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Apr 9, 2019The glowing waters of the Matsu Islands

From April through September, a type of algae commonly called ‘sea sparkle’ blooms along the coast of all 36 islands in the Matsu archipelago off the coast of Taiwan. An enzyme reaction in the algae’s single-cellular bodies creates the light-emitting chemical reaction. Locals call the natural light show ‘blue tears.’ Stranger still is that when the water is disturbed, the algae light up even brighter. If you want to see the blue tears of the Matsu Islands, there’s still time to book a trip—the bioluminescent effect is more common and more intense during the hot summer months.Desktop Version

Apr 14, 2019A view fit for a queen

The tiny island of Gaztelugatxe is connected to the mainland of northern Spain in Basque Country by a manmade bridge and this winding, ancient stone footpath. Two hundred and forty-one steps lead up to a small church, originally dating from the 10th century. The church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times—its current incarnation was built from scratch in the late 1800s.Desktop Version

Apr 19, 2019Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park shines

If you’re looking for a piece of paradise that’s off the beaten path, consider Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, a destination in the Cerrado, a vast tropical savannah in central Brazil. Located on a towering plateau that’s estimated to be 1.8 billion years old, it’s home to many rare and beautiful species, including these delicate flowers, paepalanthus. Waterfalls are plentiful here. Ranging from 250 to nearly 400 feet tall, they cascade down among some of the oldest rock formations on the planet. Quartz crystals dot the landscape, and their reflections reportedly make the region shine when viewed from space.Desktop Version

Jan 11, 2018Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City

Bow Bridge in New York’s Central Park is the site of many a romantic moment–both on screen and off. The cast iron bridge served as a filming location in such movie classics as ‘The Way We Were’ and ‘Manhattan.’ One of 36 bridges and arches here at Central Park, it was designed in 1862, in part by Calvert Vaux, who is famous for co-designing Central Park along with Frederick Law Olmsted. Years later it’s still inspiring romance.Desktop Version

Mar 20, 2019Hello, spring!

Today’s the first day of spring, otherwise known as the spring equinox. But what is an equinox, exactly? The answer lies in the tilt of the Earth’s axis. When it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere, those of us above the equator are tilted away from the sun, giving us shorter days and longer nights. In summer, we’re tilted toward the sun, so we can enjoy longer days and shorter nights. But the equinox is right in between. It"s the moment during Earth"s annual revolution around the sun when its axis is neither tilting away nor tilting toward the sun, giving everyone on the planet an equal split of day and night. This phenomenon happens twice a year—in March and again in September. For folks in the Northern Hemisphere, today signals a shift toward the long days of summer. But in the Southern Hemisphere, everything"s flipped. It"s the autumnal equinox today—and, yes, winter is coming.Desktop Version

Feb 1, 2018Stuben am Arlberg, Austria

The ski resort town of Stuben am Arlberg may closely resemble what you imagine when reading the phrase ‘historic Alpine village.’ Tucked in near the Alberg mountain pass, tiny Stuben is a must for ski fanatics, who can set off on a run right from their doorstep. It’s also the birthplace of the ‘father of modern skiing,’ Hannes Schneider, whose instructional methods revolutionized the sport.Desktop Version

Apr 21, 2019The Easter Bunny’s story

It sure looks to us like this bunny has found a great place to hide brightly colored eggs. German Lutherans created the character of the ‘Easter hare’ that is the basis for the modern-day Easter Bunny. Their version of the bunny judged whether children had been good or bad during the Eastertide season—with well-behaved kids getting a treat. But rabbits and hares have long been associated with springtime, rebirth, and fertility, so perhaps the leap from gentle backyard visitor to keeper of spring’s ‘naughty or nice’ list was inevitable for these fuzzy critters.Desktop Version

Jan 18, 2018Entoloma hochstetteri mushroom at Lake Mahinapua, New Zealand

Leave it to weird, wild, wonderful New Zealand to be home to a blue mushroom. Fungus enthusiasts can also find Entoloma hochstetteri in parts of India and Brazil, but it’s bountiful enough on both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, that it is part of the artwork on the latest iteration of the $50 note. It appears alongside the kōkako, a bird whose blue wattles inspired the Māori name for this mushroom: werewere-kōkako.Desktop Version

