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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
Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
On this day in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope entered orbit in the cargo bay of the space shuttle Discovery. Shortly thereafter, it began its continuing mission to capture images of our universe from low Earth orbit, free of the obstructions of clouds and the distortions of the atmosphere. Like its namesake, the great astronomer Edwin Hubble, the Hubble Space Telescope has transformed our understanding of the cosmos. Some of the telescope"s greatest contributions include its Deep Fields images, which peer back billions of light-years and help astronomers measure the size and age of the universe and test theories about its origin. It"s also produced jaw-dropping images of objects closer to home, like the one on today"s homepage. Here we"re looking at a maelstrom of glowing gas and dark dust within one of the Milky Way"s satellite galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud.Desktop Version
Falling for the Canadian Rockies
Falling for the Canadian Rockies
Sunwapta Falls is one of several spectacular waterfalls in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. It"s actually a pair of waterfalls, a lower and an upper one, on the Sunwapta River. Their water comes from the Athabasca Glacier, so volumes are higher in the summer due to seasonal glacial melting. Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, with more than 4,000 square miles for camping, hiking, water sports, and other activities. Wildlife in the park includes elk, grizzly bears, moose, bighorn sheep, and caribou.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
A horse of many colors
A horse of many colors
Whitehorse, Yukon"s only city and the largest in northern Canada, will have just seven hours of daylight today, but nature has a way of compensating for this injustice. The area enjoys frequent and spectacular light shows, thanks to the aurora borealis. The mechanics of northern lights are still not fully understood, but scientists agree that solar winds—big pulses of energy from our sun—pass through the Earth"s magnetic fields, especially at the polar regions, resulting in shimmering colors.Desktop Version
Defying gravity on a swing ride
Defying gravity on a swing ride
Can you smell the fried food and cotton candy? Fair season is upon us, and amusement rides are usually just part of the whole fair-going experience. The modern fair has roots in ancient times, tracing back to a variety of influences, from Roman religious festivals to temporary markets set up at crossroads along the trade routes from Asia to Europe. Today, county and state fairs often combine industry and agriculture exhibits with various entertainment options such as this swing ride. What’s your fair-season favorite?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
Spring comes to Glacier National Park
Spring comes to Glacier National Park
You can almost hear the rushing water in this picture of St. Mary Falls at Montana’s Glacier National Park. To get to this picturesque waterfall and its aqua-blue pools you’ll need to journey to the east side of the park near St. Mary Lake. Glacier is home to 700 miles of hiking trails, including the short day hike that leads to St. Mary Falls, taking visitors through conifer forests. If you feel like chasing more waterfalls, you can extend the hike and journey to nearby Virginia Falls. Don’t forget your camera and be on the lookout for woodpeckers, moose, and wildflowers.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
A lofty lighthouse and a little ocean spray
A lofty lighthouse and a little ocean spray
The Farolim de Felgueiras (Lighthouse of Felgueiras) you see here has withstood relentless waves for around 135 years. It offered its solitary warnings to ships approaching Porto, Portugal"s second-largest city, beginning in 1886 until it was finally deactivated in 2009. Even though it"s no longer operational, it"s still a well-known local landmark. It offers sightseers a beautiful view, and maybe a little ocean spray, from its perch overlooking the mouth of the Douro River where it flows into the Atlantic.Desktop Version
Infrared Jupiter, erupting Io
Infrared Jupiter, erupting Io
To celebrate World Space Week, we"re featuring this montage of images of Jupiter courtesy of the New Horizons probe"s flyby of the planet in 2007. If Jupiter looks a little different than you"re used to seeing, it"s because it was imaged using the space probe"s near-infrared imaging spectrometer. In this false-color image, Jupiter"s high-altitude clouds, like its stormy Great Red Spot, are rendered white, while deeper cloud formations take on reddish hues. The planet"s innermost moon, Io, is captured in a true-color composite image during one of its frequent volcanic eruptions. A close look will show lava is glowing red beneath the blue and white plume of particles being ejected into the moon"s thin atmosphere.Desktop Version
Where is this gorgeous peak?
Where is this gorgeous peak?
