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A hermitage with a view
A hermitage with a view
If this vivid landscape has you feeling pulled into the photo, take a deep breath before you look right or left. Or maybe just fix your gaze on the medieval brick ruin ahead—the Hermitage of La Pertusa in the province of Lleida in Spain"s northern Catalonia region. Glance sideways and you"ll be greeted by sheer vertical drops to the basin of the Canelles Reservoir, across which lies the region of Aragon—historically a powerful kingdom that ruled Catalonia and much of the Mediterranean.Desktop Version
A holiday beacon of light
A holiday beacon of light
This classic New England scene is Cape Neddick Light, one of the most iconic of Maine"s 65 lighthouses, all lit up for the holiday season. Built on more than 2 acres of granite island, the Nub has been protecting sailors since 1879. It"s a tradition for locals to visit when it"s dressed up for the holidays. And if you miss the winter display, you can come back in July, when the lighthouse is relit for summer visitors.Desktop Version
Mountains fit for a queen
Mountains fit for a queen
Like sentinels standing guard, these towering stalks are flowers of the queen of the Andes, the world"s largest bromeliad—some specimens can grow up to 50 feet tall. This extraordinary plant has adapted to grow only in the adverse conditions found on the high slopes of the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes. To see several of them in bloom at once is truly special, for the queen of the Andes sends up her flowering stalk just once, after a century or so of painstaking growth. A single plant will bloom for about three months, producing anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 flowers, then die.Desktop Version
The Sky Over Nine Columns in Venice, Italy
The Sky Over Nine Columns in Venice, Italy
Here in the canal city of Venice, sun and water reflect off artist Heinz Mack’s sculpture called The Sky Over Nine Columns. The piece was on display here in on the island of San Giorgio Magiorre in 2014, during the Venice Architecture Biennale, and later traveled to Istanbul and Valencia. Visitors are encouraged to wander through the pillars as if wandering through a temple connecting the Earth to the sky. A closer look reveals the massive pillars are covered in 850,000 mosaic tiles coated in 24-carat gold leaf.Desktop Version
Daylight saving time begins
Daylight saving time begins
To mark the start of daylight saving time today, we venture off to Olomouc, a city in the Czech Republic. In the city’s Upper Square, next to the tower of the 15th-century Town Hall, is Olomouc’s famous astronomical clock. The clock doesn’t just keep the time of day, but tracks the phases of the moon, days of the year, and even has a star map to indicate what might be visible in the night sky. In this photo, you can see the buildings of the square reflected in the clock’s face.Desktop Version
Frozen fun in the Canadian cold
Frozen fun in the Canadian cold
Not far downriver from Montreal, where the banks of the St. Lawrence River widen as it approaches the Atlantic, lies Quebec"s picturesque and often chilly capital. Quebec City, one of the continent"s oldest European settlements, is often called the most European city outside Europe. It"s the only North American city outside Mexico whose fortified walls still stand, and its winding streets showcase a French-tinged exemplar of old Romantic architecture (typified by the steep-roofed Château Frontenac in the photo"s foreground).Desktop Version
‘Ocian in view! O! The joy.’
‘Ocian in view! O! The joy.’
