For the first day of Women"s History Month, we"ve come to the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, to view the Portrait Monument, which depicts three founding mothers of the 19th-century women"s rights movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony are particularly known for their efforts to gain American women the right to vote.
Step into serenity at one of the largest freshwater lakes in the southern Spanish province of Granada, in Andalusia. The Negratín Reservoir, created by a dam on the Guadiana Menor River, sits the heart of the Granada Geopark, a unique, semi-desert landscape surrounded by the mountains of the Sierra Nevada.
On World Wildlife Day, we"re in the ice-cold waters around the Norwegian island of Spildra with a pod of orcas, also known as killer whales. These apex predators are at the top of the food chain with a diet that includes a smorgasbord of sea creatures including fish, penguins, and even sharks and whales. They hunt in pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals that work together using special hunting techniques sometimes likened to packs of wolves. Despite their scary name, they almost never attack humans and there are no documented cases of wild orcas killing anyone. The name "killer whale" is thought to come from Spanish sailors who saw groups of them hunting big whales. Orcas are also the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family, Delphinidae.
At almost 8,000 feet above sea level, Mount Pico is the highest point in the Azores, a collection of volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean that are an autonomous region of Portugal. Back in 1562, an eruption here on Pico Island lasted for more than two years, but this stratovolcano has been lying dormant since 1720.
Each spring, folks across Japan observe "hanami," a treasured tradition of viewing nature"s breathtaking display of cherry blossoms. Japanese cherry trees, known as "sakura," reach full bloom in March in the south of the country. Our homepage picture shows cherry blossoms cascading over the moats which surround the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
The Icelandic horse is a small, unique breed that arrived alongside the first Norse settlers in this island country sometime between 860 and 935 CE. More than 1,000 years later, they remain purebred thanks to strict regulations prohibiting the importation of horses. And once exported, they can never come back—rules designed to stop the spread of disease.
Reflecting the colors of the sky, this spectacular hillside in Yuanyang County, China, is just a small part of the vast Honghe Hani Rice Terraces UNESCO World Heritage Site. For 1,300 years, the local Hani people have carved thousands of these asymmetrical terraces around the contours of the Ailao Mountains in Yunnan province.
On International Women"s Day, we"re at Madrid"s iconic Cibeles Fountain and City Hall, which have been lit up in purple—one of the day"s official colors, representing justice and dignity. Each year, marchers pass by the Great Mother of the Gods on her chariot drawn by lions, as they turn out in their thousands to campaign for gender equality in Spain"s capital city.
The water pictured crashing down the side of Waimea Canyon, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, has come from one of the rainiest places on Earth. Waipo"o Falls is fed by water from Mount Wai"ale"ale, a shield volcano whose name means "overflowing water." The mountain is often shrouded in clouds and experiences a huge amount of rainfall each year—which helps explains those spectacular rainbows.
Welcome to the Vale of Edale, home to a small village which marks the starting point of one of the UK"s most famous long-distance walks. Edale is one of many dales—or wide valleys—of England"s Peak District National Park, a picturesque area where heather moorland and rocky gritstone landscapes sit side-by-side with rolling uplands. From here, walkers set out on the hilly and remote Pennine Way, covering 268 miles along England"s wildest landscapes up to the Scottish Borders. But if you don"t want to hike that far, excellent walking country surrounds the village itself, which lies to the south of the Peak District"s highest point, Kinder Scout.
Lit by bright New England sunshine, the salt-tolerant grass growing here really stands out against the turquoise sea water lapping against it. Salt marshes are important coastal wetlands that protect shorelines from erosion, are major contributors to the aquatic food web, and provide nurseries for birds, fish, and other wildlife.
The Lucian Blaga National Theater, in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, is a cultural icon. Built between 1904 and 1906, it was designed by the famous Austrian architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer in the Neo-Baroque style, popular in the late 19th century. This opulent style nodded back to the grandiosity of the Baroque movement, which began in Rome in the 1600s and flourished across Europe. The building houses both the national theater and the Romanian Opera and plays host to a wide array of cultural events here in Romania"s second-largest city.
It"s tiring losing that hour of sleep as the clocks "spring forward," so let"s relax for a while with these champion nappers, in Tanzania"s Serengeti National Park. One of the most spectacular wildlife ecosystems on the planet, the park is home to rhinos, leopards, elephants, giraffes—and a huge lion population. The grassland here is dotted with rock formations that stick out like islands, the largest of which, the simba kopjes, are popular hangouts for lions and are said to have inspired Pride Rock in "The Lion King." In the heat of the Serengeti, lush trees provide the perfect shelter for lions to take a nap and reenergize. We hope you are as cozy as you curl up and recuperate on National Napping Day.
Today we"re observing Pi Day with a bird"s-eye view of the hedge maze at Cyherbia Botanical Park near Ayia Napa in Cyprus. It"s the day we celebrate the mathematical constant π. Today"s date, March 14, was chosen because when expressed numerically, it matches the first three digits of pi: 3.14. You remember pi from geometry class—it"s the ratio of the distance around a circle to the distance across it. Pi is used to compute a circle"s area and circumference. The circular labyrinth at the Cyherbia Botanical Park brings the ratio to life and is a must-visit for people who love to solve puzzles. If you"re ready for a challenge, give it a go.
