Plus, a once-in-a-century sighting of whales; delaying pregnancy; see Venus and Jupiter tonight
|  | Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | | | | |
 | DEA/SCALA, FLORENCE
| | Palaces, temples, statues—Egypt’s long-ruling Ramses II’s many accomplishments show an empire-builder at work. The pharaoh’s 70-year reign reveals another, less-flattering legacy—he didn’t know when to quit.
Ramses’s succession plans—muddled, changable, botched—ended up unraveling one of Egypt’s biggest dynasties. What was his problem? Too hard to choose among 100 kids?
Read the full story here.
Please consider getting our full digital report and magazine by subscribing here. | | | |
 | LEFT: DEA/ALBUM; RIGHT: SCALA, FLORENCE
| | | A big head: At top, the head of Ramses II’s recumbent colossus at Memphis. Above left: An ushabti, or funerary figurine, is inscribed with the name of Khaemwaset, Ramses II’s favorite son. At right, Merneptah, who eventually succeeded Ramses, is depicted on a relief in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Read on. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY JORDI CHIAS, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY RENA EFFENDI
| |
To love Lebanon: Growing up, writer Rania Abouzeid largely knew about Lebanon through her parents’ “rose-colored” recollections of their home country—from a time before the devastating civil war. As an adult, Abouzeid moved to Lebanon and despite endemic problems and dysfunction, fell in love with the country. “It was hard not to," despite endemic problems and dysfunction, she writes. (Above, Nat Geo Explorer Rena Effendi photographs a group of women exploring a 800-year-old coastal fort known as the Sea Castle.)
| | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY NICHOLE SOBECKI
| | Viva bats! Generally speaking, smaller animals have shorter life spans than larger ones, but bats break the rule. Eighteen of the 19 mammals that live proportionally longer than humans based on body size are bats. (The naked mole rat is the other.) “This spectacularly colored yellow-winged bat, with soft gray fur and long, translucent ears, reminds me of how diverse these flying mammals are,” says Nat Geo Explorer Nichole Sobecki. Read our article on the science of longevity, and how to live longer and better.
| | | |
 | | ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS | | Close Encounters: Starting tonight, the brightest worlds visible in our skies will be putting on a week-long, eye-catching show. Look toward the west after sunset for brilliant Venus and Jupiter, joined by the Moon. The waxing crescent moon appears razor thin and is forming a beautiful close pairing with the largest planet in the solar system. Meanwhile Venus, which is even brighter than Jupiter, shines below the celestial duo. — Andrew Fazekas
| | | |
Today’s soundtrack: Agolo, Angelique Kidjo (h/t to Carla Wills and this playlist from our Overheard podcast team)
This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Sydney Combs, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link? We'd love to hear from you at david.beard@natgeo.com. Thanks for reading! | | | |
Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.
This email was sent to: mitch.dobbs.pics@blogger.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.
This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036
Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.
Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies.
© 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved. | | |