At Ecola State Park, a part of the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, you can walk in the steps of Meriweather Lewis and William Clark, who arrived at the Pacific in mid-November in 1805. It was 1 year, 6 months, and a day after leaving St. Louis, Missouri, with the Corps of Discovery on their mission to explore the Pacific Northwest. Upon seeing the ocean, Clark wrote in his journal: ‘Ocian in view! O! The joy.’ Shortly after arriving on the west coast, the expedition voted to spend the winter near present day Astoria, where they constructed Fort Clatsop. These historic locations remain popular attractions for visitors to the scenic Oregon coast.Desktop Version
Join the parade for World Elephant Day
Join the parade for World Elephant Day
Today is World Elephant Day, an observance created to raise awareness of the plight of elephants around the world and prompt action on their behalf. Poaching and habitat loss have affected elephant populations, but places such as Kruger National Park in South Africa have deployed a suite of solutions to counter their decline. With technology, stronger laws, and training, Kruger National Park’s rangers and park staff work hard to defend elephants from poachers every day. Like Kruger Park, we all have a part to play in protecting elephants. Let’s keep up the good work.Desktop Version
A throng of ice and spires
A throng of ice and spires
If these frozen formations were named by more literal minds, we might know them as simply "reverse icicles." But the Andes, including this mountain pass rising above Chile"s Atacama Desert, were mapped by poetically inclined Spanish explorers. They likened formations like these to a congregation of penitent parishioners kneeling at mass: hence the common name "penitentes" for such packed-snow pinnacles.Desktop Version
We re gonna need a bigger birdhouse
We re gonna need a bigger birdhouse
You"re more likely to see jabiru storks down on the shores of ponds or on riverbanks, where they hunt for small fish, amphibians, and lizards. They"re the tallest flying bird in South and Central America, with the largest males standing 5 feet. Despite their size, jabiru storks are graceful fliers. Here in the Pantanal, a sprawling tropical wetland in western Brazil, jabiru storks will build a massive nest in late August or September—just as spring is beginning in the Southern Hemisphere. The stork mates in this image may be scouting out a good place for their nest. And once it"s built, the pair will raise anywhere from two to five jabiru stork chicks.Desktop Version
Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage
Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage
Humpback whales are found in virtually all the world’s oceans, though they don’t swim in the extra-cold waters of the Arctic. This pod is breaching the surface of Lynn Canal in the Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, where the whales return in summer for the feeding season after sensibly wintering in warmer tropical waters.Desktop Version
Computer science on the page
Computer science on the page
Computer Science Education Week begins today, and because the field can seem daunting to the uninitiated, we’re showing a very relatable document that humanizes the work behind computer science. The notebook in this photo contains equations and ideas crafted by Alan Turing, the British mathematician and early computer scientist who helped the Allies win World War II when he cracked the code of Nazi Germany’s Enigma machine. In 2015, Turing’s notebook, written while he was working on the Enigma code, was sold at auction for more than $1 million.Desktop Version
The aftermath of a meteorite
The aftermath of a meteorite
Today’s a special day for astronomy enthusiasts: It’s both Asteroid Day and Meteor Watch Day. To celebrate, we’re at the rim of a 560-foot-deep crater with a 3,900-foot diameter, creatively called "Meteor Crater." (Scientists call it Barringer Crater, for the name of the man who first theorized it was a meteorite-impact crater.) Some 50,000 years ago, parts of an asteroid fell to Earth here, in a location just east of Flagstaff, Arizona. And today, we can see just how devastating the collision must have been to leave a basin so large.Desktop Version
The most Instagrammable bird?
The most Instagrammable bird?
Why did German researchers set out to determine the world"s most Instagrammable bird? We"re not quite sure, but once they did, we had to know what it was. And once we saw this cute, fuzzy, kind of angry-looking creature that reminds us of an owl, we had to feature it here. So, who is this we"re looking at? It"s a tawny frogmouth, a nocturnal bird found throughout Australia, including Tasmania. Tawny frogmouths are carnivores, eating nocturnal insects, worms, slugs, and snails, as well as small mammals, reptiles, frogs, and birds. Sometimes confused with owls, they"re more closely related to nightjars.Desktop Version
Where the wildflowers grow
Where the wildflowers grow
In honor of National Wildflower Week, we"re looking at a splash of blooming bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas. If you notice bluebonnets and other blooms while traveling down Texas highways, thank the state"s Department of Transportation, which sows tens of thousands of pounds of wildflower seeds along roadways each year.Desktop Version
Ruins of a royal temple
Ruins of a royal temple
In present-day Thailand sit the ruins of the ancient kingdom that preceded it, Ayutthaya. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, shown here, was the holiest shrine in the capital of that kingdom, a royal temple containing a 52-foot-tall golden statue of the Buddha, among other treasures. The first king of Ayutthaya, Ramathibodi I, ordered construction of a royal palace here in 1350. Nearly a century later, the palace was moved to a different location in the city and the former palace grounds were converted to a holy site.Desktop Version
Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Among Estonia"s stunning natural sites is the Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, covering 132 square miles of wilderness in the heart of the country. This occasionally ice-covered, vast area of wetlands, forests, and rivers is the largest natural reserve in Estonia. From the majestic white-tailed eagle to the elusive black stork, more than 200 bird species can be found here. The landscape is a tapestry of aquatic forests: still water, bog, and floodplain forests. Winding trails and boardwalks invite explorers to craft their own adventures.Desktop Version
Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
Can these frosty apples be salvaged in time for National Pie Day today? The annual event—a simple celebration of the beloved desserts–was created by the American Pie Council (APC), a group dedicated to ‘preserving America"s pie heritage and promoting America"s love affair with pies.’ According to a survey conducted by the APC in 2008, more Americans prefer apple pie over any other, and it’s that variety which inspired our homepage today. But while many things may be as American as apple pie, it’s generally believed that the pie itself originated in England. In fact, English poet Geoffrey Chaucer penned a recipe in 1381 for a pie that includes apples, spices, raisins, figs, pears, and saffron. If you have a favorite pie, it sounds like today’s a sweet day to celebrate.Desktop Version
Red squirrel
Red squirrel
Shhh, it"s sleeping. But don"t confuse that with hibernating. A tree squirrel, like this red squirrel in Scotland, doesn"t hibernate during the winter. Hibernating is more of a ground squirrel trait. But the red squirrel is particular about where it sleeps, mostly building its nest, or drey, high above the ground in the cavity of an evergreen tree. Nests are often lined with soft materials such as leaves, moss, and grass. This little sleeper is using its bushy tail to keep warm, with the help of some lichen and pine needles.Desktop Version
In Sicily, history is everywhere
In Sicily, history is everywhere
Today we"re in Montalbano Elicona on the island of Sicily. The town is known for the very old castle at the crest of the hill, as well as the quaint medieval village below. It"s no wonder that Montalbano Elicona has been called one of the most beautiful towns in all of Italy. The castle itself was built in the early 13th century by medieval power broker Frederick II of Swabia. He wore many hats, including King of Sicily, Holy Roman Emperor, and—as far-fetched as it sounds—King of Jerusalem, a title he claimed after conquering that city during the Sixth Crusade. The castle was originally designed as a fortress, but it also served as a summer residence for Frederick and rulers who followed him.Desktop Version
Buddha in the roots of a tree, Ayutthaya, Thailand
Buddha in the roots of a tree, Ayutthaya, Thailand
This is the profile of Gautama Buddha, peeking out of tree roots at an ancient Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya in central Thailand. This city once served as the capital of the ancient kingdom of Ayutthaya, a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767 before it was destroyed by the Burmese Army. You can explore the city’s remains at the Ayutthaya Historical Park.Desktop Version
A bison preserve
A bison preserve
Once 60 million strong, bison were nearly wiped out from the North American plains in the 1800s. Then, in 1893, the owner of Antelope Island in Utah’s Great Salt Lake reintroduced 12 bison to the island as the foundation herd for a hunting operation. But the project failed, and without wolves on the island, the bison had no natural predators, so they thrived. (Incidentally, antelope brought to the island did not survive a similar effort.) Today, a herd of 550 to 700 bison roams here, protected as one of the attractions at Antelope Island State Park. Happy Bison Day!Desktop Version
Replica of a Viking home in Dublin National Botanic Gardens, Ireland
Replica of a Viking home in Dublin National Botanic Gardens, Ireland
One of the more recent additions to the National Botanical Gardens in Dublin is this Viking house. This structure was hand-built in 2014 using 11th-century tools and represents what a typical Vikiing home looked like in this region. The home is roughly 340 square feet, a typical dwelling in Dublin 1,000 years ago.Desktop Version
Best. Holiday. Ever.
Best. Holiday. Ever.
On this most wonderful day—National Relaxation Day—we journey to a rocky, kelp-covered shore in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, where a snoozing Eurasian otter gives an inspiring demonstration of how to properly observe this holiday. Relaxation Day seems to have originated from National Slacker Day, which Britons are celebrating today. There, celebrants are encouraged to ignore the phone and other devices, and simply take it easy. The idea caught on here in the US and, really, who are we to say ‘no’ to a chance to kick back, maybe catch a nap, and just take it easy for one day. Join us, won’t you?Desktop Version
In celebration of cats
In celebration of cats
Not that anyone needs an excuse to feature a cat on the internet–but today is both World Cat Day and Scottish Wildcat Day, and that calls for a picture of this rare breed. The Scottish wildcat may resemble an ordinary tabby, but it’s twice the size and said to be virtually untamable. Unfortunately, that means we probably can’t snuggle with one anytime soon. But you can still get your feline fix by browsing cat videos on the web. In fact, we’ll be right back…Desktop Version