Huddled beneath these pink-gray stone monoliths is the pretty village of Agüero, in Huesca province, northern Spain. The textured cliffs known as the Mallos de Agüero act as a 660-foot-high backdrop to this picturesque village, drawing both climbers and photographers keen on capturing the perfect shot. This hidden gem in the foothills of the Pyrenees has about 130 residents and is popular with tourists, thanks to the 12th-century Church of Santiago. A national monument with intricate stone carvings of beasts and religious scenes, the church was never finished but is considered one of this region"s most beautiful Romanesque temples. If you consider yourself a history buff, a rock climber, or both, put Agüero on your travel list.
Giant pandas are loved the world over but nowhere more than in China, where they are considered national treasures. On March 16, we celebrate these distinctive bears, which live mainly in forests in the mountains of western China and subsist almost entirely on a diet of bamboo. These black-and-white giants start off small—a newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter—but after eating their way through between 26 and 84 pounds of bamboo a day, male adults can weigh in at up to 300 pounds.
For St. Patrick"s Day, we"re enjoying this stunning rainbow over Ireland"s southeast coast. Shamrocks, parades, and all things green will be the order of the day as we celebrate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. While many countries recognize the holiday today, the first celebration was held in Ireland more than 1,000 years ago, remembering the 5th-century missionary and bishop credited with bringing Christianity to the country.
It would be pretty tough to live on Mars. It"s cold, dry, and the conditions are harsh. The planet"s average temperature is about –81 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can get as low as –243 at the poles. But with many canyons, extinct volcanoes, and ice caps, it"s beautiful to look at from afar. Most photos of the red planet highlight its rusty color, caused by high levels of iron oxide.
Barn owls, distinguished by their white heart-shaped faces, are one of the world"s most widespread birds, found on every continent except Antarctica. They live in woodlands, farms, and on cliffs, but barn owls also enjoy roosting in places like bell towers and barns—hence the name. They are nighttime predators that fly over open lands to hunt rats and mice. During heavy rain, they are unable to hunt because their feathers aren"t waterproof, leaving them vulnerable to starvation during long periods of wet weather. Although some see them as a symbol of wisdom and fortune, their haunting cries and ghostly appearance mean they have often been seen as bad omens in rural areas.
Every year around March 20, the sun aligns with the Earth"s equator, and day and night are about equal in length. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is called the spring or vernal equinox, and it marks the astronomical exit of winter into the brighter, warmer springtime. From now on, we can enjoy days that are longer than nights. And a sharp eye might spot a flowering crocus, like the ones in today"s image, among the first flowers to bloom every year.
Wherever there is light, there is color. It lends liveliness and character to the world around us, but we can also use it strategically to convey particular tones and messages. Blue creates a sense of tranquility, purple gives a sense of luxury, and red can express passion or danger. On International Color Day, organizations around the world meet to discuss research and share knowledge about color theory and its use in the fields of industry, arts, science, and design. As you go about your day, stop and take in the colors around you and think about why they were chosen and how they make you feel. It might just make you consider how you use color in your own life.
Lake Powell, which meanders across the Utah-Arizona border, was created when the Glen Canyon Dam was built on the Colorado River in the 1960s. It is one of the two largest reservoirs in the US, alongside its downstream neighbor Lake Mead. Together, they provide water to about 40 million people in seven states, while their respective dams generate crucial hydroelectric power.
They might look like spaceships from a retro sci-fi movie, but these strange shapes hovering above the mountains in Patagonia are of earthly origin. These are lenticular clouds, named after their lens-like shape. They form near hills and mountains where moist air is pushed up and over the peaks, cooling as it rises and condensing into water droplets. As wind blows over the mountains it can create a series of waves in the air, and these unusual clouds form in the crest of those waves.
These pristine, white blooms are wild garlic plants, probably not what comes to mind when you think of flowers. You can get a closer look if you visit the Hainich National Park in Thuringia, Germany. This national park was founded in 1997 to protect its ancient beech forest, which is full of lush deciduous trees.
This stunning staircase spirals up through three floors at Heal"s department store in central London, where it has been helping shoppers get around in stylish fashion since 1916. It was designed by architect Cecil Brewer ahead of the opening of an in-store art gallery. While the gallery no longer exists, the Cecil Brewer Staircase remains a popular part of the store"s heritage, particularly with photographers looking to capture a little London glamour. The lights at the outer edge of the stairs were added after World War II, and the elegant chandelier cascading from top to bottom was installed in 2013. If you visit, keep an eye out for a bronze cat on a windowsill overlooking the stairs, the store"s not-for-sale official mascot.
Welcome to the largest state park in the golden state of California, Anza-Borrego. Located about 100 miles northeast of San Diego, the park is well known for its spectacular springtime wildflowers, stunning landscapes, and natural marvels. Spring and early summer are the best times to visit. That"s when you"ll find a myriad of magnificent, blooming species of flowers, including dune primrose, desert sunflowers, and desert sand verbena. These hardy wildflowers can survive in extreme heat and with little water–perfect for California"s driest state park, in which some areas get just 2 inches of rain a year.
