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The Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands, Spain
Welcome to Fuerteventura, one of Spain"s Canary Islands, found nearly 70 miles off the northwestern coast of Africa. For thousands of years, the volcanic islands have served as an international crossroads, attracting the interest of the Romans, Arab traders, and European navigators. Agriculture has long been important here, with bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes among the main crops. But while the first voyagers came in search of trade, today"s visitors come to explore the many beautiful national parks and relax on beaches like the Playa del Matorral on Fuerteventura, seen here during a spectacular sunset.Desktop Version
Marine Day in Japan
Marine Day in Japan
The striking coastline of Omijima Island has earned it the nickname the Alps of the Sea. Its sheer cliffs and dramatic angles certainly echo the skyscraping peaks in that European mountain range. But a visit to Omijima Island will take you to the other side of the world, to Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Year-round scuba diving adventures reveal a world under the waves just as beautiful as the one above the surface.Desktop Version
International Mountain Day
International Mountain Day
Happy International Mountain Day! In celebration of highlands, we"re visiting the dramatic landscape of Huangshan—the Yellow Mountains—of eastern China"s Anhui province. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Huangshan has been described as "the loveliest mountain of China" and has inspired artists and writers throughout history. Composed of granite that formed 140 million years ago, its peaks emerge from seas of clouds, rising to 6,115 feet at its highest point, Lotus Peak. Visitors come here to experience breathtaking rock formations, pine trees, hot springs, and captivating winter landscapes. So, let"s climb high, dream big, and protect our mountains!Desktop Version
Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Val Gardena in Northern Italy is a popular destination for skiing, rock climbing, and woodcarving enthusiasts, which transforms into Christmas Valley at this time of year. Wooden huts open their doors to visitors, and a nostalgic cable car ride, each cabin adorned with twinkling fairy lights, travels above snow-covered slopes. During the 18th century, the valley became famous for its production of intricately carved wooden figurines, initially made to decorate Catholic churches. Among those creations, the peg wooden doll emerged as one of Val Gardena"s best-known products and is still being produced today.Desktop Version
Mod gear
Mod gear
This Lambretta scooter, decked out with extra mirrors, lights, and horns, is an iconic symbol of the mod subculture. Attendees at Purple Weekend, a mod-revival festival held every year in León, Spain, will see many Lambretta and Vespa scooters. The popular event held this weekend gathers fans of mod music, fashion, and culture. The mod movement began in England in the late 1950s, as modern jazz and rhythm & blues records imported from the US sparked the clean-cut, modernist fashion and lifestyle aesthetic that appealed to a new middle class of young people in postwar Britain. The fashion, scooters, and music choices caught on outside the UK during the 1960s and inspired future generations to embrace the style. Now, mod-revival festivals like Spain’s Purple Weekend happen in many countries around the world.Desktop Version
Midnight sun
Midnight sun
Don"t lose your sunglasses! At least not during this time of year in Svalbard, Norway, when the sun crests the horizon and never dips below it again for more than four months. From about April 19 to August 23, it"s nothing but sunshine in this island chain above the Arctic Circle, more than 500 miles north of mainland Norway. It"s not quite a day at the beach, with average summertime high temps of 39 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (toasty compared to average wintertime temps of 5 to 9 degrees). And who knows how far it is to the nearest Ray-Ban store?Desktop Version
World Poetry Day
World Poetry Day
"How like a winter hath my absence been / From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! / What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen! / What old December"s bareness everywhere!"Desktop Version
A field of English lavender
A field of English lavender
Delighting the senses with its vibrant hues and fragrant blooms, lavender is thought to have arrived in England with the Romans, around 2,000 years ago. While it’s nice to look at, the Romans likely brought it with them for its many practical uses, including cooking, repelling insects, and as an antiseptic. Many perfumes, modern and historical, have featured lavender, and Queen Elizabeth I is purported to have used lavender scent. You’ll find lavender fields scattered across the country. This one is a typical example, a quintessential summer sight here in the picturesque county of Somerset, in southwest England.Desktop Version
Gentoo penguins in Antarctica
Gentoo penguins in Antarctica
For the uninitiated, the origins of the made-up holiday Festivus can be traced back to an episode of the hit "90s show, "Seinfeld." Based on the real family tradition of one of the show"s writers, Festivus has taken on a life of its own in the real world and provides fans with a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to celebrate the holiday season while ignoring its pressures and commercialism.Desktop Version
Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Hey, don"t judge. Migrating takes it out of you! Yes, these sandhill cranes are sleeping on their feet in the waters of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in southern New Mexico. The birds start arriving around Halloween each year, and as many as 10,000 of them will stay to rest and feed in local fields until February. What"s on the menu? Well, sandhill cranes aren"t picky; they"ll eat whatever"s available, from plants and grains, to insects, snails, and even snakes. And they have plenty of avian company at this beautiful refuge each winter—whooping cranes, ducks, and snow geese from as far away as Alaska and Siberia also count Bosque del Apache as a favorite resting spot before heading north to their breeding grounds when the days get warmer. Thankfully, there"s plenty of room to spread their wings at the 57,000-acre refuge.Desktop Version
Sunny day, sweepin the clouds away
Sunny day, sweepin the clouds away
On this day 50 years ago, public television stations first introduced to viewers a colorful community of monsters, birds, grouches, and ordinary people all living together on a friendly urban street. TV producer Joan Ganz Cooney had developed the idea for "Sesame Street." She was convinced that television, with its ability to quickly capture the attention of young children, could be used for good—to educate as well as entertain. With the help of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, "Sesame Street"s" unique cast of characters, skits, and animated videos introduced a new way to provide early education for young children.Desktop Version
Winter solstice
Winter solstice
The days only get longer from here! The Northern Hemisphere marks the beginning of winter today, but the winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year. The rainbow that encircles the sun in our image, a sun halo, is above Lake Antermoia, in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy. Sun halos form when sun or moon light shines through ice crystals suspended in the upper atmosphere. When the light of the sun hits the crystals they serve as a prism, separating the light into individual colors of the spectrum, the same way rainbows occur after a rain shower.Desktop Version
St. Patrick s Day
St. Patrick s Day
Ireland has been called the land of "40 shades of green," but this green leprechaun"s-eye view comes from the feet of California"s coastal redwoods. Today we celebrate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who famously never traveled to California. St. Patrick is often depicted holding a shamrock, which he purportedly used to explain Christianity in Ireland by saying the leaves illustrated the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Holy Trinity. Never mind that Celtic druids had revered the sacred shamrock and its three leaves long before Patrick"s arrival. Coins depicting St. Patrick with a shamrock date back as far as 1675.Desktop Version
Greetings from Asbury Park
Greetings from Asbury Park
The uncharacteristically warm waters of the Atlantic and a long stretch of sand bring thousands of visitors, but Asbury Park also draws waves of art, culture, and music that shine brightly in the summer months. Bruce Springsteen has played here regularly since the 1970s, performing everywhere from the Stone Pony, an iconic music venue, to a benefit show at Asbury Lanes, a bowling alley that was in dire need of sprucing up. Springsteen, who grew up near this stretch of the Jersey Shore, clearly finds Asbury Park special—the name of his 1973 album inspired our title for today’s homepage image. But the seaside resort’s rich musical history predates the Boss—a building boom in the 1920s brought sounds of jazz, gospel, and rhythm and blues to the many clubs here. Musicians Arthur Pryor, Count Basie, and many others developed strong ties to Asbury Park and helped establish its reputation as a showcase for great American music.Desktop Version
Palouse farmland, Washington state
Palouse farmland, Washington state
The Palouse region in the Pacific Northwest is known for its picturesque landscapes, agricultural heritage, and unique geological features. Those stunning hills in our homepage image were formed over tens of thousands of years, from dust and silt blown by the wind, known as loess. The Palouse"s fertile soil and climate make it ideal for farming and it is known for its wheat, barley, lentils, and other crops. With its beautiful rolling hills covered in patchworks of green and golden fields, it is often compared to Italy"s Tuscany region or the French countryside.Desktop Version
Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
The Tadami Line is one of the most scenic railway lines in Japan. It winds through beautiful landscapes over 84 miles from Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima prefecture, to Uonuma, Niigata prefecture. As travelers cross the Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, pictured in today"s image, they are treated to gorgeous vistas of the river below and the forests that blanket the area. After a snowfall, the icy blue water of the Tadami River cuts a bold streak through the forest, providing a welcome splash of color in a blanket of white.Desktop Version
Mediterranean red sea stars
Mediterranean red sea stars
