Judging by the tracks left by this car on a baseball field, it would seem that Washington D.C.’s youth like to liven up their evenings with a spot of light joyriding.

Actually on closer inspection it would appear that after performing a large number of doughnuts, these joyriders have (as is traditional), set this car on fire and buggered off sharpish.

Thanks to Frank at the GEarth Blog, via DCist.com.

I’m not sure what it’s like where you are… but here in Edinburgh, Christmas seems to be well underway, despite the fact that at time of writing we’re still 19 days away…

Presumably the U.S. National Christmas Tree (a 40-foot Colorado blue spruce) has been lit by now, and even although it isn’t decorated in this satellite image, it has got a very cool shadow.

Apparently there are 36 million Christmas trees produced each year, and looking at the list of Christmas Tree farms in the US you can totally believe it. Totally at random, here’s a small farm near Janesville, Iowa.

Back here in the UK, one of the few christmas tree farms I can find with high-resolution imagery is Elveden Farms, near Cambridge, which has this cool x-shaped plantation of trees.

Finally, if you live in or around Edinburgh and have yet to pick up a tree for this year, consider getting one through the Bethany’s Caring Christmas Trees site, as for each tree bought, they will provide a homeless person with a hot meal, a bed for the night, and breakfast. You’ll have to hurry though, as there’s only six days left to reserve your tree!

See Wikipedia for the full unabridged history of the Christmas Tree.

Thanks to Ben Brockert and Hinkkanen.

As the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum is spread over a couple of locations. The main display facility is right in the heart of Washington DC, although all the aircraft are stored indoors so it’s not much to look at.

The companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre was opened in December 2003 but in the aerial photo it is still under construction (so no planes to see). The completed hanger currently houses hundreds of aircraft including Concorde 205.

The Smithsonian Institution also have two aircraft on permenant display at Dulles International Airport (finally, some planes!). The one to the north is a Lockheed C-130 (one of more than 2,000 built) and the one to the south a Lockheed Constellation (which were the first pressurised aircraft in widespread use).

Thanks: Kirk & Marquis de Sade

The Lincoln Memorial is in Washington DC, just west of the Washington Monument (posted earlier).

The Lincoln Memorial was built to resemble a Greek temple. It has 36 Doric columns, one for each state at the time of Lincoln’s death. A sculpture by Daniel Chester French of a seated Lincoln is in the center of the memorial chamber.

Thanks Spaz

The Washington Monument in Washington DC is over 500 feet high and offers fantastic views over the capital. It looks pretty cool from the air as well, check out the size of that shadow!