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A peak in the clouds
A 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
Night of the ‘Cold Moon’
Night 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
Mada’in Saleh archeological site in Saudi Arabia
Mada’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
The Cordillera de la Sal in the Cordillera Domeyko Range of Chile
The 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
You ve never seen anything like this
You ve never seen anything like this
This macrophotograph of a snowflake shows the classic, six-sided structure that we"ve come to associate with the tiny winter marvels. Until the advent of macrophotography and microphotography in the late 1800s, it was impossible to study the structure of snowflakes—they melted too quickly to be accurately sketched under a microscope. Enter Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley.Desktop Version
Celebrating whales—and a whale of a tale
Celebrating 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
This grizzly has Napping Day down
This grizzly has Napping Day down
Like the napping grizzly cub in today"s image, we"re guessing you might feel tired after losing an hour of sleep to the start of daylight saving time. So, we"re giving you a great reason to get your nap on—it"s National Napping Day. This sleep-inducing day was created by Boston University professor William Anthony in 1999 and always occurs the Monday after "springing forward." The idea is that losing even just an hour of sleep renders most of us in need of some extra shut-eye. If that describes you, then maybe it"s time to give napping a try.Desktop Version
Why does this panda cub look so happy?
Why does this panda cub look so happy?
It"s National Panda Day!Desktop Version
Cecil Brewer Staircase, London
Cecil Brewer Staircase, London
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.Desktop Version
At the shore of an inland sea
At the shore of an inland sea
We"re looking out from a cavern at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan"s Upper Peninsula. The area"s named for its colorful sandstone cliffs, which stretch for 15 miles along the shores of the largest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior. As groundwater leaches out of the rocks, it carries minerals such as iron, manganese, and copper that paint the cliffs in shades of red, pink, black, green, and other colors. The park itself, which is roughly the size of five Manhattans, boasts waterfalls, beaches, and rock formations—some resembling human profiles and castle turrets—carved over time by relentless waves and the unforgiving weather of Yooper Country.Desktop Version
Terraced fields of green
Terraced fields of green
Twice a year, all of Bali, Indonesia—including those who live and work in the lush, green rice terraces you see here—join together to celebrate the country"s most important holiday, Galungan. This 10-day Balinese-Hindu milestone always comes at the end of the traditional 210-day Balinese calendar, usually in March or April, and then again in September or October.Desktop Version
Upstate autumn
Upstate autumn
Paddle out onto Connery Pond in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and you may be treated to this mist-shrouded peekaboo tease from Whiteface Mountain. We"re near the town of Lake Placid, known to many as the two-time home of the Winter Olympic Games, in 1932 and again in 1980. The Alpine skiing events in 1980 were held right on the slopes of Whiteface Mountain.Desktop Version
Taking the scenic route
Taking the scenic route
Often called the most beautiful train ride in Switzerland, if not the world, the Bernina Express offers spectacular views on its sightseeing routes that connect towns in southeastern Switzerland to Tirano, Italy. It"s been in operation here since the late 1800s. The classic route takes about four hours and departs from Chur, Switzerland. Outfitted with panoramic windows, the train passes through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges, some more than 100 years old, like the Landwasser Viaduct pictured on our homepage today. The cheerful red train winds its way up and over the Bernina Pass in the Alps, reaching an elevation of 7,392 feet. Pay special attention during the stretch from Thusis to Tirano—this portion of the route was designated a World Heritage site in 2008. Reservations recommended!Desktop Version
Waiting for the perfect shot
Waiting for the perfect shot
We’re celebrating Camera Day by getting a glimpse of what goes into taking a good photo. In the case of today’s image, that means standing in the cold surf on a beach in Norway at night, while keeping the shutter on the camera open long enough to capture something as ephemeral as the northern lights. Ask any experienced nature photographer: as glamorous as all the travel might seem, much of the job requires patience.Desktop Version
Happy Hobbit Day
Happy Hobbit Day
Today is Hobbit Day, marking the anniversary of the "Long-Expected Party," which sets in motion the "Lord of the Rings" book series. September 22 is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the protagonists of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" respectively.Desktop Version
Jasper Dark Sky Festival
Jasper Dark Sky Festival
We"re in Canada"s Jasper National Park, one of the best stargazing spots in the world, to witness the Comet NEOWISE shooting across the night sky. NEOWISE, discovered on March 27, 2020, happens to be the brightest comet in Earth"s northern skies since Comet Hale-Bopp became visible to the naked eye in 1997.Desktop Version
