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Sep 9, 2020Where the bearded reedling sings

Feeling a hint of fall in the air? This bearded reedling could be, but a drop in temperature isn"t a signal for it to fly on to warmer destinations. These songbirds belong to a resident species, which means most stay put in the marshes, from England to eastern Asia, where they thrive. Their diet changes with the seasons: In the summer, they dine on reed aphids, while during the colder months, reed seeds sustain them. This guy—and we know he"s a male due the distinctive black "mustache" stretching down his face—is perching in the Elmley National Nature Reserve in Kent, one of the largest bird reserves in England.Desktop Version

Dec 10, 2019Congratulations, 2019 Nobel Prize laureates!

This opulent room is the Golden Hall, a banquet hall in Stockholm City Hall, which will be one of the venues for today"s Nobel Prize award proceedings. The room, which is completely covered in mosaic tiles, includes representations of Swedish history and culture. Swedes refer to their capital as Mälardrottningen—the Queen of Lake Mälar—and our image depicts the queen with the city of Stockholm in her lap (the city lies between the lake and the Baltic Sea).Desktop Version

Dec 31, 2023Happy New Years Eve!

It"s the final countdown! Tonight is New Year"s Eve, time to see out the old year and welcome the new. But how you celebrate depends which country you"re in. If you"re not in the US watching the Times Square Ball Drop, you might smash crockery in Denmark, eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight in Spain, or hang onions outside your door in Greece. In Thailand, you might watch the fireworks illuminating Phra Nakhon Khiri, or "holy city hill," a historical park spread over three peaks overlooking the city of Phetchaburi. Wherever you celebrate, have a great one. See you next year!Desktop Version

Apr 2, 2022Whangārei Falls in New Zealand

This lush, Eden-esque location on New Zealand"s North Island has been a popular spot to bring a blanket and picnic basket for generations of Kiwis. Whangārei Falls is part of the Hātea River. At the falls, the river drops 85 feet over a basalt lava flow. The surrounding park provides a loop trail ideal for a hike along the edge of the river.Desktop Version

Sep 9, 2018Welcome to ‘Hollywood North’

Today our travels take us to Toronto, the vibrant urban powerhouse of Ontario, Canada. Our photo shows the 2007 addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, a building known as The Crystal. The museum may not be terribly busy today, as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in full swing right now. If we’ve inspired you to cash in some frequent-flyer miles, bring some sensible walking shoes for the museum, and maybe something red-carpet worthy for TIFF.Desktop Version

Jul 7, 2019Traffic jam on the caribou highway

Today we"re in Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska to witness one of the world’s great annual migrations. Every spring, a quarter million caribou come together to form the Western Arctic Herd and pass north through the 1.8-million-acre park to their summer calving grounds in the Brooks Range and its foothills. Then in the fall, the caribou make the reverse trip, heading south back through the park to where they spend the winter in the Nulato Hills and the Seward Peninsula. One of the best spots to see the herd on the move is where it crosses the Kobuk River at Onion Portage. This area is a major archaeological site too. For thousands of years, the crossing has drawn native groups that rely on caribou meat, a tradition that continues to this day.Desktop Version

Mar 17, 2023St. Patricks Day in County Waterford, Ireland

For St. Patrick"s Day, we"re enjoying this stunning rainbow over Ireland"s southeast coast. Shamrocks, parades, and all things green will be the order of the day as we celebrate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. While many countries recognize the holiday today, the first celebration was held in Ireland more than 1,000 years ago, remembering the 5th-century missionary and bishop credited with bringing Christianity to the country.Desktop Version

Dec 7, 2021Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Today we"re in Hawaii to mark the 80th anniversary of the surprise attack on the US naval base in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The strike by Japan cost 2,403 service members and civilians their lives, injured 1,178 others, and thrust the US into WWII. The sailors you see here are standing on the deck of the USS Bowfin, a US Navy submarine that is now a memorial and museum moored in Pearl Harbor next to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.Desktop Version

Aug 2, 2019An uncommon look at an American icon

The tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1884, the Washington Monument was meant to capture the respect and gratitude American citizens have for our first president. The journey to build the obelisk was long and arduous, including a 23-year gap in the construction. According to Mark Twain, the incomplete monument looked like ‘a factory chimney with the top broken off.’ On this day in 1876 the Washington Monument was accepted into the National Park System, and today it’s one of the most recognizable buildings in the US.Desktop Version

Jan 4, 2023Earth at Perihelion

We"ve reached perihelion! Two weeks after winter solstice the Earth"s orbit is closer to the sun than at any other time of year—a result of the Earth"s elliptical orbit. You may think, "If we"re so close to the sun, why can"t I feel the heat?" Well, that"s because we"re only receiving about 7% more solar energy than normal, which doesn"t really have much impact on the weather.Desktop Version

May 3, 2021It s Teacher Appreciation Week

Twelve-year-old Seattle student Caroline Holt knows that teachers play a pivotal role in her life, and that"s why she created this sign for Teacher Appreciation Week and posted it outside her school. Teachers everywhere could use a sign of our appreciation, this week and every week—but perhaps especially now. Despite more than a year of staggering challenges presented by the pandemic, teachers still manage to inspire a lifelong love of learning in their students and provide a foundation for young people"s future well-being and happiness.Desktop Version

