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A long path to freedom
A long path to freedom
Our photo highlights Tallinn’s Old Town, a portion of the city that has managed to preserve much of its medieval structures and distinctive charm. On Estonia’s Independence Day today, people will be celebrating in Old Town and across Estonia. They have much to celebrate—Estonian independence was hard-fought. Even though the capital’s origins stretch back 900 years, Estonia didn’t declare its independence until 1918. After centuries of successive rule by a variety of foreign powers, this Baltic state’s path to freedom began in the aftermath of World War I. Estonians resisted German occupation, then fought against invading Soviet forces, eventually earning de jure independence. The independent nation eventually fell back under Soviet power in the chaos of World War II, but regained its freedom after the USSR disbanded in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. But enough of this history lesson—let’s get to the parades!Desktop Version
Languid life on the Lakes
Languid life on the Lakes
Surrounded by forested mountains ("fells") and lush, rolling farmlands, the lake known as Derwentwater is one of more than 30 bodies of water in North West England"s Lake District. Rounder and broader in shape than its fingerlike brethren, Derwentwater is home to several small isles like this one—though the classical estate built here is an unusual interruption of this mostly natural tableau.Desktop Version
Make way for robots
Make way for robots
Happy Robotics Week! Every April, people across the country come together to educate and inspire students about the importance of robotics, which can now be found just about everywhere, contributing to almost every industry. Many people now have robots in their homes to help with simple housekeeping tasks, but robots are also capable of incredibly complex and delicate work. For example, robotic surgery allows doctors to make more precise movements than possible by a human hand. Reconnaissance robots are used by police to gather intel in situations that are too dangerous for humans. And robots are experts at rote tasks that we humans find boring, like repetitive assembly work.Desktop Version
Papa was a flightless bird
Papa was a flightless bird
Why ostriches on Father’s Day? Because male ostriches are more involved in the care and rearing of their young than many other wild animals. At night, the expectant ostrich dad sits on the eggs in the nest, his black plumage camouflaging him from predators. When the chicks hatch, papa ostrich teaches them how to forage for food and is their primary protector. Way to go, ostrich dad! We hope at least one of those baby ostriches remembers to call you today.Desktop Version
Blue paradise on the Costa Brava
Blue paradise on the Costa Brava
On Spain"s Costa Brava, about 65 miles north of Barcelona, lies a perfectly preserved medieval town just beyond the enceinte (stone wall) you see curving up the hillside. While La Vila Vella (The Old Town) traces its origins to the 12th century, it still melds beautifully with the more modern, larger city of Tossa de Mar.Desktop Version
Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
Lake Serre-Ponçon, known as the ‘Sea in the Mountains,’ was formed in 1961, when the Durance River was dammed to help prevent flooding in nearby communities. It’s considered one of the largest manmade lakes in Europe and is a major source of hydroelectric power, irrigation, and tourism. The historic Chapel of St. Michel, established in 1020 and rebuilt in the 17th century, survived the flooding of the valley—but it became an island destination in the process.Desktop Version
Cherry blossoms at the National Mall, Washington, DC
Cherry blossoms at the National Mall, Washington, DC
This week marks the start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which commemorates the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Japan to the city of Washington, DC, in 1912. The National Park Service says that during a two-week period each spring, the festival draws more than one million visitors to the National Mall, aka America’s Front Yard. In Japan, the custom of picnicking under the cherry blossoms is known as ‘hanami,’ and it’s said to be more spectacular at night, when revelers hang lanterns from the tree branches to illuminate the blooms.Desktop Version
Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia
Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia
Georgia’s largest barrier island is as rich in history as it is in nature. Here you’ll find miles of unspoiled beaches, maritime forests, and the remnants of early island inhabitants such as missionaries and cotton farmers. Only ruins remain at the site of Dungeness, a mansion built by industrialist Thomas M. Carnegie, brother of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, in the 1880s. But in its prime, the ornate 59-room residence served as a home for Carnegie’s family and their guests. These days, the island’s band of wild horses enjoys grazing at the site.Desktop Version
It’s Penguin Awareness Day
It’s Penguin Awareness Day
In honor of Penguin Awareness Day, we’re featuring the big daddy of the penguin world–the emperor penguin. At about 4 feet tall and weighing up to 100 pounds, it’s both the tallest and heaviest penguin species. The emperor is found only in Antarctica, where it endures wind chills colder than -75 degrees F and blizzard winds of more than 120 mph. It survives these harsh weather conditions by storing lots of fat underneath four layers of feathers. But the emperor penguin truly rules underwater, where it spends roughly half of its life. Studies show that an emperor can dive more than 1,700 feet below the surface, holding its breath more than 15 minutes at a time. It goes to such great depths in search of food, often for its babies back on shore.Desktop Version
