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Dec 21, 2025Winter solstice

Ever felt as if the night just wouldn"t end? That"s the winter solstice working its magic. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring around December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, the same happens around June 21 or 22. It marks the moment when one of Earth"s poles tilts farthest from the sun. From that instant, daylight slowly begins to lengthen again.Desktop Version

Dec 20, 2025Christmas star lanterns, Germany

As Christmas draws near, star lanterns begin to appear everywhere—twinkling from balconies, shining in shop windows and lighting up market stalls. Their shimmer cuts through the long winter nights, filling streets and homes with joy, colour and a sense of togetherness. But behind these festive decorations lies a story as captivating as their glow. The first of these stars emerged in Niesky, Germany, in the early 1800s. Students at a Moravian Church boarding school crafted what we now call the Herrnhut Star or Moravian Star, during a geometry lesson. That geometric marvel, crafted from paper and cardboard, soon came to symbolise the Star of Bethlehem and the spirit of Advent. By 1897, Pieter Verbeek, a former student of that school, began producing and selling them. His son Harry later continued the tradition, founding the Herrnhut Star Factory in 1925.Desktop Version

Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy

Bormio is a mountain town in northern Italy"s Lombardy region, nestled in the Alps near the Stelvio Pass. This location has connected communities across mountain valleys for centuries, shaping how people live and move through the region. Today"s image features Bormio"s winter landscape, a reflection of its high-altitude surroundings and enduring bond with the surrounding peaks.Desktop Version

Dec 18, 2025Virupaksha Temple, Hampi, Karnataka

Hampi has a way of telling its story without saying much. The valley is filled with massive granite boulders that look untouched by time, and between them rises the gopuram of the Virupaksha Temple, the tall gateway tower that defines its skyline. The rocks are far older than the empire that once ruled here, shaped by natural forces long before a city ever existed. The gopuram, pale and geometric against the rugged terrain, gives the landscape a clear point of focus. Together they form a view that is both stark and striking, the kind that stays with you even after a quick glance.Desktop Version

Dec 17, 2025Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England

Who could resist that squishy face? A Eurasian red squirrel perches on a snowy pine branch, paws clutching a pine cone like it"s the last snack on Earth. These little acrobats stay busy collecting nuts, seeds and fungi—feasting on fresh finds in summer and on stored cones through winter.Desktop Version

Dec 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market

They"ve got long beards, red hats and a knack for stealing a tad bit of Santa"s thunder every Christmas. Meet the gnome—known as "tomte" in Sweden and "nisse" in Norway—whose traditions vary across regions. Rooted in Scandinavian folklore, these tiny guardians watch over homes and farms, keeping families safe through long, dark winters. But there"s a catch: treat them kindly or they may play tricks. A warm bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve is their favourite reward. Said to bring luck and laughter, they might even befriend your garden gnomes, since they often resemble them.Desktop Version

Dec 15, 2025Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Have you ever wondered how canals changed the way cities developed? For thousands of years, people have built canals to transport goods, control water flow and connect places. From ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to medieval Europe, they transformed cities like Venice and Bruges into trade hubs. The Netherlands took this even further—by the 17th century, they were designing waterways that shaped cities such as Amsterdam.Desktop Version

Dec 14, 2025Royal Bengal tiger

Tigers reshape the landscape without being seen. A single presence, and the forest rearranges itself around it. The Royal Bengal tiger moves through India"s forests, grasslands and mangrove swamps with a quiet authority that no other predator matches. It hunts with patience, not spectacle, using scent marks, sharpened senses and near-perfect night vision to stalk deer and wild boar. When it strikes, it does so with a finality that explains why no other creature in the wild dares contest its ground.Desktop Version

Dec 13, 2025Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States

Every masterpiece needs a brushstroke to tie it together. For Yosemite National Park, that stroke is the Merced River—painting reflections of granite cliffs, pine forests and waterfalls across its canvas. One of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers, this waterway begins high in the Sierra Nevada. It gathers meltwater and travels about 235 kilometres west through Yosemite Valley into California"s Central Valley in the United States.Desktop Version

Dec 12, 2025Poinsettia: A winter classic

Some plants simply sit quietly on windowsills. The poinsettia? It demands the spotlight — bright, bold and as red as Rudolph"s nose. Long before it became a popular Christmas decoration, it grew wild in Mexico, where the Aztecs used its leaves for dyes and its sap for traditional remedies. In the 19th century, it travelled across continents as people admired its vivid colour during colder months, eventually finding its place in winter celebrations around the world.Desktop Version

Dec 11, 2025International Mountain Day

Every 11 December, we celebrate International Mountain Day, honouring the majestic peaks that shape our planet and the glaciers that support life. From the rolling Alps to the towering Himalayas, mountains cover nearly a quarter of Earth"s land and host 15% of the world"s population and nearly half of its biodiversity hotspots. Mount Everest, the world"s highest peak at over 8845 metres, stands as a symbol of human aspiration and natural beauty. Its glaciers feed rivers sustaining millions, showing that mountains are more than scenery—they are lifelines.Desktop Version

Dec 10, 2025Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain

The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is a chronicle of Spain"s layered history. It began as a church built by the Germanic Visigoths, before being transformed into a mosque in 784 CE by Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba. Its vast hypostyle hall, a space supported by rows of columns, features the famous red-and-white arches shown here. Today, it contains more than 850 columns, many reused from Roman and earlier Visigothic structures.Desktop Version

