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Sep 26, 2020Wandering Watkins Glen

When we talk about celebrating public lands, the images that pop into our heads are generally icons of the famous national parks out West. Old Faithful, El Capitan, the Arches. Our photo for National Public Lands Day highlights the relatively unsung beauty of the more than 10,000 state parks dotting the nation from coast to coast.Desktop Version

May 1, 2021It s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

With Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month kicking off today, we"re visiting the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco"s Golden Gate Park. Originally designed as a temporary exhibit in the 1894 World"s Fair, the gardens became a permanent fixture in the park, overseen by landscape designer Makoto Hagiwara.Desktop Version

Sep 21, 2020A gentle wind fills this sail

To mark International Day of Peace, we invite you to look closely at the colorful sail in today"s homepage photo. It"s a composite of 120 small panels painted by children from different ethnic and social backgrounds—each panel offers a message of hope for a better world. The Ship of Tolerance is part of an international outreach program created by the Kabakov Foundation that aims "to promote art as a medium for communication and cooperation between diverse cultures while nurturing the growth and development of young artists in all disciplines." Children are taught the importance of understanding others and making friends with those outside their own cultural experiences. You"re looking at an installation that was moored in Lake Zug, Switzerland.Desktop Version

Feb 17, 2018Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia

February 17 is known as Random Acts of Kindness Day, and if you’re inspired by this event, our orangutan pictured here could use a helping hand. All three species of orangutans are critically endangered and are found only in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. They face many challenges, including habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade. Nonprofits like the World Wildlife Fund are working to protect habitat for orangutans and many other species in Southeast Asia.Desktop Version

Apr 7, 2018The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers

That’s the Arve river on the right, flowing into the Rhône. This point where the two rivers meet is just west of the city center in Geneva, Switzerland. The Arve’s much lighter color is due to the silt it picks up as it flows out of the Alps. From here, the Rhône will continue on—in a mostly southerly direction—through southeastern France toward its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea.Desktop Version

May 26, 2019Racing toward history

Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful marathons anywhere, the Marathon de la Baie du Mont Saint-Michel has attracted runners from around the globe to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The point-to-point route for the marathon was designed so runners can see the finish line at the base of the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey from the starting line on the western side of the bay, and from points along the way. But you don"t need to be a runner to enjoy this historic location. Every year more than two million people travel to the tidal island, making it one of the top tourist destinations in France.Desktop Version

Jan 13, 2020Welcome to California

These are the peaks of Mount Diablo, part of the Diablo Range in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Sierras from here. In fact, this is one of the best viewsheds in the Bay Area, which is a feat, since the peaks are comparatively low for the region. While Mount Diablo may tempt you to take in the scenery or hike in the surrounding state park, the area offers compelling stories from American history as well.Desktop Version

Jul 2, 2019Sequential images of a total solar eclipse

Today, lucky observers in South America will see an awesome event similar to the one captured in the composite of images on our homepage. They were taken during the Great American Eclipse of 2017.Desktop Version

Jul 26, 2021The dancing trees of Sumba Island

On the northern coast of Indonesia"s Sumba Island, a stand of mangrove trees appears to dip and sway to summon another dreamy sunrise. Walakiri Beach is gently sloped, so it"s easy for a visitor to walk out into the knee-deep water to examine the extraordinary transitional zone of a mangrove ecosystem. Mangroves thrive here at the boundary between land and sea, growing in coastal salt water and low-oxygen conditions where other trees would quickly die. Their complex root systems filter out the salt and form a strong natural defense against storm surges, rising sea levels, and coastal erosion. Mangroves also create aquatic nursery habitats that support a highly diverse range of juvenile fish and crustaceans.Desktop Version

Oct 25, 2020A most sincere pumpkin patch

Ah, the perennial pumpkin patch. You might think the round orange gourds in today"s photo are vegetables, but botanists say pumpkins are actually the fruit of pumpkin vines. They"re considered fruit because pumpkins contain seeds and grow from the same part of the plant that produces flowers. And now, as Halloween nears, pumpkins are ripe for picking and carving into spooky jack-o"-lanterns.Desktop Version

