Bing Images archive 2023/08

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  2023-08-01National Mountain Climbing Day

  Today is National Mountain Climbing Day, dedicated to celebrating the sport while highlighting its many risks and rewards. In a bid to scale the tallest peaks and conquer difficult terrain around the world, mountain climbers embark on physically strenuous journeys that demand exceptional training and experience. But the panoramic views and sense of achievement after reaching the summit makes the effort worthwhile. Our image today is that of Denali, North America"s highest peak at 20,310 feet, in south-central Alaska. The name "Denali" means "the high one" in the native Athabascan language. Four climbers, Walter Harper, Harry Karstens, Robert Tatum, and Hudson Stuck, were the first to set foot on the top of the mountain in 1913.

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  2023-08-02Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

  Behold the rugged grandeur of Utah"s red rock country. This hidden gem of the American Southwest is Capitol Reef National Park, a tapestry of towering cliffs, twisting canyons, colorful sandstone buttes, and sweeping desert landscapes. Less popular than Zion and Bryce Canyon, the park offers a pleasantly uncrowded experience for visitors keen to enjoy this spectacular landscape. It is also home to a wide variety of plants and animals, including the elusive desert bighorn sheep and more than 230 bird species. But its crown jewel is the nearly 100-mile long Waterpocket Fold, a 7,000-foot-high step in the rock layers, officially known as a monocline. This massive wrinkle on the surface of the planet was formed around 50 to 70 million years ago.

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  2023-08-03Zelenci Nature Reserve, Slovenia

  Experience nature"s palette at its colorful best at Zelenci Springs, where Italy, Austria, and Slovenia meet, and multiple springs combine to form this aquamarine lake. Here in Slovenia’s Triglav National Park, these crystal-clear waters are the source of the Sava Dolinka, which runs into the country’s longest river, the Sava. Peer closely at the lakebed and you will see tiny springs bubbling up beneath the water"s surface. These spring waters never freeze as underground water temperatures stay around 41 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to keep flowing through harsh winters in this alpine region.

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  2023-08-04Tintern Abbey, Wales

  Set deep in a gorge of the UK"s River Wye, Tintern Abbey has an enduring presence. Originally built in wood, this Gothic masterpiece in Monmouthshire, Wales, was rebuilt in stone in 1269. It was in use for centuries until the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s, when Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church. The building fell into ruin but, as the centuries passed, word of its intricate stones and romantic, pastoral setting spread. From painter J. M. W. Turner to poet William Wordsworth, many artists were drawn to the abbey over the years. This majestic ruin is now a national icon on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, on the border between Wales and England. There"s another abbey in County Wexford, Ireland, of the same name. Back in olden days, the one in Wales was often known as "Tintern Major," while the Ireland one was called "Tintern de Voto" (Tintern of the Vow).

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  2023-08-05Atlantic puffin, Iceland

  Meet the Atlantic puffin! Known as "sea parrots" or "clowns of the sea," about 60% of all Atlantic puffins nest on the coasts of Iceland. If you visit between June and September, you might see baby puffins being flung off a cliff. Do not be alarmed! It"s part of puffling season, a yearly tradition on Iceland"s Westman Islands, home of the largest puffin colony in the world. Residents search with a flashlight for lost or wayward pufflings—baby puffins—around cliffs, harbors, and the seaside area. They pick them up with gloved hands, take them to a cliff before sundown, and toss them over the edge. Why? Well, the lights of the town can confuse pufflings, who use the light of the moon and stars to guide them to the ocean, where they live for much of the year. Residents are simply doing their part to ensure they find their way to their natural habitat.

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  2023-08-06Kagami-ike, Nagano, Japan

  This serene Japanese landscape is reflected in the still waters of an artificial reservoir known as Kagami-ike, meaning ‘mirror pond." Surrounded by lush greenery and the Togakushi Mountain Range in Nagano Prefecture, Kagami-ike emerges from the morning mists to create an enchanting spectacle. During the cherry blossom season, visitors walk among sakura petals that float along the breeze while, in autumn, they can enjoy its surrounding orange and yellow foliage. This secluded spot is a wonderfully peaceful place for mindful meditation and self-reflection.

