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DigitalGlobe
The Tokyo Skytree rises 2,080 feet (634 meters) into the sky in a satellite picture acquired on April 4.
The Tokyo Skytree is considered the world's tallest broadcasting tower and the second-tallest human-made structure, so you should expect it to cast a blocks-long shadow on its surroundings in Japan's capital. The only building taller is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai — which rises 2,717 feet high, compared with the 2,080-foot Skytree.
The Skytree offers a restaurant and observation decks as well as broadcasting facilities for eight TV networks and two FM radio stations. There's a shopping arcade next door that includes a planetarium and aquarium. The complex had its official opening in May and is expected to draw 32 million visitors a year — which is more than Tokyo Disneyland's typical tally.
This picture of the Skytree and its tall shadow was captured on April 7 by one of DigitalGlobe's orbiting satellites, and ranks among the company's top 20 images for 2012. Facebook users have been invited to press their "like" buttons to vote for their favorite pictures over the next week. On Dec. 19, the field will be narrowed down to the top five — and then there'll be a Facebook vote for the year's top satellite picture. Check out DigitalGlobe's blog for more about the contest.
For more awe-inspiring sights from space, click through these past entries from our Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar. We're featuring a fresh view of Earth from space every day from now until Christmas. And because you've been extra good this year, I've added a couple of Web links to other cosmic Advent calendars:
- 2012 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- Day 1: A fantastic Chinese fan
- Day 2: Satellite shows a Grander Canyon
- Day 3: Typhoon stirs awe — and alarm
- Day 4: Glittering nighttime view of Riyadh
- Day 5: Night lights shine on 'Black Marble'
- Day 6: Holy sites seen at night
- Day 7: Blue Marble still leaves its mark
- Day 8: Satellites look into a volcano's hell
- Day 9: Jack Frost nipping at Alaska's nose
- Day 10: Cosmonaut looks down on peaks
- Day 11: Earth looms above moonwalker
- 2011 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- 2010 Cosmic Log Space Advent Calendar
- The Atlantic: Hubble Advent Calendar
- Zooniverse Advent Calendar
Correction for 12:30 p.m. ET Dec. 13: At one point I added a phrase saying that Burj Khalifa was six stories higher than the Tokyo Skytree, but as a few commenters have pointed out, those would be mighty big stories, at roughly 100 feet per story. Sixty stories would be closer to the mark. Thanks for pointing out the estimating error, and apologies for getting it wrong.
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other science and space news coverage, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered via email. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
Leave a Comment:
I see this bad boy every day on my way to work. It looks unimpressive when you're riding on a train close to the tower... but when you can still see the tower from 100 miles away, that is quite an impressive thing. From the right angle, on the train, you can see Skytree standing next to Mt. Fuji - if I had a good enough camera, it would make for one hell of a photo!
who can build the longest, er tallest, phallic symbol, er building? the japanese have it for now!
That's six stories and 637 feet higher. Pretty tall story.
Does anyone bother to proofread anymore? 106 foot stories?
Earth quake insurance? (How did it affect design). Add to Gozilla movie?
From Wikipedia
Earthquake resistance
The tower has seismic proofing, including a central shaft made of reinforced concrete. The main internal pillar is attached to the outer tower structure 125 meters (410 ft) above ground. From there until 375 meters (1,230 ft) the pillar is attached to the tower frame with oil dampers, which act as cushions during an earthquake. According to the designers, the dampers can absorb 50 percent of the energy from an earthquake.
@George NY taller buildings have larger frequencies so there is less amplification from the eq. Also they usually have deeper foundation, to where there is less soil amplification of the eq from the bedrock. A 5-30 story building is more likely to collapse.
As noted above, the unusual height of those six stories caught my attention as well (Over a hundred feet per story). Living in NYC and not far from the once world champion in height - Empire State Building, news of the Burj Khalifa being double the height of the Empire State - DOUBLE - it's 1,454 to the tip of its spire! -I kinda lost interest in these kinds of facts. ;(
If I was Godzilla I'd head straight for that thing!
According to ChaCha.com (I know I never heard of em either, they just came up in my Google search) a story in a building can average 8 to 9 feet in height, with lobby areas going up to 13 feet. So assume 9 feet just for the fun of it. 2717feet - 2080 feet = 637 feet. 637/9 = 70.777 stories, ahem, slightly more than the six storie mentioned in the article. Personally I think the 9 feet is a bit low, so if we try it with 10 feet instead we get 63.7 stories taller. Thus endeth my contribution to this important matter.........
The greatest tower is still the Eiffel tower in Paris. Size doesn't matter all that much.
This bad boy had an impromptu test run of its earthquake resistance already. At the time of the Tohoku Earthquake, Skytree had just surpassed the 600m height mark in its construction. There are videos out there of it swaying in the wind...
Dybai is a monument to vacancy. Tall just to say they are the tallest. No useful purpose. At least this is a radio tower.
They should make the worlds largest sundial using it.