Sea stars—often called starfish—are some of the most fascinating creatures to live in our oceans. For starters, despite their name, they aren"t fish—they belong to a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms. Like all echinoderms, sea stars are characterized by the radial symmetry of their bodies, which usually have multiple arms extending from the central disc.Desktop Version
Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
From early December, the streets and squares of Warsaw, Poland"s capital city, are dressed for the festive season. Christmas decorations light up the Royal Route, which extends south from the Royal Castle on Castle Square, where a nearly 30-foot-tall Christmas tree is installed for the holiday season, to Wilanów Palace. Bundled patrons wander through Warsaw"s Christmas Market, browsing through seasonal souvenirs while savoring a warm beverage. The Royal Castle and surrounding Old Town have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.Desktop Version
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
We"re standing on the Boundary Trail at Johnston Ridge in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. This view of the volcano shows how the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, ripped apart the once-conical summit, forever changing the Washington landscape. Forty years ago today, 110,000 acres within Gifford Pinchot National Forest were set aside to memorialize the deadliest and most destructive volcanic eruption in the United States.Desktop Version
Mount Segla, Senja Island, Norway
Mount Segla, Senja Island, Norway
A beautiful island popularly known as "Norway in miniature," Senja"s diverse landscape boasts mountainous terrain as well as lush greenery. At 600 square miles, it is Norway"s second-largest island, connected to the mainland by the Gisund Bridge. The most notable spot on Senja is pictured today, Mount Segla, a magnificent peak that is visited frequently in summer, with a trail starting in Fjordgård, a fishing village in the north of Senja. It"s a tough hike to the top, more than 2,000 feet above sea level. Other tourist attractions include Ånderdalen National Park and Tranøya, an island off the south coast of Senja known for its tranquility.Desktop Version
Seville, Spain
Seville, Spain
The first recorded expedition to successfully circumnavigate the Earth returned here to Seville, Spain, 500 years ago today. This was the remnants of the Spanish fleet that had set sail under the command of Ferdinand Magellan almost exactly three years previously with the goal of finding a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. While Magellan gets the glory as leader of the expedition, he didn"t actually complete the marathon voyage—he had been killed in a skirmish in the Philippines in April 1521. In the end, his place as leader of the five-ship voyage was filled by Juan Sebastián Elcano, whose command ship, the "Vittoria," was the only one in the convoy that survived the trip. Harsh conditions, starvation, scurvy, hostile encounters, and other struggles had taken their toll: Of the roughly 270 crew members who set out, only 18 returned with the expedition.Desktop Version
Muniellos Nature Reserve
Muniellos Nature Reserve
The Muniellos Nature Reserve is one of Spain"s best-preserved forests of Quercus robur, otherwise known as common oak, European oak, or English oak. The 13,560-acre reserve in Asturias province also includes sessile oaks, seen in our photo alongside beech trees.Desktop Version
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
More than 2 miles above sea level, near the crest of the Andes, is an anomaly of the natural world, a salt flat bigger than many countries. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt flat in the world at about 4,000 square miles. The salt flat is the remains of an ancient lake that evaporated long ago leaving behind a thick mineral crust that is both a source of edible salt and a critical breeding ground for, of all things, flamingos. But for a battery-hungry world, the greatest riches might lie below the crust—a vast brine rich in lithium.Desktop Version
Who s hiding in the kelp?
Who s hiding in the kelp?
This California sea lion is peeking out from a kelp forest near the Channel Islands of California. Although this species is named for the Golden State, the California sea lion"s range stretches all along the western coast of North America, from central Mexico up to Southeast Alaska. They tend to live in shallow coastal areas, dining on squid, anchovies, mackerel, and more. Highly social and intelligent, California sea lions often congregate in large—and loud—colonies on beaches and rocky shores to breed and have their pups.Desktop Version
A splash by the sea
A splash by the sea
You wouldn’t know there’s a highway behind these beaming blue pools, and that is just what architect Álvaro Siza Vieira intended. At the young age of 26, Álvaro Siza designed these Piscinas das Marés (Pools on the Beach). His creation has become a Portuguese national landmark and is praised for the way the pools blend into the landscape from some perspectives, and show a harmonious blend of nature and artificiality from others. The design respectfully floats the pools between the soft sands of the beach and the rocky outcrops that have been here long before 1966, when the project was completed. The shapes of the pools simultaneously follow and oppose the natural lines of the terrain that surround them, a masterful balance that foregrounds the beauty of each, as well as the entirety of the scene Álvaro Siza has helped to set.Desktop Version