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  2023-08-07National Lighthouse Day

  Happy National Lighthouse Day! A beacon, a warning, and a symbol of hope and home, lighthouses have existed for thousands of years. The earliest known was the Pharos of Alexandria, which stood an estimated 330 feet tall. Built by the ancient Egyptians in the 3rd century BCE, an open fire was lit at its highest part to guide ships into port. Illumination technology advanced over the centuries, culminating in today"s electric versions beaming light that can be seen from over 20 miles away. North Carolina"s Bodie Island Lighthouse, pictured here, was built in 1872 and overlooks a section of ocean once known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Since then, it"s been doing its best to outshine the stars above, as it guides sailors home to safe harbor.

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  2023-08-08Infinity Day

  This looping highway in Taipei bears a resemblance to the symbol of infinity—the concept of something without ends or limits that is celebrated today. Infinity Day is held on the eighth day of the eighth month, a nod to the symbol"s likeness to a sideways figure-of-eight. Established in 1987 by a New York-based philosopher, Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo, the day celebrates freedom of thinking in its various forms, from philosophy through the arts and sciences. The symbol itself has a much longer history. English mathematician John Wallis is credited with introducing it as a mathematical symbol in 1655. The philosophical concept of infinity dates back at least as far as ancient Greece.

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  2023-08-09International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples

  Earth is home to an estimated 476 million Indigenous people, a term meaning "sprung from the land" or native, which refers to the descendants of an area"s first-known inhabitants. They represent about 6% of the global population but speak more than half of the world"s estimated 7,000 languages. Our homepage today showcases the art of the Tiwi people of Australia, who speak a unique language unlinked to another other known language, in their community of only 2,000 people. Colonization has long impacted Indigenous people, contributing to high rates of poverty and loss of language and traditional lands. The UN first held the International Day of the World"s Indigenous Peoples in 1994, and every August 9 they bring attention to the fight to preserve the rights, dignity, and existence of the world"s oldest cultures.

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  2023-08-10World Lion Day

  Lions are known as "the king of the jungle," but on World Lion Day, let"s set the record straight: Lions don"t live in the jungle. Lions lounge in lordly leisure and hunt with ferocious focus on grasslands and plains. When they"re not hunting, these majestic creatures nap, wrestle, and groom each other. But in an instant, they"re chasing down a hapless gazelle or a hippopotamus that"s wandered too far from the safety of its river. Like the opening song of "The Lion King" movie says, it"s the circle of life. World Lion Day is our opportunity to (ahem) lionize these regal beasts and raise awareness of threats to their well-being like poaching, habitat destruction, and other human-lion conflicts.

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  2023-08-11Edinburgh Art Festival

  It might look futuristic, but this stunning pool was created a few years ago at the Jupiter Artland sculpture garden near Edinburgh, for the Scottish city"s annual art festival. Nearly 30 feet wide, "Gateway" is both a landscape sculpture and a functioning swimming pool. It was made by the artist Joana Vasconcelos from over 11,000 hand-painted tiles, produced in a traditional ceramic workshop in Portugal.

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  2023-08-12World Elephant Day

  These giants are the largest land animals on Earth, African bush elephants, which can reach 13 feet in shoulder height and weigh as much as 11 tons. They are one of three living species of elephant, alongside their smaller relatives, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. Their immense size is not the only incredible thing about them. Studies suggest that elephants can recognize themselves in the mirror and that these mammals display emotions such as grief when they lose family members. World Elephant Day—held on August 12—was set up to admire them but also to highlight the difficulties they face. Amboseli National Park in Kenya—where this photograph was taken—is one of the few remaining habitats where African elephant herds can still be found in large numbers.

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  2023-08-13Perseid meteor shower over Oregon

  What must our ancestors have thought when they saw meteors light up the night sky? Was it terrifying or an event of wonder? Thankfully, we now know that this celestial cascade is a harmless annual event. The Perseid meteor shower thrills stargazers from mid-July to late August and is due to peak today. The Perseids are caused by Earth passing through debris left behind by the Comet Swift-Tuttle. When the cosmic debris hits our atmosphere, it disintegrates in a colorful, fiery light display. It"s a good night to catch the Perseids if you can—the moon is projected to only be 10% illuminated, so the meteors should really stand out against the dark sky.

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  2023-08-14World Lizard Day

  When trying to draw attention to World Lizard Day, you don"t want to lead off with a scary Gila monster or monitor lizard. Nope, what you want front and center is a cute little gecko like the one we see here. Geckos come in varying sizes across 1,500 species and are unique among lizards for their vocalizations for mating, distress, and social interactions.