New Year’s Day in the land of the rising sun
New Year’s Day in the land of the rising sun
Watching the first sunrise of a new year is a tradition for some, and in Japan, it’s an event. Crowds gather on mountaintops or beaches to get beautiful, unobstructed views of the new year’s first daybreak. The hikers in this photo are gathered on Japan’s Mount Fuji to watch the sunrise, but in a warmer time of year. Highly skilled mountaineers have been known to summit Mount Fuji on New Year’s Day, but dangerously high winds and bitterly cold temperatures make the peak of Mount Fuji on January 1 off limits to most of us. Of course, you don’t have to get to Japan and climb Fuji or any other mountain to watch the new year sun peek over the horizon. Maybe you are still awake from your New Year’s Eve celebration and can enjoy the sunrise just before you retire for the first official nap of 2019. Let’s make it a good one!Desktop Version
Canada s $20 view
Canada s $20 view
For Canada Day, we"re looking at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. And if you"re thinking that this amazing view is worth more than $20, you"re right. But this priceless scene was once featured on Canada"s $20 bill, hence the nickname. Canada Day, celebrated on July 1, commemorates the date in 1867 when Canada was recognized as a self-governing country under the British Empire. It"s not exactly Canadian Independence Day—it marks the passing of the Constitution Act of 1867, which was the first major step toward Canada"s sovereignty.Desktop Version
An avian predator built for the snow
An avian predator built for the snow
This striking snowy owl makes its home in the Arctic tundra, but the species is known to migrate as far south as the northern part of the contiguous United States in search of food. If you’re in snowy owl territory, keep a lookout for its signature wintry white plumage. While adult male snowy owls are almost entirely white, young owls and adult females like this one have patterns of black feathers among the snow-white plumage. All snowy owls have unmistakably golden eyes, and like other owls, they can rotate their heads about 270 degrees.Desktop Version
A timeless view of the night sky
A timeless view of the night sky
The bright sweep of the Milky Way is especially vivid amid the mesas, canyons, and prehistoric towers of Hovenweep National Monument. Straddling the southern Colorado-Utah border, Hovenweep is so remote that almost no artificial light disturbs the view of star-filled skies. The dazzling nightscapes are little different from those seen by the Ancestral Puebloans who built these towers. They were a farming culture who first settled in the area roughly 1,100 years ago. By the late 1200s they numbered around 2,500 people and had built these and other structures in six different villages. Archaeologists offer several theories to explain the use of the buildings. Some may have been defensive fortifications, storage areas, homes, or any combination of these. But researchers suggest that the tower called Hovenweep Castle, seen here, was almost certainly used as a celestial observatory.Desktop Version
Watson Lake in Granite Dells, Arizona
Watson Lake in Granite Dells, Arizona
The cliffs in the Granite Dells of central Arizona are popular with rock climbers. Watson Lake—a reservoir created when a dam was built on Granite Creek—is a draw for fishing enthusiasts and attracts many visitors with canoes, kayaks, and other water craft. If you want to blend in with the locals, take Peavine Trail from Prescott into the Granite Dells.Desktop Version
A stunning national park in winter white
A stunning national park in winter white
Most of us visit our national parks when the weather is warm and comfortable. But winter’s snowy landscapes and cold solitude can lend a striking beauty to the scenery and wildlife of many public lands. For example, winter is a great time to enjoy recreational snow activities at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state, pictured here peeking through the clouds at sunrise. An added winter bonus is that visitors can experience public treasures like Mount Rainier without the summertime crowds. Other parks also have distinct charms when the snow falls. Check out dramatic steaming geyser action in the brisk winter air at Yellowstone. Easily spot herds of elk and other wildlife in the snow blanket of the Grand Tetons. Or walk among the snow-capped hoodoos (towering red-rock spires) of Bryce Canyon. You may decide wintertime is the right time to visit your national parks.Desktop Version
Quilts as high art
Quilts as high art
The high-contrast quilts you see here are just a few of the 651 works that were included in a 2011 exhibit of red and white quilts spanning three centuries at the American Folk Art Museum in NYC. Ever since the Whitney Museum of American Art held a quilt-focused art exhibit back in 1971, quilts have often hung in galleries and museums as artworks rather than folk crafts. For centuries, though, quilts had a much more utilitarian use—warmth. (Of course, their decorative designs added to the pleasure they gave.) Quilting has a long tradition in the United States, going back to colonial times. Quilts were created not only for bedding but also to commemorate special occasions, like a wedding or a new baby. Quilting bees brought out the whole community—including many men—to share the work.Desktop Version