Jan 9, 2018Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Two thirds of the world’s geysers are located here at Yellowstone National Park, each with its own unique characteristics. Shown here is the Great Fountain Geyser, which erupts every 9 to 15 hours with sprays that reach 75 feet to over 220 feet in the air. More than just a spectacle, these geysers are evidence of the volcanic activity simmering beneath the surface. Yellowstone’s last major volcanic eruption occurred about 630,000 years ago, and the potential for future activity is the subject of much curiosity—and speculation.Desktop Version

Mar 24, 201930 years after Exxon Valdez

Thirty years ago today, the largest oil tanker spill in US history occurred here in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Nearly 11 million gallons of oil flowed into the once-pristine waters when the Exxon Valdez oil tanker struck Bligh Reef. The area is so remote that cleanup efforts were delayed, allowing 1,300 miles of shoreline to be contaminated. The US Fish & Wildlife Service estimates that among other casualties, more than 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, and 22 orcas were lost. The spill, while devastating, has provided a living laboratory as scientists study how the ecosystem recovers—and doesn’t. Some species and their habitat are still impacted by the spill. There is at least one highlight: Government agencies say the sea otter population here has fully recovered; however, the local subspecies as a whole remains endangered.Desktop Version

Apr 5, 2019A day of death and rebirth

Today, places like this nature path in Longyan, China, will be full of families. A springtime walk with loved ones is often part of the Qingming Festival happening today. Qingming translates as ‘Pure Brightness,’ though it’s also called Tomb-Sweeping Day. It’s a time to honor your deceased ancestors, often by cleaning and decorating their graves, and gathering the family together to share happy memories of those relatives. The solemnity is balanced by the arrival of spring, so some Qingming observances include spending time outdoors with family.Desktop Version

Apr 20, 2019Glacial spires in the fog

The Cove of Spires in Kenai Fjords National Park is just one of the dramatic glacial landscapes that you can experience in the park. Located near Seward, Alaska, the park is home to 38 glaciers which cover over half of the area in ice—though climate change has reduced that drastically over the last decades. We"re here to celebrate the beginning of National Park Week, a nine-day celebration of the 61 national parks in the US. Parks around the country will be holding special programs and events throughout the week, and today, April 20, is free admission day. So, put on your hiking shoes and start exploring our national treasures.Desktop Version

Mar 29, 2019A place called ‘Peace’ in India

Today we"re visiting Auroville, India, aka "The City of Dawn." In 1968, French-born guru and yogi Mirra Alfassa founded this spiritual community in southern India as a place where people of all races, religions, and nationalities could live together peacefully. Although conceived as a utopia for 50,000, only about 2,800 people from over 50 countries live here today. The golden metallic orb, the Matrimandir, is considered the soul of the city, standing in the center of the 2,000-acre township in an area called "Peace." Silence is maintained inside the sphere. A spiraling ramp leads up to a white-marble, air-conditioned inner chamber designed for one to find one"s consciousness. Reservations required—at least for tourists.Desktop Version

Jan 19, 2018Old Town in Prague, Czech Republic

This ethereal view is of Old Town in Prague, also known as ‘the city of 100 spires.’ Prague is one of the most visited places in Europe, and with good reason. Here you’ll find a rich variety of architecture—hence the city’s nickname—and treasures such as the Prague astronomical clock, a 600-year-old wonder that displays the time, date, and positions of celestial bodies.Desktop Version

Apr 4, 2019Taking the forest to the cloud

For Earth Month, we’re highlighting the power of trees, which help to clean our air and watersheds while providing habitat for myriad species, including our own. In urban areas, trees provide unique benefits by cooling area temperatures, producing oxygen, increasing property values, and generally improving the scenery.Desktop Version

Mar 27, 2019Sweet! It’s maple syrup season

That sweetness in the air is not just the arrival of springtime—maple syrup season has arrived in Quebec. Taps drilled into the maple trees collect oozing sap in buckets like these. The sap is then heated to evaporate excess water, leaving the concentrated sugary syrup—yum. And Canada takes its maple syrup very seriously. Producing about 70 percent of the world’s maple syrup, Quebec even has its own ‘maple syrup cartel,’ which works to keep prices stable and maintains the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve. Now, that’s sticky business.Desktop Version

Mar 25, 2019Greece celebrates its independence

For Greek Independence Day, we’ve got a sprawling view of Athens, one of the oldest cities in the world and considered the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, and the Olympic Games, among other foundational achievements. While Athens has been inhabited for thousands of years, it became the capital of Greece after the country gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in the Greek War of Independence, which started in 1821 and lasted until 1829. Back then, the city was home to about 4,000 people. Today, more than 600,000 people live in Athens, with nearly 4 million in the metro area. Independence Day celebrations in the city start on March 24 with the annual students" parade and continue the following day with a grand parade that features marching bands and a procession of military vehicles.Desktop Version