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  2023-08-15Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina, Sicily, Italy

  Welcome to Taormina, an historic Italian resort built into a hillside high above the Ionian Sea on the coast of Sicily. From here you can take in panoramic views of the coast of Calabria, on the Italian mainland, the city of Syracuse, and Mount Etna, roughly 20 miles away.

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  2023-08-16Overseas Highway, Florida Keys

  Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy industrialist, Henry Flagler, who embarked on the herculean task of creating an overseas railway connecting mainland Florida to Key West. When it opened in 1912, it was dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World. However, the triumph was short-lived. It was hit by a hurricane on Labor Day, 1935 and the railroad discontinued operations. The railway was sold to the US government and rebuilt as an automobile highway, opening in 1938.

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  2023-08-17Things are looking up

  We"re looking at sequoia trees in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California—the two parks border each other in the Sierra Nevada range in Central California. These giant sequoias can grow nearly 300 feet tall and some specimens have lived more than 3,000 years. Their longevity—even in areas prone to wildfires—is helped by thick bark that"s full of fire-resistant tannins.

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  2023-08-18Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

  These stunning stone spires, rising from the forest in China"s Hunan province, are said to have inspired the floating mountains of the movie "Avatar." There are more than 3,000 of these quartz-sandstone pillars in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, often swathed in mist, part of a spectacular landscape that has inspired generations of painters. These days, they are popularly known as the "Avatar Mountains" and one, the 3,544-foot-high Southern Sky Pillar, was officially renamed as "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" in 2010, the year after the blockbuster movie was released.

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  2023-08-19World Photography Day

  On August 19, 1839, French artist and photographer Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre made public his invention that created an image using a silver-plated copper sheet and mercury vapor. The daguerreotype process became the first publicly available photographic process and was used throughout the 1840s and 1850s.

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  2023-08-20International Lighthouse Weekend

  To mark International Lighthouse Weekend, we"re on England"s southwest coast, where Start Point Lighthouse looks out over the turbulent waters of the English Channel. The lighthouse is perched upon a rugged cliff on one of the country"s most exposed peninsulas, which stretches nearly a mile into the sea in the county of Devon. Built in 1836, the elegant lighthouse was designed by civil engineer James Walker in the Gothic style, as seen in its castle-like parapet. It has undergone many changes since then and more accommodation was added in the 1870s, but no lighthouse keepers live there now—it has been automated since 1993.

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  2023-08-21Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada

  It"s Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada, a day to commemorate the 1896 discovery of gold at Bonanza Creek. The event set off the Klondike Gold Rush, which attracted thousands of prospectors to the region in search of gold, leading to significant economic and social changes. The population increase led to Yukon separating from the Northwest Territories and the formation of Yukon Territory in 1898.

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  2023-08-22Amphitheatre of El Jem, Tunisia

  This impressive structure is the Amphitheatre of El Jem, in the Tunisian town of the same name. Made entirely from stone blocks, it was built in the 3rd century CE, when this area was Thysdrus, a city of ancient Rome. Once capable of seating up to 35,000 spectators, it is the largest colosseum in North Africa and one of the largest in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, it is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres, almost equal in grandeur to the Colosseum in Rome.

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  2023-08-23Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland

  Behold Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s largest waterfalls. This powerful cascade measures 82 feet across and drops 200 feet over what were once the sea cliffs of the country’s southern coast. The coastline receded seaward, but the cliffs remained, leaving behind this natural wonder, powered by water from two glaciers. Skógafoss, which translates as "forest waterfall," is frequently graced with single or double rainbows, formed by the refraction of sunlight through the mist. Legend has it that a treasure chest is hidden behind Skógafoss, left there by a Viking settler named Prasi Porolfsson.

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  2023-08-24Shark Fin Cove, California

  Shark Fin Cove, also known as Shark Tooth Beach, is nestled in a cove in the tiny town of Davenport on California"s Central Coast. The cove is a coastal gem known for its stunning sea stack—a vertical rock formation that resembles a shark"s fin. The fin used to be connected to the mudstone cliff that surrounds the beach. Over time, the relentless crashing waves and strong winds slowly eroded the rock formation. Shark Fin Cove is visible from Highway 1, where travelers can stop and look at the expansive Pacific Ocean views.

