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A star blows a bubble
A star blows a bubble
This giant space bubble is being blown by a massive star visible at the 10 o"clock position inside it. Already over 7 light-years across and expanding at a rate of over 4 million mph, the "bubble" is actually the shock wave created when expanding hot gas (or stellar wind) hits the cold, interstellar gas that surrounds it. The Bubble Nebula was discovered in 1787 by William Herschel. The star inside is living fast and will die young (for a star)—it will likely detonate as a supernova in only 10 to 20 million years. This image was taken in 2016 by the Hubble Space Telescope to mark the 26th anniversary of Hubble"s launch into Earth orbit by the STS-31 space shuttle crew. We"re showing it to mark the last day of World Space Week, an annual "international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition."Desktop Version
Tiny fliers head south
Tiny fliers head south
The ruby-throated hummingbird in today"s homepage image is snacking on some yellow bells in the Texas Hill Country, preparing for its long journey south for the winter. This time of year, the hummingbirds leave the northern latitudes of the eastern US and Canada, migrating to the warmer climes of Mexico and Central America. Along their route, many will cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single 500-mile flight, which can take 18-22 hours of nonstop flying at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Tiny but fierce, the ruby-throated hummingbird weighs less than a nickel. It beats its wings about 53 times a second on average, but during courtship the wingbeat rate increases to 200 times per second, the fastest of any bird.Desktop Version
Seventeen arches at sunset
Seventeen arches at sunset
When it"s winter solstice time in the Northern Hemisphere, the setting sun shines under the Seventeen-Arch Bridge at the Summer Palace in Beijing, causing this romantic glow. In the 18th century, during the Qing dynasty of China, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the construction of this collection of gardens, lakes, and various structures, including temples and small palaces. These days, it"s one of Beijing"s premier attractions and sure to be crowded this time of year, with visitors headed to the bridge in time for sunset.Desktop Version
Baddest of the badlands
Baddest of the badlands
Heading west on Interstate 90, peek out the driver"s side when you"re about three-quarters of the way across South Dakota. It"s the first clue you"ve entered the Wild West: the expansive, layered landscape of Badlands National Park. It"s enjoyed government protection since 1939, first as a national monument and more completely after it was upgraded to national park status on this day in 1978. The park protects 244,000 acres of dramatically eroded bedrock replete with fossil beds—as well as the nation"s largest mixed-grass prairie, hosting bison, prairie dogs, and endangered black-footed ferrets.Desktop Version
Floating temples in the Land of Smiles
Floating temples in the Land of Smiles
Greetings from northern Thailand, near the city of Lampang, where the mountain peaks have been majestically transformed with the addition of these golden and white "floating" stupas and pagodas. Their construction was a monumental effort, with materials hauled up in pieces by around 50 workers under the direction of a Lampang monk over the course of two years. The resulting temple complex of Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Phrachomklao Rachanusorn is off the beaten path and requires a half-mile stair climb in what can be punishing heat.Desktop Version
Desert rose of Qatar
Desert rose of Qatar
International Museum Day brings us to Qatar, a small but wealthy nation on the Arabian Peninsula, surrounded by the waters of the Persian Gulf and bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south. In the capital city of Doha you"ll find its national museum, shown here, which opened in March 2019. This elaborate building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, who sourced his inspiration from the desert rose crystal. Look closely and amid the futuristic interlocking disks of the new museum you"ll see the early 20th-century Old Amiri Palace, once home of the Emir of Qatar, surrounded by a courtyard of palm trees.Desktop Version
US Coast Guard: Protecting us for 105 years
US Coast Guard: Protecting us for 105 years
In recognition of the modern US Coast Guard, formed on this day in 1915, we"re featuring the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, one of many lighthouses managed by the USCG. How did Cape Disappointment get its name? A British fur trader in 1788 mistook the mouth of the Columbia River for a bay and was disappointed because his ship couldn"t pass due to the river"s shallow bar. Many ships would eventually sink in these dangerous waters, but this lighthouse has warned off countless others since it was lit in 1856, making it the first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest. Most of the lighthouses in the US have been built and maintained by the US Coast Guard and its predecessors.Desktop Version
Fiesta at Siesta
Fiesta at Siesta
Here we are in mid-March already, the time of year when college-age revelers invade the world"s beaches, like this one on Florida"s Siesta Key. Located in Sarasota County off the state"s western shore, the island beach is a fixture on lists of America"s top beaches, a standout even in a state where soft, welcoming sands compose over half the 1,200-mile coastline.Desktop Version