Dec 9, 2025Guanaco, Punta Norte, Valdés Peninsula, Argentina

If llamas are the laid-back stars of the Andes, their cousins, the guanacos, are the free spirits of Patagonia. Guanacos are part of the same camelid family as llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. But unlike their domesticated relatives, they keep things wild. Found mainly in Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia, they"re built for life at high altitude. Their thick coats help them handle chilly winds, while their padded feet give them the grip to trek across rocky terrain that would make even mountain goats nervous.Desktop Version

Dec 8, 2025Christmas lights on buildings of Domaso, Lake Como, Italy

When the twinkling reflections on Italy"s Lake Como outshine the stars, you know Christmas has docked in Domaso. Once a fishing village, this lakeside town now transforms each winter into a glittering display of holiday cheer, where pastel houses, old churches and waterfront villas are wrapped in ribbons of light. The result? A picturesque Christmas scene.Desktop Version

Dec 7, 2025A pine forest in Alsace, France

In December, the forests of Alsace, in France"s Grand Est region, wrap themselves in a veil of fog, as if nature were holding its breath before winter. Between Scots pines and silver firs, the moss-covered ground muffles every step, and silence feels almost sacred. These woodlands, which cover nearly 40% of Alsace, shelter a rich biodiversity: roe deer, wild boar, black woodpeckers, and sometimes the elusive lynx, which has returned after decades of absence.Desktop Version

Dec 6, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States

On Florida"s southern tip lies one of the United States" most unusual landscapes. The Everglades is not a typical swamp or river. It is a slow, shallow sheet of water that drifts south across flat grasslands toward Florida Bay, linking forests, marshes, mangroves and coastal prairies. This subtropical wilderness supports hundreds of species, including alligators, manatees and the endangered Florida panther. Spanning over 6000 square kilometres, it is one of the largest wetland ecosystems in North America—a place where land, sky and water meet in constant motion.Desktop Version

Dec 5, 2025Maya site of Copán

In a quiet valley of western Honduras lie the ruins of Copán—a city of the ancient Maya civilisation. Its sky served as both compass and calendar, guiding celestial events and shaping temples, rituals and the rhythm of life. Around 426 CE, K"inich Yax K"uk" Mo", a warrior from the Maya heartland, founded Copán and established its royal dynasty. The city became a centre of Maya art, astronomy and power.Desktop Version

Dec 4, 2025Indian Navy Day

Indian naval ships once moved across the Arabian Sea under cover of night in December 1971 during the Indo-Pak War. Their course led toward Karachi, a crucial port for fuel and supplies. Indian missile boats carried out a carefully planned mission and returned home unharmed, shifting the tide of the conflict and marking a defining moment at sea. It remains one of the most significant chapters in India"s maritime story.Desktop Version

Dec 3, 2025Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

Every December, as morning unfolds, a chorus of rattling calls fills the marshes of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. This 231 square kilometres sanctuary in central New Mexico prepares to stage one of nature"s most stirring performances as sandhill cranes return from their seasonal journey. Soon, tens of thousands of snow geese and other migratory birds join the scene, filling the sky with movement and sound.Desktop Version

Dec 2, 2025Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, United States

On 2 December 1980, the United States passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), a landmark law that reshaped America"s conservation history. With one sweeping law, more than 40 million hectares of Alaska"s wild lands gained lasting protection, like the Wrangell–St Elias National Park and Preserve, seen here, now the largest national park in the country. ANILCA balanced preservation with tradition, safeguarding ecosystems while honouring rural subsistence rights.Desktop Version

Dec 1, 2025Antarctica Day

Some photos capture nature"s grand acts. Great photos reveal even more in a single frame: the delicate balance between immense power and fragile beauty that surrounds us on Earth. Today"s image of a natural arch carved into an Antarctic iceberg does exactly that—a conversation starter about grandeur, vulnerability, our environment and its present and future.Desktop Version

Nov 30, 2025Christmas market in Leipzig, Germany

Do you know what people bought at Christmas markets 567 years ago? Not costly ornaments or fancy souvenirs but candles, spices, local goods, knitted items and toys. Leipzig"s Christmas market began in 1458 and quickly became a favourite stop for merchants and locals alike. Today, with its cultural and culinary offerings spread across the historic old town and about 300 stalls, it is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany. Imagine streets buzzing with the chatter of traders and children following the scent of "Lebkuchen"—honey-sweetened cakes. This is where townsfolk gather to celebrate winter and catch up on the news while sipping mulled wine. These markets have always symbolised more than shopping—they offer an escape from the everyday routine.Desktop Version

Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands

Picture 54 square kilometres of open land, wildlife on the move, and a stag flaunting its crown of antlers. In 1909, husband and wife Anton Kröller and Helene Kröller-Müller began building a private estate in Gelderland, Netherlands—what we now know as De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Their vision? To merge art and nature. They brought it to life by placing artwork within the landscape, like "Three Upright Motives" by English sculptor Henry Moore in the Pampelse Zand and the President Steyn stone bench by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde, among others.Desktop Version

Nov 28, 2025Val Brandet, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy

In the heart of Val Brandet, within the Adamello Park in Lombardy, where winter"s silence finds its voice, lies the municipality of Corteno Golgi—named after the physician and Nobel laureate Camillo Golgi, who was born here—a place that preserves memory and beauty, science and nature.Desktop Version

Nov 27, 2025Eastbourne Pier, East Sussex, England

When it comes to seaside icons, Eastbourne Pier doesn"t just make waves—it has been riding them for over 150 years. Opened in 1870, this Victorian marvel in East Sussex has survived tempests, fires and even wars. Stretching gracefully into the English Channel, the pier started life as a docking point for steamers. Over time, it evolved into a place where you can stroll above the water, lose a few coins to an arcade machine and gain a few back in memories.Desktop Version

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