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Dec 15, 2020A bridge that rocks

Sandwiched between soaring pinnacles of sandstone, Bastei Bridge is a highlight of Saxon Switzerland National Park. But don"t be fooled by the park"s name because we"re not in Switzerland; we"re hundreds of miles away in eastern Germany, close to the border with the Czech Republic. The name comes from two Swiss artists who visited the area in the second half of the 18th century and felt the picturesque upland scenery was reminiscent of their homeland.Desktop Version

Apr 24, 2020Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images

On this day in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope entered orbit in the cargo bay of the space shuttle Discovery. Shortly thereafter, it began its continuing mission to capture images of our universe from low Earth orbit, free of the obstructions of clouds and the distortions of the atmosphere. Like its namesake, the great astronomer Edwin Hubble, the Hubble Space Telescope has transformed our understanding of the cosmos. Some of the telescope"s greatest contributions include its Deep Fields images, which peer back billions of light-years and help astronomers measure the size and age of the universe and test theories about its origin. It"s also produced jaw-dropping images of objects closer to home, like the one on today"s homepage. Here we"re looking at a maelstrom of glowing gas and dark dust within one of the Milky Way"s satellite galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud.Desktop Version

Dec 9, 2021Glowworm caves in Australia

Down under the land in the Land Down Under, cave explorers may find these subterranean spaces illuminated by an unlikely light source. Fungus gnat larvae—more affectionately known as glowworms—speckle the walls and ceilings of caverns here in Australia during the warm season, from December to March.Desktop Version

Mar 31, 2021Paradise, found

If your dream is to experience a tropical paradise that"s still largely untouched by people, you could do worse than a trip to Raja Ampat, an archipelago in the province of West Papua, Indonesia. Most of the region"s 50,000 inhabitants live on or around its four main islands, Batanta, Misool, Salawati, and Waigeo. The remainder of Raja Ampat is made up of roughly 1,500 smaller islands, cays, and shoals—astonishingly, hundreds of these tiny islands have yet to be explored by humans.Desktop Version

Jan 2, 2022Prague, Czech Republic

As a haze of blowing snow diffuses the streetlights of Prague, try to count the steeples, belfries, turrets, and towers that make up the Czech capital"s skyline. You may lose count like 19th-century travel writers did when they dubbed Prague the City of 100 Spires. The number is closer to 500 currently.Desktop Version

Nov 5, 2020A medieval Moorish gem

Originally founded as the capital of a small Moorish kingdom in the 10th century, Albarracín remains one of the most perfectly preserved medieval towns in Spain. The town"s narrow, winding streets, centuries-old architecture, and dramatic defensive walls were all constructed with the pink-hued gypsum found throughout the region. Aside from its historical charms, Albarracín is also a popular destination for rock climbers who come to scale the red boulders and cliff faces outside the village"s fortress walls.Desktop Version

Jul 28, 2018Defying gravity on a swing ride

Can you smell the fried food and cotton candy? Fair season is upon us, and amusement rides are usually just part of the whole fair-going experience. The modern fair has roots in ancient times, tracing back to a variety of influences, from Roman religious festivals to temporary markets set up at crossroads along the trade routes from Asia to Europe. Today, county and state fairs often combine industry and agriculture exhibits with various entertainment options such as this swing ride. What’s your fair-season favorite?Desktop Version

Jan 22, 2020A horse of many colors

Whitehorse, Yukon"s only city and the largest in northern Canada, will have just seven hours of daylight today, but nature has a way of compensating for this injustice. The area enjoys frequent and spectacular light shows, thanks to the aurora borealis. The mechanics of northern lights are still not fully understood, but scientists agree that solar winds—big pulses of energy from our sun—pass through the Earth"s magnetic fields, especially at the polar regions, resulting in shimmering colors.Desktop Version

Feb 9, 2018Speed skaters in the Gangneung Oval, Pyeongchang, South Korea

The Gangneung Oval in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is where all the speed-skating action of the 2018 Winter Games will happen. Long-track skaters wear spandex suits to help reduce friction and maybe skate just a bit faster as a result. But the short-track skaters at the games wear Kevlar suits to protect against cuts from other skaters’ blades. Those tight turns can result in collisions, so the cut-proof suits are true lifesavers.Desktop Version

