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Apr 9, 2020Hooray, hooray, it s Unicorn Day!

Today is Unicorn Day—or what celebrants call "the sparkliest holiday of the year." To honor the mythical horned beast, we bring you the next best thing: a pod of narwhals brandishing their tusks in the Arctic Ocean. Narwhals develop only two teeth, but—in males especially—the left canine can grow into a 9-foot-long spiraled tusk. The tusk juts right through the narwhal"s upper lip, lending the whale the nickname "unicorn of the sea."Desktop Version

Jan 22, 2022Martinique

Welcome to France—but don"t expect your picture taken at the Eiffel Tower today. Folks at this island destination may speak French and spend euros, but we"re more than 4,000 miles from Paris.Desktop Version

Jan 30, 2020The Pearl of Siberia

Russia"s Lake Baikal is a record-holding wonder: It"s the world"s oldest (25 million years), deepest (over 5,000 feet in some parts), and largest freshwater lake (more than 20 percent of the Earth"s fresh surface water by volume). Baikal lies in the deepest continental rift on Earth, and because the rift is geologically active, the tectonic plates continue to move farther apart.Desktop Version

Aug 3, 2019Cetacean Saturday

The US National Marine Sanctuaries system is a collection of 15 (and counting) protected marine environments, similar to our national parks. From August 2 through 4, the Marine Sanctuaries are hosting a "get into your sanctuary" campaign, to highlight the work they do. We"re joining them by showing this humpback whale breaching the waters off the coast of Maui. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is where many of these school-bus-sized whales gather in winter months to breed. But we"ll fly instead of swim there.Desktop Version

Feb 1, 2021Reflecting on Black History Month

Join the Smithsonian as we celebrate Black History Month with the help of our National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). This stunning image of the museum looks out through its intricate, bronze-colored façade to the National Mall. The museum’s breathtaking exterior, a corona rising in three dramatic tiers, evokes the crowns found in the Yoruba art of West Africa, and its ornate design echoes the decorative ironwork found in the American South, often forged by African American slaves and freed Black Americans. The façade allows natural light to filter into the museum while also protecting artifacts on display from direct sunlight and glare.Desktop Version

Dec 1, 2019Southern lights for Antarctica Day

In honor of Antarctica Day, you"re seeing the southern lights dazzle above Halley VI, the latest version of the six-decade-old Halley Research Station in the British Antarctic Territory. The modular building stands on hydraulic legs and is movable via retractable skis. The five previous facilities, Halley I–V, were each compromised by Antarctica"s harsh climate and decommissioned. Since 2017, when scientists discovered dangerous cracks in the surrounding Brunt Ice Shelf, Halley has been unmanned during the dark Antarctic winter months—but the research team equipped it with an autonomous micro-turbine that keeps its atmospheric instruments ticking as the snowdrifts pile up.Desktop Version

Dec 17, 2020Pining for spring

Next time you"re out walking amid the verdant majesty of a conifer forest, take a moment to consider the small but mighty pine cone. It plays a crucial role in the trees" lifecycle but has also served as a potent symbol for a variety of human cultures. In many traditions, it"s been associated with fertility and enlightenment, appearing in art from the Mayans, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. That association comes from its main job—making baby trees. The ornate, woody pine cones shown here are females, and they"re designed to create and protect seeds. Male cones, which are usually smaller, produce pollen. The female cones open and close their scales to allow for pollination and eventually release their seeds onto the forest floor. But pine cones also open and close in response to changes in the weather, making them a natural barometer.Desktop Version

Feb 17, 2018Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia

February 17 is known as Random Acts of Kindness Day, and if you’re inspired by this event, our orangutan pictured here could use a helping hand. All three species of orangutans are critically endangered and are found only in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. They face many challenges, including habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade. Nonprofits like the World Wildlife Fund are working to protect habitat for orangutans and many other species in Southeast Asia.Desktop Version

Jun 28, 2019Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz

We’re looking at Montreux, Switzerland, where the Montreux Jazz Festival begins today. Despite its name, the festival isn"t just about jazz. It highlights different styles of music across multiple venues over two weeks. This year"s lineup includes three farewell-tour stops (Elton John, Anita Baker, Joan Baez) and big names in jazz (Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin), as well as young artists representing a variety of genres. The festival began in 1967 at the original Montreux Casino, which famously burned down during a December 1971 Frank Zappa performance. The fire was memorialized by Deep Purple in their hit "Smoke on the Water." A monument commemorating the band and their song can be found next to the rebuilt casino.Desktop Version