Visiting Ahch-To on Star Wars Day
Visiting Ahch-To on Star Wars Day
If some other corner of the Internet hasn"t already told you, May 4 is Star Wars Day. (Say it out loud: "May the Fourth," "May the Force…" Get it?) Fans of the movies will recognize the island we"re looking at as Ahch-To, where Luke Skywalker went into exile before Rey found him at the end of "The Force Awakens." Fans of travel and history may know that it"s really Skellig Michael (the Great Skellig), with Little Skellig seen in the background. Together they make up the Skellig Islands, just off the southwest coast of Ireland.Desktop Version
That bill s just not going to fit
That bill s just not going to fit
Today we"re visiting Costa Rica, where this magnificent chestnut-mandibled toucan is fashioning a nest in the cavity of a tree. It can be hard to find a suitable space for this, the largest toucan in Costa Rica, so mating pairs will often use an abandoned woodpecker"s nest or find a large hole in a decaying part of a tree. This one seems perfectly formfitting.Desktop Version
Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass
If you feel inclined to lounge on the lawn today, we encourage you to crack open a copy of ‘Leaves of Grass,’ the life’s work of American poet Walt Whitman, whose birthday is May 31. When ‘Leaves of Grass’ was first released in 1855 it was considered controversial for its imagery of sexuality among other wide-ranging topics. Expressed as a form of free verse without rhyme and with ever-changing meter and rhythm, Whitman’s style was highly personal, but also expansive, meant to reflect the limitless possibilities of Americans and the United States itself. He spent years revising and adding to the compilation of poems and today is regarded as one of the most important of American poets. He once said, "Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you."Desktop Version
Keep watching the skies
Keep watching the skies
There are two World UFO Day observances, one on June 24 and the other today, and you’re free to celebrate both. Though today’s observance takes inspiration from the famous Roswell UFO incident of 1947 in New Mexico, our photo was snapped in northeastern Wyoming, at the striking natural geographical feature known as Devils Tower.Desktop Version
Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
Presidents" Day seems an apt time to showcase this perspective of the Jefferson Memorial, reflected in the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. Construction on this memorial to our third president began in 1938, but it didn’t come without controversy. In an event dubbed the Cherry Tree Rebellion, some 50 women chained themselves to a Japanese cherry tree to protest the removal of trees that would be lost to make way for the monument. The cherry trees had been a gift from the city of Tokyo in 1912. Ultimately, the protest didn’t delay the project, some trees were lost but others were planted, and the memorial was complete in 1943.Desktop Version
Welcome to the Year of the Pig
Welcome to the Year of the Pig
Today marks the start of Chinese New Year festivities, which begin on the first day of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. The celebration culminates 15 days later with the Spring Lantern Festival. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2019 is the Year of the Pig. These lanterns were photographed in Xi"an, China, but celebrations will occur throughout the vast nation as well as in neighboring countries. And other parts of the world with significant Asian populations will also see large public celebrations. It’s traditionally a time to reunite with relatives, and the period sparks one of the largest annual human migrations, with millions of people from major cities journeying home to see their families in more rural areas. Happy New Year!Desktop Version
Happy Pi Day!
Happy Pi Day!
To celebrate Pi Day this March 14 (or 3/14 or 3.14), we visit the balmy waters of Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. Two Atlantic spotted dolphins were photographed here blowing a bubble ring, also known as a toroidal ring. And if they were to calculate the circumference of their bubble ring, they’d need to use our favorite irrational number, π.Desktop Version
Green is the new black
Green is the new black
Black Friday traditionally marks the start of the holiday shopping season, but while bargain hunters scramble online this year to bag a discount or two, we"ve found a treat that money can"t buy—this view. Here on the crystalline waters of a lake in Glacier National Park, there"s no waiting in line as we take in the stunning scenery and marvel at the towering snow-capped peaks along the Continental Divide. If you prefer your adventure to take place on dry land, there are over 700 miles of trails to hike within the park—perfect for burning off those turkey and pumpkin-pie calories.Desktop Version
In the Navajo Nation for Code Talkers Day
In the Navajo Nation for Code Talkers Day
This expansive and iconic view, as seen from Hunts Mesa in the Navajo Nation, is none other than Monument Valley, also known as the Valley of the Rocks when translated from the Navajo language (Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii). The red sandstone formations are synonymous with the American Southwest and have stunned moviegoers for nearly a century. The largest of American Indian territories, Navajo Nation covers more than 27,000 square miles and reaches into portions of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.Desktop Version