Jun 2, 2020Falling for the Canadian Rockies

Sunwapta Falls is one of several spectacular waterfalls in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. It"s actually a pair of waterfalls, a lower and an upper one, on the Sunwapta River. Their water comes from the Athabasca Glacier, so volumes are higher in the summer due to seasonal glacial melting. Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, with more than 4,000 square miles for camping, hiking, water sports, and other activities. Wildlife in the park includes elk, grizzly bears, moose, bighorn sheep, and caribou.Desktop Version

Feb 11, 2018Te Rewa Rewa Bridge near New Plymouth, New Zealand

This pedestrian and cycle bridge lets residents and visitors in the North Island city of New Plymouth cross the Waiwhakaiho River while marveling at the span’s artistic design. Said to resemble both a breaking wave and a whale skeleton, the bridge is meant to invoke the sacred relationship of the indigenous Māori people with the land, sea, and wind. On one side is an old Māori burial ground, so great care was taken in the design and structure of the bridge—an attempt to interfere as little as possible with the Māori site. From the view in this photo, Mount Taranaki lurks in the background.Desktop Version

Feb 6, 2021Where is this gorgeous peak?

This spectacular landscape might just be the perfect place to celebrate Waitangi Day, New Zealand"s national holiday. It commemorates the 1840 treaty between Britain and some 500 Māori chiefs that established British law in the island nation. The Treaty of Waitangi is considered New Zealand"s founding document and a cornerstone in the country"s history. Another important legacy of the treaty is that it provided the framework for political relations between New Zealand"s government and the Indigenous Māori people.Desktop Version

Feb 12, 2019To Roswell, and beyond!

Tourism in New Mexico is fueled in part by attractions such as the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell—seen here in our photo today. Recognizing the revenue potential in embracing popular interest in UFOs, in 2003 the New Mexico State Legislature declared the second Tuesday in February each year to be Extraterrestrial Culture Day. Why New Mexico? The answer lies in the city of Roswell in the southeastern corner of of the state.Desktop Version

Apr 27, 2018National Park Week: Yosemite National Park, California

Here at Yosemite National Park, trees have mastered the art of aging gracefully. This is redwood territory, home to majestic sequoias that tower over humans and animals. In a remote area of the park you’ll find Hyperion (‘the high one’), a 380-foot-tall sequoia—named after a Greek god of light—that’s more than six centuries old. Nearby you’ll find its relative, the General Sherman tree, famous for both its age (roughly 2,000 years) and its size.Desktop Version

Oct 10, 2018Space is for everyone

The end of World Space Week today comes with a message of hope. Fifty-one years ago, the pact known as the Outer Space Treaty went into effect. The US, UK, and USSR were the first parties to the treaty and at least 107 other nations have since joined them, with additional countries working on ratification. The treaty establishes ‘space law’—in essence, an agreement that space exploration should only be for the benefit of all of humanity. No weapons of mass destruction can be placed on the moon, or any other orbiting body.Desktop Version

Mar 11, 2020Anybody out there?

This is the time of year that polar bears emerge from their winter dens. In today"s photo, these adorable cubs are peeking out for the first time in their young lives. Polar bears don"t technically hibernate, but in fall, a pregnant female polar bear will dig a maternity den in the snow (although in some areas it"ll be under the peat soil). While in her small den, the bear enters a dormant state, sleeping nearly all the time, until she gives birth, usually between November and February. Then in spring she"ll dig herself out and emerge with her recently arrived cubs. Polar bear cubs stay with their mother for about two years as they learn to survive in the Arctic.Desktop Version

Oct 27, 2021Pumpkin patch

It"s not too late to pick up a pumpkin to add some Halloween flair to your doorstep. Although pumpkins are grown across the country, most of the 2 billion pounds produced annually in the US come from five states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas. While California grows the most pumpkins headed for the jack-o"-lantern market, Illinois wins in poundage, though most of its crop ends up as pie filling or other processed products—perhaps even in your pumpkin spice latte?Desktop Version

Sep 29, 2018Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand

When Vietnam’s Golden Bridge opened this summer in the Ba Na Hills near Da Nang, images of the stunning structure went viral, and it’s no wonder. The bridge is cradled by ancient-looking hands that look like they were carved out of the mountain centuries ago–the perfect backdrop for a stunning selfie. Those big hands are actually made of wire mesh and fiberglass, fashioned around towers that support this tourist attraction that sits 3,200 feet above sea level. The pedestrian bridge offers some of the region’s most dramatic views of the Trường Sơn Mountains here in Central Vietnam. The architect is reportedly working on a sister bridge, but it will be silver, not gold.Desktop Version