Jan 20, 2018Yellow-eyed penguins, Moeraki, New Zealand

The hills are alive with the sound of penguins here on Katiki Point, part of the Moeraki Peninsula on New Zealand’s South Island. This is a significant habitat for endangered yellow-eyed penguins, which are some of the rarest penguins in the world. They are a solitary, vocal bird known as hoiho, or ‘noise-shouter,’ in the Māori language. This winter the birds had a lot to talk about, as scientists discovered evidence of a prehistoric penguin in New Zealand that was human-sized. These prehistoric relatives were given the name Kumimanu biceae--kumimanu means ‘monster bird’ in the Māori tongue.Desktop Version

Mar 28, 2019Let us introduce you…

Say hello to the rufous-tailed hummingbird. This female is sitting in her tiny nest. Males look similar—lots of green, just like the females, but they have a bit more glitter on the throat and breast. Both sexes have a reddish-brown (rufous) forked tail—hence the name. Rufous-tailed hummingbirds are found in forests, gardens, and coffee plantations from southern Mexico down into South America, and they play an important role in pollination. Not to be confused with the smaller rufous hummingbird, which migrates through North America, the rufous-tailed is medium-sized and, like most hummingbirds, is very territorial when it comes to protecting its favorite feeding spots.Desktop Version

Mar 30, 2019Here’s why landmarks are going dark

Buildings around the world will go dark for 60 minutes this evening in a voluntary event known as Earth Hour. This grassroots effort was started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, by the Australian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (aka World Wildlife Fund), which encouraged Sydneysiders to show their support for climate action. Since then, it’s grown into a global movement to raise awareness of our energy consumption and the effects of climate change on our planet.Desktop Version

Apr 3, 2019Dark skies over New Mexico

We’re celebrating International Dark-Sky Week with an image from a corner of New Mexico that’s one of the best places to stargaze in the continental United States. Dark-Sky Week is observed during the first new moon of April, when stars shine more brightly because the moon isn’t visible. The event was created to bring attention to the harmful effects of artificial light on the natural world, and to remind us of the beauty of an unadulterated night sky. Light pollution not only impacts our ability to see the stars and to sleep soundly, but also creates challenges for many nocturnal species, migrating birds, and even baby sea turtles. So, turn out those lights, look up, and be amazed at the sky that your great-great-grandparents saw.Desktop Version

Apr 2, 2019Books for children of all ages

The books shown on our homepage are a selection of works by the 19th-century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. His birthday today is the inspiration for International Children’s Book Day. Since 1967, the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) has used the occasion of Andersen’s birthday to encourage readers young and old to make time for reading. Hans Christian Andersen made time for writing: By some estimates, he crafted more than 3,000 fairy tales—some based on stories he was told as a child. He also wrote poetry, novels, and even travel books. What childhood favorite inspired your love of literature?Desktop Version

Mar 26, 2019The forecast calls for blooms

Cherry blossom season in Japan is a beloved tradition that involves family gatherings, festivals, and spending time outdoors. Admiring the ‘sakura’—or cherry blossoms—has been a national pastime for centuries. The custom of enjoying the cherry blossoms is known as ‘hanami,’ and it’s commonly done by picnicking under the flowering branches. For late-night picnics, participants hang paper lanterns in the trees to illuminate the blooms. This image comes from the Meguro River, a popular place for viewing the sakura in Tokyo. Are there cherry trees blooming where you live?Desktop Version

Mar 31, 2019Celebrating a Paris landmark

Today we celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower, which doesn’t look a day over 129, if you ask us. The wrought-iron latticework tower is named for French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose firm designed and built the structure. Originally created for the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower was the world"s tallest structure for more than 40 years, until New York’s Chrysler Building edged it out in 1930.Desktop Version

Apr 1, 2019Unbearable cuteness

A photographer happened to catch these brown bear cubs in the act of stealing a boat. Patiently, he watched from afar, snapping photo after photo. Realizing what the cubs were doing, he knew he should document this event. Intent on getting the boat into the water, the cubs worked like they’d done this before. Lighting out onto the lake, the bears seemed to enjoy the ride.Desktop Version

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