Oct 3, 2024Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Let"s explore the Taj Mahal, on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. This ivory-white marble mausoleum was commissioned in 1631 by Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor, to honor his late wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.Desktop Version

Mar 28, 2018Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve in Layton, Utah

There are at least 27 private reserves along the shores of Utah’s Great Salt Lake. This one, owned by the Nature Conservancy, stands in a marshland that’s an important rest stop for birds migrating on the Pacific Flyway path. The Pacific Flyway runs from Alaska all the way down to Patagonia in South America. It’s one of four major north-to-south migration routes for birds. Nature preserves like this keep important points along the flyway intact and undeveloped.Desktop Version

Oct 17, 2021A walk among the giants

On New Zealand"s North Island, Whakarewarewa Forest is home to a diverse range of native plants and animals. There"s also a series of lakes as well as hot springs, bubbling mud pools, and even active geysers. But Whakarewarewa Forest features something that no other forest in New Zealand can claim: a stand of majestic redwood trees called the Redwood Memorial Grove. The redwoods were introduced from their native California at the beginning of the 20th century.Desktop Version

Sep 3, 2018Construction workers resting above Manhattan

For Labor Day, we’re going way back to the 1930s, during the construction of New York City’s RCA Building, better known today as 30 Rockefeller Plaza, or simply ‘30 Rock.’ While many of us will spend the weekend grilling, working, or maybe even napping like these workers (hopefully not 800 feet above the ground, though), it’s worth noting the origins of this holiday. Labor Day was established in the late 19th century, by trade unionists who proposed a day to honor the contributions of the labor movement. However you labor, and however you spend your day, we hope it’s a pleasant one.Desktop Version

Jan 17, 2020A seabird gets schooled

This deep-diving Brandt"s cormorant appears to be on the hunt for a meal, and there"s plenty of Pacific chub mackerel to choose from here off the coast of Los Angeles, California. While seabirds like the cormorant are a threat to these fish, the mackerel aren"t exactly defenseless. Fish have many unique means of defense, such as traveling in dense schools like this one. It"s a technique that not only allows for speedy travel (because it reduces friction on most of the fish in the school)—schooling also makes it more difficult for predators to pick out an individual victim. For these fish, there"s safety in numbers. But when all else fails, they can take some advice from Dory in "Finding Nemo"—"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."Desktop Version

Dec 17, 2018We have liftoff!

The Wright brothers documented the first sustained flight in a powered, controlled aircraft on this day in 1903. That historic achievement was the result of single-minded perseverance, study, and experimentation. The brothers had spent more than a dozen years designing, engineering, constructing, and tweaking various test craft, including groundbreaking work done on the glider shown here. Orville Wright snapped this photo of the plane as it’s piloted by his brother Wilbur, gliding down the slope of Big Kill Devil Hill in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in October 1902.Desktop Version

Nov 12, 2021Beavers Bend

To take in these incredible fall colors, we"ve come to Beavers Bend, a 1,300-acre state park and resort in the southeast corner of Oklahoma. It"s a scene that may confound your expectations for the wilds of the "OK" state. The "bend" referenced in the park"s name is a nearly 180-degree turn in Mountain Fork, the river that runs through the park.Desktop Version

Mar 9, 2021Spring comes to the Diablo foothills

Spring rains carpet the rolling foothills of Northern California"s Diablo Range in emerald green this time of year. Just past the sprawling suburbs of the East Bay region, the Diablo foothills become a sylvan playground for horseback riding, hiking, bicycling, and simply escaping into nature. Grasslands and oak savannahs cover the low ridges that gradually rise into the higher peaks of the range, and at the crests of the foothills, a visitor is granted panoramic views of the ridgeline to the east. Aside from the green grasses, springtime brings a profusion of wildflowers to the area, including poppies, daffodils, and lupines. It"s also nesting season for the many birds of the region, like the peregrine falcons that build nests high in the vertical rock formations here known as Castle Rock.Desktop Version