Mar 23, 2020A peak in the clouds

World Meteorological Day brings us to Washington"s Mount Rainier, a huge stratovolcano with a habit of creating its own weather systems. Jutting out about 2 miles above the surrounding landscape, its high altitude interrupts the flow of air that comes in off the Pacific Ocean, creating dramatic weather such as the saucer-shaped clouds on our homepage. They"re called lenticular clouds, and because of their distinctive appearance, they"ve been suggested as an explanation for some UFO sightings. Thanks to the science of meteorology, we know they"re a normal weather phenomenon, commonly occurring on the downwind side of obstructions such as mountains, buildings, or other tall structures.Desktop Version

Nov 19, 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia

Among Estonia"s stunning natural sites is the Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, covering 132 square miles of wilderness in the heart of the country. This occasionally ice-covered, vast area of wetlands, forests, and rivers is the largest natural reserve in Estonia. From the majestic white-tailed eagle to the elusive black stork, more than 200 bird species can be found here. The landscape is a tapestry of aquatic forests: still water, bog, and floodplain forests. Winding trails and boardwalks invite explorers to craft their own adventures.Desktop Version

Mar 2, 2020And to think that I saw it in Cappadocia

The fantastical "fairy chimneys" found in central Turkey"s historical Cappadocia region were formed by a collision of the natural and the man-made—and they form a scene that seems straight out of a Dr. Seuss illustration. The landforms were created when volcanoes deposited mounds of soft, porous rock called tuff, which was later covered with hard basalt. In the 10th century (though possibly starting up to 5,000 years ago) humans excavated the tuff to create caves and catacombs that could fit thousands of dwellers. Through not only the astonishing ruins but the many "cave hotels" hewn into rock in the city of Göreme, the memory of those ingenious city planners lives on.Desktop Version

Feb 8, 2018The Cordillera de la Sal in the Cordillera Domeyko Range of Chile

This subrange of the Andes runs north-south, parallel with the Chilean coast. Pictured here is Cordillera de la Sal ("Salt Range’). If you’re traveling in the region, be sure to pack lots of water. This is the Atacama Desert, a region so dry and at such a high elevation, that NASA has used it to simulate Mars.Desktop Version

Apr 5, 2018Mada’in Saleh archeological site in Saudi Arabia

This is Qasr al Ferid, or ‘lonely castle,’ the largest of some 100 tombs here in the ancient Nabatean city of Hegra, now known as Mada’in Saleh. This site in Saudi Arabia is considered an archeological treasure for its well-preserved remains dating back nearly 2,000 years, when the Nabatean Kingdom flourished by trading incense, myrrh, and spices. While this particular tomb was never completed, its four-story size indicates it was intended for someone wealthy and powerful.Desktop Version

Jan 4, 2020Celebrating whales—and a whale of a tale

A mother sperm whale surfaces in the North Atlantic as her young albino calf swims beside her. It"s an especially photogenic moment for these underwater powerhouses, which spend much of their time in the dim depths over 1,000 feet below the waves. You"re meeting them to commemorate the day in 1841 when a young Herman Melville set out from New Bedford, Massachusetts, on a whaling voyage to the South Pacific that would help inspire his masterwork "Moby-Dick." Today at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Melville fans will begin a marathon public reading of the novel—an annual event that lasts a leviathan 25 hours.Desktop Version

Dec 22, 2018Night of the ‘Cold Moon’

Historically, many cultures have looked to the moon rather than the sun to help track the months and seasons—and they adopted special names for full moons throughout the year. That’s why, in the Northern Hemisphere, a full moon that appears in December is known as the Cold Moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a nod to the chilly temperatures of winter. Various American Indian tribes have given it equally descriptive names, including the Long Night Moon, as it occurs near the winter solstice. Other Native American terms include Oak Moon, Big Spirit Moon, and Snow Moon. The Cold Moon of 2018 rises this evening about 15 minutes after sunset. And in case you’re wondering, the moonrise on our homepage image today was photographed over the Thunderer, a mountain in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming.Desktop Version

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