb, Croatia

 

“Zagreb has very few tourists and is a cool, lively and inexpensive city to visit. As a bonus, you can take a bus from Zagreb to visit the Plitvice Lakes National Park. It's seriously one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited." — denalismell

 

32. Normandy, France

 

“When people hear about France, they tend to associate it with either Paris or Provence, but there are many other regions that go unnoticed. Normandy in particular has many cathedrals including the famous Mont Saint-Michel, the architecture is also great and worth seeing. It is also a great place for art lovers. For example, there is Monet's house in Giverny, with its beautiful garden, where he painted the iconic series "Water Lilies." — UnrulyCrow

 

33. Warsaw, Poland

 

“I fell in love with this city from the very first hour. It is so beautiful, clean and calm, the people are so nice and helpful. It's very picturesque and has such a calming atmosphere. I would move there in an instant." — taylightly

 

34. Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

 

“Great views everywhere and Conor Pass is breathtaking. There are many interesting little villages on the Dingle Peninsula. The town of Dingle itself is great and doesn't look touristy." — 18BPL

 

35. Tampere, Finland

 

“This medium-sized city inland is built between two lakes. It has a different vibe compared to Helsinki. It is a well developed city but only a stone's throw from nature trails. The best city that many Finns want to move to permanently.” — FinlandAmerica

 

 

36. Genoa, Italy

 

“Genoa is incredible and I don't understand why it's not more popular. Home to the largest medieval city center in Europe, she is the inventor of many popular dishes such as focaccia, farinata and pesto. It has some of the best views in Europe and a rich history. This is one of the most beautiful skylines I have ever seen in the world." — rakuu

 

 

From time to time, you can see scenes of sex in movies. Spectators, something - sit and watch. And sometimes you feel embarrassed. And what about the actors? What are they experiencing at this moment? How do they even agree to this? After all, their naked bodies will be seen by millions of people around the world.

 

Do you think the actors just showed up on set, undressed in front of everyone, and acted like crazy in front of the entire production team? Nothing like this! Everything is much more complicated.

 

The tricks of filmmakers during the shooting of intimate scenes

 

If you want to know precisely how this process happens, read below what people directly related to the "production" of sex scenes in Hollywood have to say about it.

 

• Filming sex scenes isn't new to Hollywood, but intimate relationship coordination has changed the approach.
• Intimacy coordinators create a comfortable work environment while filming sex scenes.
• The sex scenes are carefully choreographed, and the actors use discreet clothing to cover their bodies.

 

1. It takes a lot of effort to get the cast and crew ready for the intimate scene

 

Alicia Rodis of HBO Studios, who pioneered the role of an intimate relationship coordinator who helps orchestrate sex scenes on set, told Insider that there is a lot of open dialogue about the private content that will be filmed before filming even begins.

 

“It's no secret that there have been problematic sex scenes and power dynamics on set in the past, which can lead to coercion and make people do things they later regret or do. Which they did not agree to,” Rodis said.

 

Allowing the actors to leave the stage is part of the “pre-work and making sure we know what to expect,” Rodis says. Or, at least, which we are not going to do.”

 

Ita O'Brien, the coordinator of intimate relations in films, agreed that preparation and cooperation between all departments is the key to a thriving sex scene.

 

O'Brien says it's about talking to producers, directors, actors, and costume designers.

 

2. Actors agree to a certain level of nudity and cover their bodies with inconspicuous clothing while filming

 

In preparation for filming a sex scene, the actors sketch out nudity scenarios that indicate which part of their body they are comfortable showing on screen and what simulated sexual content they can portray.

 

David Thackeray, another Hollywood intimate relationship coordinator, told Insider that the close relationship coordinators are working with the costume department to make sure whatever the actor wants to show on set gets done.

 

According to Thackeray, linings and garments such as genital pouches, genital barriers, and underwear with a detachable drawstring can provide some modesty on set.

 

"Maybe there's a particular shot where we need to see their back, but they're not comfortable showing their front, so you might end up with a half-taped bodysuit that goes all the way down to their belly, but the back shows like they're completely naked," says Thackeray.

 

3. Choreography for sex scenes is set and rehearsed in advance

 

The sex scenes are just as meticulously prepared as the elaborate fight scenes or dance routines.

 

“It's more than clear, and there's no emotion attached to it,” Thackeray said. “Very much like a fight or a dance. It's similar to going from A to B. Then we add story and emotion, like an extra layer."

 

4. Actors decide whether they want to discuss emotional performance with the intimacy coordinator

 

Once the choreography is created, the actors must add emotion and passion to the scene.

 

According to Rodis, the role of the intimate relationship coordinator shifts towards what the actor wants.

 

“It depends on the situation,” Rodis told Insider. - Some performers want non-interference, and some say: “Let's talk. Let's discuss everything."

 

5. Sex and nudity scenes are filmed on indoor sets with only key personnel present

 

When filming a sex or nudity scene, the call list notes that the set is closed, meaning only key crew and cast members will be present during filming.

 

"The monitors are also off, so there's only the director's monitor and focus pullers," Thackeray said. - At least, people. As soon as everyone leaves the room, the robes are removed, the action begins, they announce a break, the robes are put on again, and no one is allowed into the room until the actors feel comfortable.

 

6. Any shoot that includes nudity, such as bath scenes, is done with the same attention to detail and professionalism

 

Particular attention on the set is paid not only to sex scenes. According to O'Brien, even the bath scenes require a lot of preparation and collaboration.

 

 “The bath scenes are always intense because the water only stays warm for a certain time,” O'Brien said. “Also, you must ensure that it has the right level of transparency and is hygienic.”

 

7. Cinematic stunts make it look like the actors are having sex when, in fact, they are far apart

 

No matter how realistic the sex scene looks, movie magic is always used to create the illusion. According to Thackeray, the combination of choreography, camera angles, discreet clothing, and props gives the scene a realistic feel.

 

"I'll tell the artists, 'This is how you do this pose, and this is what we created, so there's no genital contact,'" Thackeray told Insider. “Here’s what you can wear and so on.” Most of the time, there is probably at least 6 inches (15 cm) or more space between their bodies.”

 

The careful choreography makes the scene look natural: "the rhythm comes from their legs, not their groin."

 

8. Major sex scenes can be filmed in as little as two hours

 

Thackeray told Insider that he worked on complex sex scenes and primary sequences, which he says can be filmed relatively quickly.

 

According to him, depending on how many frames and angles the director wants, the shoot can be completed in two hours, especially if "it's handheld, in one position, and it's just a moment or a flash."

 

"If you've rehearsed the scene and the artists know exactly what they're doing, what they're wearing, and what they're going to see, and if they've been informed about their wardrobe, everything will go smoothly, and you'll save so much time in the day," Thackeray said.

 

9. In bed scenes, actors can be replaced by doubles.

 

Suppose the actors do not want to appear naked in explicit scenes. In that case, they can be replaced by understudies stipulated in advance in the contract, and this nuance is meticulously observed.

 

10. The most challenging part of filming sex scenes can be how the producers handle the content

 

While some intimate sequences can be tricky to coordinate, O'Brien told Insider that "there are not difficult scenes, but difficult situations."

 

Intimate relationship coordinators can run into trouble if the director and actors don't want the choreography or if members of the production team are hesitant to cooperate on every aspect of the sex scene.

 

“Am I right in saying, “You know what? I'm here for you if you're not hiring me to teach the skills. Then I should walk away from this production,” O'Brien said. "That's where the difficulty lies."