Getting to the bottom of the underwater waterfall
Getting to the bottom of the underwater waterfall
From this vantage point high over the Indian Ocean, we have a spectacular view of the "underwater waterfall" formed off the coast of Mauritius. Not a true waterfall, this is an optical illusion—it"s really the trails of sand and silt deposits on the seafloor being washed by currents over the edge of an ocean shelf. But we"re probably not alone in thinking at first glance that the ocean is pouring into some massive unseen drainpipe.Desktop Version
‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’
‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’
Our headline quotes the 2019 theme of International Women’s Day, a UN-sponsored event that champions women’s achievements and calls for more gender parity around the globe. The policewomen on our homepage—from Nepal, Madagascar, and Colombia—were photographed in 2016 at an International Women’s Day celebration in Haiti, where they served as part of a UN peacekeeping mission to help stabilize the government. By having women involved in the mission, organizers were already in the spirit of Women"s Day, as studies show that more diversity leads to better results.Desktop Version
Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
The various vacuum chambers at NASA Glenn Research Center are used to simulate the atmosphere-free vacuum of space, and how that affects various materials, constructions, and rocket propulsion. Vacuum Chamber 5 (VF-5) is one of dozens at the research center, each used for specific testing projects. The center is named for John Glenn, the senator and former astronaut who was the first American to orbit the Earth.Desktop Version
Bioluminescence at Trwyn Du Lighthouse in Wales
Bioluminescence at Trwyn Du Lighthouse in Wales
Bad weather and unpredictable tides can make the Irish Sea off the northwest coast of Wales a dicey passage. Many seafaring people had urged the leaders of Anglesey Island to build a lighthouse here, but it took a deadly shipwreck in 1831 to prompt the construction of Trwyn Du Lighthouse.Desktop Version
A new tradition in London
A new tradition in London
The large-scale New Year’s Eve fireworks display in London didn’t begin until 1999, but the extravaganza has been going strong ever since. Our photo today shows the celebration in 2017, as fireworks over the London Eye (the large Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the Thames) explode with color. And even though Big Ben’s chime has been silenced until maintenance on the tower is completed in 2021, the bell will ring for the New Year. Whether you’re out on the streets of a major urban area, or quietly celebrating at home, we hope you have a fun New Year’s Eve.Desktop Version
Ready, set, read
Ready, set, read
In honor of National Library Week, we’re visiting Seattle Public Library’s Central Library. With its innovative glass and steel design, you could say we’ve come a long way from the world’s first libraries that housed archives of clay tablets and papyrus scrolls. Downtown Seattle’s 11-story flagship public library has lots of open spaces like this one that allow patrons to meet, study, search the web, or read in comfortable, light-filled rooms. It can house more than 1.5 million books, many of which are stored in an innovative "Books Spiral," which displays the volumes in a continuous helix of bookshelves over 3.5 stories without breaking the Dewey Decimal System onto different floors or sections. The library, designed by architect Rem Koolhaas, moves all those books around by using a sorting system that resembles an airport’s luggage conveyor belt. How’s that for high-tech?Desktop Version
Mackerel forming a bait ball to avoid predators
Mackerel forming a bait ball to avoid predators
This school of Atlantic horse mackerel is forming a bait ball. When surrounded by predators, such as the barracuda and bluefish seen here, the school will gather close together to expose the least number of individual fish. In the open ocean, without hiding places among kelp, coral, or coastal rocks, the bait ball will protect most of the smaller fish. Is this where the idea of ‘safety in numbers’ originates?Desktop Version
Here, fishy!
Here, fishy!
Are you celebrating Go Fishing Day with us? This fly fisher is in Colorado’s San Miguel River, which flows from the alpine hills of the Uncompahgre Plateau to the desert flats in the southwestern part of the state. The best part about Go Fishing Day? If you don’t bring home dinner, you get to make up a story about the size of the one that got away.Desktop Version
Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer
Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer
June 25 is the Day of the Seafarer, a global event highlighting how much we rely on the maritime industry. Turns out, it’s a whole lot, as ships transport more than 80 percent of global trade. In honor of this occasion, we’re showing a NASA satellite view of ship tracks over the Pacific. And what are ship tracks, you ask? They’re clouds that form around particles in ship exhaust when it hits the damp ocean air. These clouds often stretch in narrow paths as in this image, reflecting ships’ courses. To the seafarers out there (1.5 million, according to the International Maritime Organization), we wish you smooth sailing and a good day at sea.Desktop Version