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Honors for Photographic Quality

Balanced Rock

Taken at Arches National Park in Utah, a balanced rock parallels Balanced Rock; a 128-foot boulder of Entrada Sandstone attached to an eroding pedestal of Dewey Bridge mudstone. The balanced rock sits atop its center of mass- the location of the average mass of an object. Due to the center of mass, objects can balance in seemingly impossible ways. With careful manipulation of an object, in this case a rock, it can reach equilibrium allowing it to balance. However incredible it may be to see a contrived equilibrium it is all the more incredible to observe it in the natural world. As humans continue to travel further and further into the unknown we must maintain these marvelous feats of nature. A strict no-climbing policy has been enacted to ensure this delicate balance is not disrupted so future generations can enjoy its beauty in the future. In the same way these rocks are in a delicate balance, we must balance our impact on the natural world. We only have one home- Earth.