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Jul 14, 2021A different view of sharks

They"ve long been treated as threats, portrayed as villains, and brutally hunted for their edible fins, so we think it"s only fair that sharks get their own day. Shark Awareness Day is meant to highlight the importance of the most fearsome fish in nature, from little dwarf lantern sharks to great whites to these blacktip reef sharks cruising the Tahitian coast.Desktop Version

Sep 5, 2021Venice s grand regatta

Every year, on the first Sunday of September, Venice celebrates the Regata Storica along the city"s most famous canal. The event is the highlight of the Venetian rowing calendar and consists of two parts: a historical boat parade and a series of rowing races. Festivities begin with a regal water pageant comprising a flotilla of colorful boats from the 16th century. Gondoliers are dressed in period costume as they ferry high-ranking Venetian officials up the Grand Canal in a faithful recreation of Venice"s storied maritime past. The regatta commemorates the welcome given in 1489 to Caterina Cornaro, the wife of the King of Cyprus, who renounced her throne in favor of Venice.Desktop Version

Mar 5, 2023Cherry blossom season in Tokyo

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.Desktop Version

Nov 24, 2021Chocolate Hills

In late November, the dry season arrives in the Bohol province of the Philippines to create a magical confection: The green grass that covers these rolling, conical mounds begins to turn brown, transforming the area into what looks like endless hills of chocolate. At least 1,260 of these "Chocolate Hills" are spread across about 20 square miles. The unusual landscape has become a robust tourist attraction, leading the regional government to construct a viewing complex amidst the hills in the town of Carmen.Desktop Version

Jul 17, 2020Let s face it: It s World Emoji Day

Most versions of the calendar emoji (Desktop Version

Sep 15, 2020For Hispanic Heritage Month: Out of Many, One

This giant portrait by Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada is called "Out of Many, One." It was installed on the National Mall lawn in October 2014 and remained for one month. The title not only refers to the motto of the United States (E pluribus unum, Latin for "out of many, one") but hints at how the portrait was created.Desktop Version

Jun 27, 2019The roots of invention

Living root bridges like this can be found in the tropical rainforests of Meghalaya, a state in northeast India that is among the wettest places on Earth. The gentle waterways that flow through the region’s valleys become gushing torrents during the summer monsoon season and will wash away traditional bamboo bridges. So, generations of indigenous Khasi people have devised a way of building root bridges by shaping living trees, like this one near the village of Mawsynram.Desktop Version

Aug 2, 2018The Aomori Nebuta Festival parade, Japan

From now until Aug 7, the northern Japanese city of Aomori is celebrating Aomori Nebuta, a festival (‘matsuri’) that features bright, colorful floats like the one seen in our photo. The history of how the festival began depends on who you ask and what you read. But the way to celebrate is to join or watch the parade that is the centerpiece of the observance. The floats depict mythic warriors and creatures, and they move through Aomori accompanied by musicians, often playing flutes and pounding on loud taiko drums. The goal? To ‘awaken sleepy souls.’Desktop Version

Aug 20, 2018Looking back at Yellowstone, 30 years after the fires

Nature’s resiliency is on full display here at Yellowstone National Park, where new growth has emerged among the trees charred by the massive 1988 wildfires. More than 1 million acres in the greater Yellowstone area were affected by the blazes that summer, scarring 36 percent of the park. Today marks the 30-year anniversary of Black Saturday, a day when the park saw some of the worst damage, with smoke and ash blackening the skies. But when cool, moist weather brought an end to the devastating fires in late autumn, the ecosystem immediately began to recover. Fire has long been part of the complex ecosystem at Yellowstone and many species have even adapted to rely on fire to open up the canopy, spread seeds, and diversify the habitat.Desktop Version

Jun 15, 2020Surfer s paradise

Look closely at today"s homepage image and you"ll spot the shadow of a surfer who"s probably delighted to be here in Medewi, Bali. It"s a favorite spot for big waves, warm water, and beautiful views. With its thousands of islands and year-round warm water, Indonesia is a prime surfing destination. The island of Bali especially has gained a reputation as a mecca for the sport since global wave-chasers started arriving here in the 1960s and "70s. These days major surfing brands operate their Southeast Asia headquarters out of Bali. Peak surf season here usually falls between April and October, but you can get a fix anytime—just cue up a classic surf movie filmed on the beaches of Bali, such as "Morning of the Earth" or "The Endless Summer 2."Desktop Version

Dec 12, 2020What are we looking at?

