Seven really, really big holes

The John's Fun Stuff blog has a nifty little photo essay on seven unimaginably huge holes around the world. Pictured here, the Mirny diamond mine in East Siberia. It operated for 50 years, finally closing in 2004. At 525 meters deep, with a top diameter of 1200 meters, it was the largest diamond mine in the world - so big that it was finally declared a no-fly zone after downward air flow repeatedly caused helicopters flying overhead to be sucked in and crash.

Got a tip for Monsters and Rockets? Want to contribute to the site? Send us an email.