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  2023-08-25National Park Service anniversary

  Though summer is winding down, it"s not too late to pack some gear and head into the great outdoors. Unsure where to go? Look no further than our 63 national parks, which exist thanks to the National Park Service, created on this day in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. He ordered the service to preserve the landscape, wildlife, and history of the parks "in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." In other words, the park service was established for all of us! Just make sure that whether you"re visiting the islands of American Samoa, the glaciers of the North Cascades, the waterways of the Everglades, or the 308-foot Lower Falls of Yellowstone in today"s image, that you explore them with care and appreciation so that they can be preserved for centuries to come.

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  2023-08-26Museum Night in Berlin

  As the summer is fading away, we find ourselves reminiscing about vacations and long hours of lively evenings. But let"s not bury the picnic days just yet! There is plenty to look forward to, especially if you are in Berlin. The Long Night of Museums only happens once a year—on the last Saturday of August since 1997—but it shakes up Museum Island and the rest of the German capital. The event series is more than a peaceful appreciation of artifacts—quite the opposite—you can expect music, talks, workshops, cocktails, dance, and more from 6 PM into the small hours of the morning. Featured in today"s image, Museum Island—embraced by the Spree River—is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is home to a museum quintet: Altes, Bode, Pergamon, and Neues Museums, and Alte Nationalgalerie.

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  2023-08-27Jeju Island, South Korea

  The South Korean island of Jeju is full of wonders. If you don"t have a chance to visit its volcanic landscape, ancient stone statues, waterfalls, and rocky coastline, you can dive into the island"s fascinating chronicles from the comfort of your computer. The star of today"s image, Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), is the island"s rare tuff cone formation, created by an underwater volcanic eruption about 5,000 years ago. Tuff cones are also called ash cones, referring to the accumulated ash settling in a cone formation after the lava"s forceful explosion. Seongsan Ilchulbong was added to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List in 2007.

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  2023-08-28Dubrovnik, Croatia

  Though you might instinctively watch out for invading fleets or dragons overhead, you"re more likely to encounter a tourist than a Lannister in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik. As you may know, "Game of Thrones" filmed here frequently throughout the run of the show, and you can scarcely blame them; Dubrovnik"s Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world. For centuries it flourished as the Republic of Ragusa, maintaining independence through diplomacy and robust trade networks. This "Pearl of the Adriatic" has withstood military bombardments and devastating earthquakes, yet the city has always rebuilt and persevered. While pop culture, history, and UNESCO World Heritage Site status are all big draws, they might be too effective: A recent report estimated that in 2019 there were 36 tourists for every resident.

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  2023-08-29American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

  The bison is a majestic, massive creature, a true emblem of the American frontier spirit. These sturdy animals roamed North America"s prairies for thousands of years in numbers estimated to be as high as 60 million. But settlement of the American West caused habitat loss, and that, combined with overhunting, nearly wiped out the species altogether by the end of the 19th century. Ranchers, conservationists, Native American tribes, and politicians teamed up to save the bison and today, nearly 500,000 bison can be found in North America. About 15,000 animals are in free-roaming herds that graze on US public lands, like the bison in today"s image, shown at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

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  2023-08-30International Whale Shark Day

  Say hello to the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. On August 30, we celebrate International Whale Shark Day to honor these magnificent marine creatures. These gentle giants are not related to whales, despite their impressive size—they can reach up to 40 feet in length. Whale sharks are calm creatures which are usually safe for divers to swim alongside. These sharks are filter feeders and consume plankton and small fish by sieving them through their gill plates. There has been a significant decline in their populations, with an estimated 63% decrease in their numbers in the last 75 years. Threats include being hit by boats or tangled in fishing gear and their habitats are being damaged by pollution, coastal development and over-fishing. Advocates work through education and community engagement to help safeguard whale sharks and preserve our oceans.

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  2023-08-31Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona

  Massive succulents against a mountainous backdrop, underneath the sun-kissed Arizona sky—it"s prickly perfection. Pictured here are saguaro (pronounced "sah-wah-roh") cacti at the Ironwood Forest National Monument in the Sonoran Desert. Even if you haven"t seen one in person, when you hear the word cactus, you"re probably thinking of saguaro—tall, green, cylindrical, with arms pointing upward. From tattoos to coffee cups, you"ll find this iconic symbol of Arizona on almost everything. Though they are slow growers, these plants have been known to live over 200 years and reach enormous heights, with a 78-footer setting the record. Another cactus, known as "Grandaddy," survived in the sweltering desert for about 300 years, eventually succumbing to old age in the early 1990s. Cacti may not be for everyone, but they tend to grow on you (figuratively, of course)!