On National Poinsettia Day we"re taking an up-close look at a poinsettia leaf. Although many people assume the red, white, pink, purple, or marbled colors are flowers, they"re actually bracts, a type of leaf that aids in reproduction, usually by turning color as the plant develops true flowers. On the poinsettia, the bracts, surrounding small yellow clustered buds called cyathia, flag down pollinators just as flower petals do.Desktop Version

Sep 12, 2018A cutting-edge art gallery opens in Paris

Fine art has found a new canvas here in Paris, where L’Atelier des Lumières opened in April as the city’s first digital art museum. The venue, housed in a 19th-century foundry, uses 140 digital projectors to splash paintings high onto the walls and across the floors, allowing visitors to walk through, over, and into some of the world’s most famous pieces of art. L’Atelier des Lumières opened with an exhibit featuring works by Gustav Klimt, the prominent Austrian painter best known for ‘The Kiss,’ a portrait of a couple locked in an intimate embrace. Klimt was known for incorporating silver and gold leaf into his art nouveau-style oil paintings, creating an ethereal effect.Desktop Version

Oct 28, 2019A night on the (ghost) town

The spooky scene here might look like a place you"d want to avoid, but it"s not likely to scare you—not too much anyway. It"s the Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum in central Oregon, a collection of abandoned homestead-era buildings from the area. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, people acquired federal lands around here for farms and ranches via the Homestead Acts. But most left within a few years due to the hot, dry summers and extremely cold winters. Today, the buildings are assembled as a ghost town and contain items from that period, including furniture, dishes, and tools. There"s also a nearby cemetery which, according to local lore, is haunted by the ghost of rancher and author Reub Long riding his horse.Desktop Version

Nov 30, 2023Saint Andrews Day

Scotland"s fantastical landscapes are steeped in folklore and myths. The Old Man of Storr—a 164-foot rocky pinnacle on the Isle of Skye—is no exception. So named because it is said to resemble a craggy man when viewed from the right angle, it has long inspired tales of giants and magic. The Old Man towers over the Trotternish Ridge, a 20-mile-long landslip that is home to many stunning and strange rock formations, each with their own stories.Desktop Version

Nov 27, 2022Cecropia leaf and lobster claw petals in Mexico

No doubt your eyes are drawn to the large, silver-bluish leaf in today"s photo, but there"s a little more to this colorful display. We"re on the floor of a Mexican rainforest to examine a large Cecropia leaf and some lobster claw petals. The genus called Cecropia contains some of the most recognizable neotropical trees anywhere, but the roughly 60 different species can be hard to tell apart. All Cecropias grow fast, by tree standards anyway. On average, they"ll climb about 2.5 feet per year and under perfect conditions can grow as much as 10 feet in that time, eventually reaching around 60 feet tall. When dried, Cecropia leaves shrivel into a fist-like form which displays interesting patterns and shapes. Not only are Cecropias very popular with animals like sloths, monkeys, and toucans for their fruit and leaves, many species have a symbiotic relationship with Azteca ants. Cecropias provide shelter and food for ants, and the ants in turn defend the trees from plant-eating predators.Desktop Version

Nov 17, 2020Take a hike near Lovers Lane

For those of you who love getting outside, you"re in luck! Today is Take a Hike Day, an activity the American Hiking Society says will make you happier as you enjoy the great outdoors. And what better way to take a hike than a walk near Lovers" Lane in San Francisco"s Presidio? The sinuous trail we see in today"s photo is called "Wood Line" and was designed by the environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy. By using felled eucalyptus trees, Goldsworthy intended this land art to eventually biodegrade and fade back into the forest floor. It"s one of four of his works within this national park that once served as a US military outpost.Desktop Version