This spectacular landscape might just be the perfect place to celebrate Waitangi Day, New Zealand"s national holiday. It commemorates the 1840 treaty between Britain and some 500 Māori chiefs that established British law in the island nation. The Treaty of Waitangi is considered New Zealand"s founding document and a cornerstone in the country"s history. Another important legacy of the treaty is that it provided the framework for political relations between New Zealand"s government and the Indigenous Māori people.Desktop Version
Glowworm caves in Australia
Glowworm caves in Australia
Down under the land in the Land Down Under, cave explorers may find these subterranean spaces illuminated by an unlikely light source. Fungus gnat larvae—more affectionately known as glowworms—speckle the walls and ceilings of caverns here in Australia during the warm season, from December to March.Desktop Version
Happy Thanksgiving from an expert face-stuffer
Happy Thanksgiving from an expert face-stuffer
The Siberian chipmunk is the only species of chipmunk found outside of North America. Its native habitat ranges from across Russia to northern China, Japan, and Korea. Though Siberian pine nuts are a favorite meal, these little rodents will eat nearly anything—seeds, fruits, insects, even small birds and lizards. Our ravenous friend here in Hokkaido, Japan, is gorging on inflorescences, or clusters of flowers. A chipmunk can stuff a surprising amount of goodies into its cheek pouches, which can stretch to three times its head size—imagine how ridiculous we"d look if our stomachs were as forgiving.Desktop Version
Even nature needs a backup plan…
Even nature needs a backup plan…
This glittering concrete monolith is a lot like that still-sealed emergency survival kit languishing in your basement since 1999: Reassuring to have around, but a bummer when you actually have to use it. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault—better known by its cute nickname, the "Doomsday Vault"—was established on this far-northern Norwegian isle in 2008 to archive frozen genetic copies of seeds already housed in seed banks around the world: a backup of all the backups. Kept at minus 0.4 degrees F within the seed vault, precious botanicals from food to fibers to flowers are safe from disasters, even of the apocalyptic variety. Lucky us: It"ll take a healthy diet of veggies to fight off the zombies.Desktop Version
Here there be dragons
Here there be dragons
Welcome to Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon—a monitor lizard that evolved in this insular environment to be much larger "scale" than its fellows. Found only on the islands we see here—Komodo and Padar—and a handful of others nearby, it"s the biggest lizard walking the Earth today. Not only walking but sprinting: Since adult Komodo dragons often prey on swift Timor deer, you"ll sometimes see a dragon in a dead sprint after its would-be dinner, reaching up to 13 miles an hour.Desktop Version
Celebrating Flag Day: ‘O long may it wave’
Celebrating Flag Day: ‘O long may it wave’
June 14 is Flag Day, which commemorates the official adoption of the American flag in 1777. Our nation’s first flag had 13 stars and 13 red and white stripes to represent the original 13 colonies that broke from British rule. The stars were arranged on a blue background to represent a ‘new constellation.’ In 1795, as Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union, two more stars and two stripes were added. It was this version that served as muse to poet Francis Scott Key, who penned the poem that would later serve as the lyrics for ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ He wrote the words after watching the flag fly over the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The flags in our image are rippling over Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.Desktop Version
A bridge that rocks
A bridge that rocks
Sandwiched between soaring pinnacles of sandstone, Bastei Bridge is a highlight of Saxon Switzerland National Park. But don"t be fooled by the park"s name because we"re not in Switzerland; we"re hundreds of miles away in eastern Germany, close to the border with the Czech Republic. The name comes from two Swiss artists who visited the area in the second half of the 18th century and felt the picturesque upland scenery was reminiscent of their homeland.Desktop Version
Mexican giant cardon cactus
Mexican giant cardon cactus
In the world of cacti, they don’t get any bigger than the cardon. Also known as ‘elephant cactus,’ this species can grow upwards of 60 feet and weigh in at 25 tons, with squat trunks and many branches. Despite the cardon’s massive size, it’s quite sensitive to frost, a trait which limits its range. The cardon primarily grows in the Baja Peninsula, where its night-blooming flowers attract species like the lesser long-nosed bat.Desktop Version
Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand
Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand
When Vietnam’s Golden Bridge opened this summer in the Ba Na Hills near Da Nang, images of the stunning structure went viral, and it’s no wonder. The bridge is cradled by ancient-looking hands that look like they were carved out of the mountain centuries ago–the perfect backdrop for a stunning selfie. Those big hands are actually made of wire mesh and fiberglass, fashioned around towers that support this tourist attraction that sits 3,200 feet above sea level. The pedestrian bridge offers some of the region’s most dramatic views of the Trường Sơn Mountains here in Central Vietnam. The architect is reportedly working on a sister bridge, but it will be silver, not gold.Desktop Version
There once was a lighthouse from...
There once was a lighthouse from...
Nantucket is the island home of about 12,000 people. But venture to its sandy northern reaches, composed of narrow sand spits and only accessible via 4x4 vehicles, and you might not bump into many folks on your way to this historic—and still very important—lighthouse.Desktop Version
A sizzling summit hides in the clouds
A sizzling summit hides in the clouds
Seen here with its explosive summit socked away in the clouds, Mount Etna towers over the Italian isle of Sicily as the tallest volcano in Europe—and maybe the crankiest, given its near-constant eruptions. The island peak has been highly active for perhaps half a million years and can still be counted on for a spectacular eruption now and then. This photograph shows Etna erupting in 2013, but it blasted back into life again in February 2021, sending lava, ash, and smoke into the sky for weeks.Desktop Version
‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’
‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’
The iconic Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC, is chock full of symbolism and details for eagle-eyed observers to discover. Dedicated on this day in 1922, the landmark has 36 columns, representing each of the states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The president’s pose was designed to represent both his strength and compassion (one fist is clenched, the other at rest), and even the building materials were sourced from locations significant to his life and legacy. Look closely at the inscription on the wall of the north chamber and you’ll even spot a typo in the text of Lincoln’s second inaugural address, where the sculptor carved ‘EUTURE’ instead of ’FUTURE.’ Oops! The inscription has since been corrected, but the original mistake remains discernable.Desktop Version
Speed skaters in the Gangneung Oval, Pyeongchang, South Korea
Speed skaters in the Gangneung Oval, Pyeongchang, South Korea
The Gangneung Oval in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is where all the speed-skating action of the 2018 Winter Games will happen. Long-track skaters wear spandex suits to help reduce friction and maybe skate just a bit faster as a result. But the short-track skaters at the games wear Kevlar suits to protect against cuts from other skaters’ blades. Those tight turns can result in collisions, so the cut-proof suits are true lifesavers.Desktop Version
An inland ocean
An inland ocean
When the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta opened in 2005, it was the largest in the world. (China’s Chimelong Ocean Kingdom now takes the prize.) If you are spending time in Atlanta, even on a layover during holiday travel, make your way to the amazing exhibits in the Georgia Aquarium. Perhaps the most distinctive of the aquarium’s exhibits is its giant tank of whale sharks. The 6.3-million-gallon tank houses four whale sharks—the world’s largest fish—as well as four manta rays and thousands of other fish. The tank is so massive, the rest of the aquarium was designed around it.Desktop Version