Swimming into the season
Swimming into the season
This aquatic candy cane is called a banded pipefish. You won"t find it at the North Pole or on your Christmas tree, but in the tropical seas of the Indo-Pacific region, from Australia and Japan to the Philippines and South Africa. It"s in the same family as the seahorse, and like its cousin, the pipefish has plates of bony armor covering its body. This gives it protection, but a rigid body (like a candy cane!), so it swims by rapidly fanning its fins. Also like the seahorse, it"s the male pipefish—not the female—who carries the eggs. After an elaborate courtship dance, the female deposits her eggs in the male"s brood pouch, where they develop until the male gives birth. We"re not making this stuff up, but we can"t vouch for the theory that the red-and-white banded pipefish has a minty taste.Desktop Version
Enter the magical world of Livraria Lello
Enter the magical world of Livraria Lello
How will you celebrate International Literacy Day today? We"re highlighting this important observance with a photo of a very special bookstore, Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal. With its art nouveau façade, neo-Gothic interior, stained-glass ceiling, swooping catwalks, and the dramatic, curvaceous staircase with crimson steps, the Lello is considered one of the most beautiful—and among the oldest—bookstores in the world. The Lello bookstore opened in 1906 and has been serving up the magic of books ever since.Desktop Version
The stylish Spanish shawl
The stylish Spanish shawl
Today we"re meeting one of a motley group of sea slugs called the nudibranchs (rhymes with "thanks"), known for their unique, often complex shapes and neon-bright colors that help discourage predators. The Spanish shawl"s fire-orange mane is made up of tendrils called cerata that mainly act as gills. But that mane also retains venom from the slug"s prey—sea anemones—treating any would-be devourers to a painful sting. Should a ravenous sea star disregard these defenses and get too close for comfort, the Spanish shawl has a Plan B: By flapping its whole 2- to 3-inch body like a gelatinous wing, the nudibranch can flutter into open water for a quick escape.Desktop Version
Basking in the glow
Basking in the glow
Norway may not be top of mind for most sun seekers, but around the middle of May until late July, head north to the part of the country inside the Arctic Circle and you can experience a natural phenomenon known as the midnight sun. During these few months the sun is visible at midnight local time, like you see in today"s image of Norway"s North Cape. Of course, as nature strives to maintain a balance, during winter this region experiences polar night, when the sun never rises above the horizon.Desktop Version
Yarn bombing in the village of Gurnard, England
Yarn bombing in the village of Gurnard, England
Yarn bombing–also called guerilla knitting, yarnstorming, or kniffiti–brings a warm and fuzzy bent to modern street art. Artists use knitted materials to cover outdoor fixtures such as lamp posts, park benches, and manhole covers–often anonymously. This knitted ‘fungus’ is on a tree in Gurnard, a village on the Isle of Wight.Desktop Version
The moai you know
The moai you know
Roam around tiny, remote Easter Island and you"ll find almost 900 of the stern stone faces called moai. They seem ancient as the pyramids, even a little alien, but they were actually sculpted between 500 and 800 years ago from compacted volcanic ash that"s as terrestrial as it comes. You"re seeing six of the 15 moai that stand on Ahu Tongariki, the largest ahu (stone platform) on the island. These statues were toppled in the 18th or 19th century along with other moai island-wide for reasons not fully known to scholars, though earthquakes or possible tribal infighting are postulated. The statues were later buried by a tidal wave and lay in ruins until the 1990s, when they were excavated and placed back on the ahu.Desktop Version
It s Slovenia s Independence and Unity Day
It s Slovenia s Independence and Unity Day
Today we"re featuring an image of the Slovenian village of Praprotno and its Church of St. Thomas for the country"s Independence and Unity Day. On December 26, 1990, the results of a Slovenian vote on the country"s independence were announced. More than 95 percent of voters answered "Yes" to the question: Should the Republic of Slovenia become an independent and sovereign state?Desktop Version
Maloja, Switzerland
Maloja, Switzerland
The word "picturesque" is an understatement when taking in today"s image of Maloja, Switzerland. This Alpine village in the canton of Grisons is surely the envy and inspiration of snow globes the world over! Located just a few miles from the Italian border, the impossibly perfect winter scenes found here have inspired painters and artists for centuries. Majola is near Lake Sils, which makes this area a recreational destination in both summer and winter. At the center of our image is the crown jewel of Maloja, the Chiesa Bianca, a church built in the 1880s by a Belgian count. Today, the once solemn space is used to stage exhibitions and concerts.Desktop Version
A bite of ancient history
A bite of ancient history