Sep 7, 2019Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment

While it didn"t become a UNESCO World Heritage Site until 2018, Buddhists have considered Mount Fanjing (also known as Fanjingshan) a sacred and tranquil site for centuries. At 8,430 feet, Mount Fanjing is the highest peak of the Wuling mountain range in southwest China"s Guizhou province. While many of the Buddhist temples built here have been destroyed, several remain, including the Temple of the Buddha and the Temple of Maitreya. Those two temples, linked by a small bridge, are located on top of Red Cloud Golden Peak, the rocky "thumb" we"re looking at here. In addition to the area"s history, the mix of clouds, fog, and light creates a calming atmosphere and an air of mystery.Desktop Version

Feb 1, 2021Reflecting on Black History Month

Join the Smithsonian as we celebrate Black History Month with the help of our National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). This stunning image of the museum looks out through its intricate, bronze-colored façade to the National Mall. The museum’s breathtaking exterior, a corona rising in three dramatic tiers, evokes the crowns found in the Yoruba art of West Africa, and its ornate design echoes the decorative ironwork found in the American South, often forged by African American slaves and freed Black Americans. The façade allows natural light to filter into the museum while also protecting artifacts on display from direct sunlight and glare.Desktop Version

Apr 24, 2018National Park Week: Everglades National Park

You’re looking at a satellite view of Florida’s Everglades, the largest subtropical wilderness in the US. It’s not a static wetland, but rather a ‘river of grass,’ a slow-moving river 60 miles wide and 100 miles long. Keep zooming in and you’ll likely see sawgrass marshes, mangrove trees, tropical birds, and a gator or two. Among the myriad interesting things about this unique and fragile ecosystem—it’s the only place in the world where American alligators and American crocodiles co-exist. How do you tell the difference between the two? Well, you see one later and the other after a while. (See what we did there?)Desktop Version

Nov 15, 2020What’s blooming in New Zealand?

Lupines—or "lupins" as they"re generally called here in New Zealand—usually hit peak bloom around mid-to-late November in the Mackenzie region of the South Island. This image shows the burst of color along the shores of Lake Tekapo, famed for its annual lupin blooms. The colorful carpets of purples, pinks, blues, and whites along waterways and roads look stunning, drawing tourists to the area, and locals appreciate the economic benefits that come with these visitors. But lupins hail from North America, and in New Zealand, they"re considered invasive species that crowd out native flora, ruining the habitat for birds like the wrybill, banded dotterel, and other species that live along the waterside.Desktop Version

Apr 6, 2018It’s National Walk to Work Day

Every year approximately 4,000 pairs of emperor penguins trudge across the frozen landscape to reach Snow Hill Island, turning this snowcapped island off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula into a crowded breeding colony. While there, the male penguin’s job is to carefully guard the egg his mate has laid, and make sure it stays warm enough so the chick inside can hatch. If your job doesn’t take you to a snow-covered Antarctic island, then why not celebrate by observing National Walk to Work Day today?Desktop Version

Sep 10, 2020Hidden beauty in Thailand

One of Thailand"s best-kept secrets, Huay Mae Khamin waterfall can be found in the forests of Khuean Srinagarindra National Park. The waterfall is especially picturesque this time of year, when the changing leaves provide a backdrop for the bright green water. Its flow originating in the mountains to the east of the national park, the waterfall stretches more than a mile, spilling over seven different levels before joining the Khwae Yai River below. It generally has water all year round, but in 2017, during the dry season, the river feeding the falls dried out completely for the first time, and the park was closed to visitors until the rainy season. Though the journey to this peaceful retreat might be long, it"s found a place on our ever-growing list of future travel destinations.Desktop Version

Jan 22, 2022Martinique

Welcome to France—but don"t expect your picture taken at the Eiffel Tower today. Folks at this island destination may speak French and spend euros, but we"re more than 4,000 miles from Paris.Desktop Version

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