Mar 7, 2021Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment

Take a stroll through the Wakodahatchee Wetlands and you"ll likely spot great blue herons, like the fluffed-up pair we"re featuring today. Located in Delray Beach, Florida, and created on 50 acres of wastewater utility property, the park first opened to the public back in 1996. A three-quarter-mile boardwalk takes visitors over ponds and through marshes, offering the chance to see more than 150 bird species, plus turtles, fish, frogs, alligators, and other Floridian fauna. Every day, the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department pumps about 2 million gallons of highly treated wastewater into the wetlands. Then algae and other plants naturally finish the purification process before the water seeps back into the water table. Quite an upgrade from a yucky wastewater pond.Desktop Version

Jan 15, 2023Aura River in Turku, Finland

The Turku Cathedral rises above the frosted forests near the mouth of the Aura River, which runs through the middle of Turku, Finland.Desktop Version

May 26, 2021Behold the blood moon

We"ve heard the phrase "many moons," but never took it this literally. We"re looking at 28 merged photos of our one and only moon over Utah"s Monument Valley: 26 snapshots of its partial phases, plus two layered exposures of the eclipsing moon at center.Desktop Version

Sep 25, 2020One for the books

Today is the kickoff to the 20th Library of Congress National Book Festival, and for the first time it will be held entirely online. Nearly 120 authors, including Colson Whitehead, John Grisham, Ann Patchett, Walter Mosley, and Tomi Adeyemi, will appear on virtual stages to discuss the written word from September 25-27.Desktop Version

Sep 13, 2020Super sandy Sweet 16

We"re in the Rockies of southern Colorado to celebrate Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve"s 16th year as a full-fledged national park—though it was a national monument from 1932, and both the dunes themselves and the surrounding valley"s history are far more ancient.Desktop Version

Nov 16, 2019Mountain mists over Bavaria

In modern German, the word for this month is "November." But an older German name was "Nebel-mond," which translates as "fog month" in English—it"s the time of the year when fog is most likely to roll in. In some parts of the world the topography and local climate make fog a regular feature of the weather, especially during certain times of the year. That’s called "fog season." San Francisco has a fog season. Tampa, Florida, does too. Is there a fog season where you live?Desktop Version

Aug 20, 2020Up in the Highlands

There"s a good chance the occupants of that car you can see in this photo, winding along a remote highway in the Highlands of Iceland, won"t encounter any other visitors to this desolate region. Accessible only during the summertime, roads across the Icelandic Highlands pass through mostly uninhabited volcanic desert. Frequent volcanic activity in the area creates a porous topsoil full of chemical compounds that aren"t conducive to plant growth. Besides, much of the rainfall is quickly absorbed so plant life only appears alongside glacial rivers. Despite this seemingly unwelcoming environment, adventurous travelers come to the Highlands every summer to see firsthand an ecosystem so unearthly that NASA conducted training missions here for some of its Apollo astronauts.Desktop Version

Jul 30, 2021Working for that cliffside view

Maine"s Acadia National Park serves up spectacular views at most every turn. But the park"s Otter Cliffs on Mount Desert Island offer the adventurous among us a chance to take in the picturesque Atlantic shoreline from the edge of a sheer granite wall. Rising some 60 feet above the crashing waves below, the cliffs are shown here at low tide—when the tide is up, that ledge at the bottom is completely submerged.Desktop Version

Mar 20, 2021It s time for spring

This 40-foot sundial stands atop the Parnidis Dune, one of the scenic highlights of the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by Lithuania and Russia. Built in 1995, the sundial was damaged by a hurricane a few years later and rebuilt in 2011. It accurately tells time by creating shadows on the steps, with notches for hours and half hours, as well as months, equinoxes, and solstices.Desktop Version

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