Apples can be traced back to the mountains of Central Asia. In late 4th century BCE, Alexander the Great was busy conquering that region, and while in what is modern-day Kazakhstan he came across wild apples. Alexander’s military machine brought some of the plants back to Europe, and over the centuries, cuttings and seed splices began to produce the fruit as we know it now. The apples ready for harvest in this photo are on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada—a long way from Central Asia.Desktop Version
A crested partridge
A crested partridge
Our moodily lit crested partridge is a female. Though her plumage includes vibrant green and copper, the male sports the red crest that gives the bird its most common name. Unless you travel to the biogeographic region of Southeast Asia known as Sundaland, you may have to head to your local zoo to get a glimpse of this bird. But don’t look for it up in the trees--the crested partridge prefers to walk, not fly.Desktop Version
High alpine color in Colorado
High alpine color in Colorado
Songstress Dolly Parton once sang "wildflowers don"t care where they grow," but we gotta believe the wildflowers growing in Colorado"s American Basin, shown here, are pretty delighted with their surroundings. American Basin is in the San Juan Mountains in the southern part of the state, about a five-hour drive from Denver. Visitors here will find rocky cliffs, streams, unique rock formations, and some spectacular wildflowers. July and August are the best months to see the blooms—it"s the time of year when you"ll reliably spot the Rocky Mountain columbine (Colorado"s state flower), elephant"s head, Parry"s primrose, and marsh marigold. Bring us back a bouquet, all right?Desktop Version
It’s Endangered Species Day
It’s Endangered Species Day
We chose this photo of a peregrine falcon—a female, walking across the rail of a balcony in Chicago—to inspire hope on Endangered Species Day. Not every animal listed as endangered is doomed to extinction. Peregrine populations were decimated by the use of pesticides, such as DDT, in the mid-20th century. The chemicals accumulated in the birds’ bodies, causing weak eggshells and high mortality rates for chicks. But by the 1980s humans had learned the cause, reduced and eliminated the various chemicals, and helped the birds rebound with gusto.Desktop Version
Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
You’re looking at ‘Forest of Resonating Lamps,’ an art exhibit in the newly opened Mori Building Digital Art Museum in Tokyo’s Odaiba area, a manmade island in Tokyo Bay. The futuristic facility is making headlines this summer for its unique format. The venue features exclusively digital art–some 50 exhibits that are displayed throughout the 10,000-square-foot space to create an immersive, borderless experience. More than 500 computers and 470 projectors are used to create an ethereal effect. In "Forest of Resonating Lamps," hundreds of lamps dangle from the ceiling and light up in response to movement in the room.Desktop Version
Green fields of grain
Green fields of grain
We"re looking down on the lush fields of the Sidemen Valley, sitting in the shadow of Bali"s tallest mountain, Mount Agung. In May, this Indonesian province marks the end of the harvest season of a key staple—rice. Towns and villages are decorated with colorful flags, and farmers erect shrines to Dewi Sri, the rice goddess. Small handmade straw dolls depicting the goddess are left here and there in further tribute. Before "social distancing" entered the global vocabulary, people came together to share traditional food and indulge in fun and games, like water buffalo races through the streets. This year, to be sure, the celebrations will be more subdued, more private, though the gratitude for a bountiful harvest, we suspect, will be just as deeply felt.Desktop Version
Does this chameleon look a little insecure?
Does this chameleon look a little insecure?
If it appears to be slinking away from the camera, maybe this chameleon is all too aware of the way some of us humanfolk see reptiles: as frightening at best, disgusting at worst. We know you die-hard reptile lovers are out there too, but it"s undeniable that reptiles" reputation among people has suffered thanks to popular villainous depictions—from "Anaconda" and "Godzilla" to the serpent encountered by Adam and Eve. Even our everyday language throws shade on this vast class of critters: When"s the last time you called someone "reptile" and meant it nicely?Desktop Version
Happy trails for the 21st century
Happy trails for the 21st century
We celebrate National Park Service Founders Day today with this photo from the John Muir Trail near Mammoth Lakes in California. The 210-mile trail is so long, to hike it all would take you through three national parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. At 102 years old, the National Park Service continues to do the day-to-day work of preserving our parks ‘for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.’Desktop Version
Unearthing a queen s lost tale
Unearthing a queen s lost tale
Almost 3,500 years ago under Queen Hatshepsut"s reign, Egypt enjoyed decades of peace and flourishing culture, and this elegant temple is just one piece of her larger-than-life legacy. But the pharaoh who succeeded Hatshepsut forbade all mention of her rule, taking credit for her monuments and leaving her name all but unknown for millennia.Desktop Version