Sep 10, 2020Hidden beauty in Thailand

One of Thailand"s best-kept secrets, Huay Mae Khamin waterfall can be found in the forests of Khuean Srinagarindra National Park. The waterfall is especially picturesque this time of year, when the changing leaves provide a backdrop for the bright green water. Its flow originating in the mountains to the east of the national park, the waterfall stretches more than a mile, spilling over seven different levels before joining the Khwae Yai River below. It generally has water all year round, but in 2017, during the dry season, the river feeding the falls dried out completely for the first time, and the park was closed to visitors until the rainy season. Though the journey to this peaceful retreat might be long, it"s found a place on our ever-growing list of future travel destinations.Desktop Version

Apr 7, 2018The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers

That’s the Arve river on the right, flowing into the Rhône. This point where the two rivers meet is just west of the city center in Geneva, Switzerland. The Arve’s much lighter color is due to the silt it picks up as it flows out of the Alps. From here, the Rhône will continue on—in a mostly southerly direction—through southeastern France toward its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea.Desktop Version

May 26, 2019Racing toward history

Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful marathons anywhere, the Marathon de la Baie du Mont Saint-Michel has attracted runners from around the globe to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The point-to-point route for the marathon was designed so runners can see the finish line at the base of the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey from the starting line on the western side of the bay, and from points along the way. But you don"t need to be a runner to enjoy this historic location. Every year more than two million people travel to the tidal island, making it one of the top tourist destinations in France.Desktop Version

Jul 19, 2020Venice by night

In Venice, Italy, the third Sunday in July is known as "Festa del Redentore" (The Redeemer"s Feast), which commemorates the city"s salvation from the plague in the 16th century. As Italy still reels from being hard hit by the new coronavirus, the holiday is particularly poignant this year. It traditionally features a fireworks display, a regatta, and a temporary bridge that connects the Zattere promenade to the Church of the Redeemer on the island of Giudecca. While this year"s celebration will look different due to COVID-19, it will still be an important and festive day for Venetians.Desktop Version

May 24, 2018East River crossing

Imagine if you still had to take a boat to get from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Until the Brooklyn Bridge opened on this day in 1883, the only way to get across the East River was to board a watercraft. At the time of its construction, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge. It was originally called both the East River Bridge and the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, but the name ‘Brooklyn Bridge’ is the one that stuck.Desktop Version

Jan 17, 2020A seabird gets schooled

This deep-diving Brandt"s cormorant appears to be on the hunt for a meal, and there"s plenty of Pacific chub mackerel to choose from here off the coast of Los Angeles, California. While seabirds like the cormorant are a threat to these fish, the mackerel aren"t exactly defenseless. Fish have many unique means of defense, such as traveling in dense schools like this one. It"s a technique that not only allows for speedy travel (because it reduces friction on most of the fish in the school)—schooling also makes it more difficult for predators to pick out an individual victim. For these fish, there"s safety in numbers. But when all else fails, they can take some advice from Dory in "Finding Nemo"—"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."Desktop Version

Jan 13, 2020Welcome to California

These are the peaks of Mount Diablo, part of the Diablo Range in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Sierras from here. In fact, this is one of the best viewsheds in the Bay Area, which is a feat, since the peaks are comparatively low for the region. While Mount Diablo may tempt you to take in the scenery or hike in the surrounding state park, the area offers compelling stories from American history as well.Desktop Version

Oct 25, 2020A most sincere pumpkin patch

Ah, the perennial pumpkin patch. You might think the round orange gourds in today"s photo are vegetables, but botanists say pumpkins are actually the fruit of pumpkin vines. They"re considered fruit because pumpkins contain seeds and grow from the same part of the plant that produces flowers. And now, as Halloween nears, pumpkins are ripe for picking and carving into spooky jack-o"-lanterns.Desktop Version

Sep 7, 2019Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment

While it didn"t become a UNESCO World Heritage Site until 2018, Buddhists have considered Mount Fanjing (also known as Fanjingshan) a sacred and tranquil site for centuries. At 8,430 feet, Mount Fanjing is the highest peak of the Wuling mountain range in southwest China"s Guizhou province. While many of the Buddhist temples built here have been destroyed, several remain, including the Temple of the Buddha and the Temple of Maitreya. Those two temples, linked by a small bridge, are located on top of Red Cloud Golden Peak, the rocky "thumb" we"re looking at here. In addition to the area"s history, the mix of clouds, fog, and light creates a calming atmosphere and an air of mystery.Desktop Version

May 3, 2019A night of art and culture

The arts festival known as Blaue Nacht, or Blue Night, was originally conceived as a one-time event in 2000 to mark the 950th anniversary of the founding of Nuremberg, Bavaria. That inaugural festival was popular enough that it became an annual event soon after, and attendance has grown each year since. More than 100,000 people attend this celebration of the city"s diverse arts and culture each May. The two-night artfest includes light shows projected on the outside of Old Town buildings, music performances, temporary art installations—like "Waldplastik" in today"s image—and access to Nuremberg’s cultural sites.Desktop Version

Nov 30, 2020A water loch-ed castle

Located on a small island where three sea lochs meet in northwestern Scotland, the current Eilean Donan Castle is just the latest incarnation of several monastic cells and Scottish clan strongholds that have occupied the tidal islet since the 7th century. The first fortified castle was built in the 13th century to defend against invading Vikings who occupied much of Scotland at the time. An iconic symbol of Scotland, from the 14th to 18th centuries the castle was mostly held by the Mackenzies and defended by the MacRaes, both storied clans of the Scottish Highlands. The castle was destroyed in 1719 by the invading British Royal Navy during the Jacobite Uprising, but was rebuilt along its earlier design in the early 20th century by Lt. Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap.Desktop Version

Jul 2, 2019Sequential images of a total solar eclipse

Today, lucky observers in South America will see an awesome event similar to the one captured in the composite of images on our homepage. They were taken during the Great American Eclipse of 2017.Desktop Version

Dec 12, 2018The story of the poinsettia

The winter holidays are the poinsettia’s time to shine. Today, National Poinsettia Day marks the anniversary of the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the physician and botanist who first introduced the colorful plant to the United States in 1828. He discovered the plant while he was serving as the first US ambassador to Mexico, the plant’s native country, where Aztecs once used it to produce red dye. According to legend, the poinsettia’s association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where a little girl—too poor to buy a gift—gathered weeds from the roadside and placed them in front of a church altar. They eventually produced lovely red leaves alongside the green ones, and the poinsettia plant was on its way to becoming a Christmas tradition.Desktop Version

Jul 29, 2018A Bengal tiger in Ranthambore National Park, India

Tigers once roamed a broad territory across Asia, eastern Russia, and various islands of the Indian Ocean. Over the past century, hunting and habitat loss have reduced their range by more than 90 percent and have severely diminished the massive cats’ populations. Hundreds of thousands of tigers roamed in the wild 100 years ago, but a 2016 count estimated fewer than 4,000 wild tigers remained.Desktop Version

Nov 16, 2018Ancient art in the Amazon

The stone walls of the tepuis (table-top mountains) in Chiribiquete National Natural Park are decorated with more than 75,000 paintings, some created as long as 20,000 years ago, others in the present day.The jaguar is a recurring motif in the images. Historians think the images of the big cat are expressions of jaguar worship by the indigenous tribes who have lived in the broader area for millennia. This park protects and preserves a 17,000-square-mile expanse of the Colombian Amazon, with a diverse ecosystem supporting many endemic species. In addition, officials believe that Chiribiquete could be home for various indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation, the descendants of those who painted the ancient rock art. Both the human cultural history of this place and the extraordinarily pristine natural beauty of the landscape are what earned Chiribiquete UNESCO World Heritage status this year—the rare location to meet both cultural and natural criteria for inclusion on the UN’s list.Desktop Version

May 11, 2019Bringing together history and technology

On the second Saturday in May, the Dutch celebrate an iconic national structure—the windmill—like these historic ones at Zaanse Schans. With hundreds of windmills across the country, many sites use the day to demonstrate how windmills work and host art exhibits. But the concept of using wind power isn’t just a historical anecdote—this renewable energy is experiencing a boom, and by 2050 is predicted to provide one-third of the world"s electricity.Desktop Version

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