Jul 20, 2019Bringing the moon to Earth

It was 50 years ago that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to feel an alien gravity tugging at them. By landing on the moon on July 20, 1969, a mere 66 years after the first powered flight by the Wright brothers, the two astronauts met the challenge set by John F. Kennedy seven years earlier to land men on the moon before the end of the decade.Desktop Version

Sep 22, 2018Time for brass bands and beer

Our photo today shows the crowds at an Oktoberfest parade reflected in the bell of a brass horn. In Munich, Germany, the 16-day festival will include many brass bands marching and playing celebratory Bavarian folk music, while other bands will play for the beer drinkers in the tents and beer halls that dot the festival grounds. Why call it ‘Oktoberfest’ when it begins in September? The original Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810, as a massive one-day royal wedding celebration open to the public. On October 12 the following year, Munich citizens commemorated the wedding with another party, and an annual tradition was born. The festivities grew longer and longer each year over the course of two centuries, and Oktoberfest eventually extended into the weeks before the original date. Organizers supported the earlier start to take advantage of better weather in late September, but the party will forever be known as Oktoberfest.Desktop Version

Jun 11, 2021An island in the Highlands

Here in the Scottish Highlands, there"s something about the rugged environs of Glen Etive that has tickled the imaginations of both ancient and modern storytellers. A glen is a long, narrow valley and this one is especially beautiful. It has strange footnotes in both Irish and Scottish folklore. The name itself translates to "little fierce one" and was given in honor of Etive, the Gaelic goddess long associated with Loch Etive.Desktop Version

Nov 22, 2021Irohazaka road

If you"ve ever wanted to learn written Japanese, a joy ride on this undulating road offers an unexpected tutorial. The hairpin turns in our photo are just a few of the 48 curves you"ll negotiate on your way up one part of Irohazaka road and down another—together they make a scenic loop in the highlands outside the city of Nikkō. That"s one switchback for each of the 48 hiragana symbols in an ancient Japanese writing system, with each marked by a sign showing one symbol. Not a bad visual aid for the still-learning visitor!Desktop Version

Jul 13, 2022International Rock Day

Today is International Rock Day and we"re giving due respect to these geologic wonders. It might seem odd to sing the praises of rock, but think about it. Rocks have been with humankind since the beginning. From tools to housing to weapons, they"ve been key to our survival. A period of our history was so reliant on rocks that it will be forever known as the Stone Age. We would not be where we are today without the many minerals found on our planet, so rock on!Desktop Version

Jul 26, 2020A path to access

Here"s an example of cutting-edge form meeting practical function. This snakelike bridge, the brainchild of famed architect Frank Gehry, provides a meandering and safe path over a busy thoroughfare that separates Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago. With a gentle 5% slope, the 935-foot bridge is accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have trouble navigating stairs, and that"s the main reason why we"re featuring it on our homepage today. Thirty years ago to the day, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. This sweeping civil rights bill prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities at work, in school, and in public spaces. The resulting law meant that much of the country"s physical infrastructure, like this elegantly curving bridge, was required to accommodate people with disabilities.Desktop Version

Dec 3, 2023Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona features sandstone rock formations, towering hoodoos, and surreal slot canyons. The monument, established in 2000, was named after the vibrant red hues that dominate this sandstone landscape. Once you get a permit to take part in this outdoor excursion, make sure to visit the "Wave." It"s a stunning geological wonder, with flowing layers of rocks that look like red liquid that has been frozen in time. Other visual treats include Cobra Arch and the White Pocket rock formations, featuring swirling patterns in white, red, and orange.Desktop Version

Feb 6, 2023Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

For Waitangi Day, we"re visiting the spectacular landscape of Fiordland National Park on New Zealand"s South Island. Waitangi Day is New Zealand"s national day, established to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840. The document was signed by representatives of the British Crown and some 500 Māori chiefs to establish British law on the islands. The treaty also created the framework for political relations between New Zealand"s government and the Indigenous Māori people. It"s considered New Zealand"s founding document and a cornerstone in the country"s history.Desktop Version

Oct 1, 2024Yosemite National Park anniversary

There"s a reason why famed American photographer Ansel Adams fell in love with Yosemite National Park: vistas like today"s image of Half Dome. The park, in central California"s Sierra Nevada range, has been a popular destination for artists, mountaineers, settlers, and nature lovers since the mid-1800s. To protect it from logging and overgrazing by cattle, Congress designated Yosemite a national park on this day in 1890. It"s one of the most visited parks in the US, with more than 3 million visitors a year.Desktop Version

May 9, 2023A castle fit for a count

Peeking out above the trees in the Făgăraș Mountains of Romania is Poenari Castle, a fortress steeped in history and legend. In the 15th century, this castle was occupied by the notorious ruler Vlad III, aka Vlad the Impaler, aka Vlad Dracula.Desktop Version

Feb 23, 2022Point Reyes National Seashore

This evocative photo of a cypress-lined road was taken in Point Reyes National Seashore, a marine and coastal reserve under the care of the National Park Service. A portion of the park preserves the marine habitat in the harbors along the coast of the Point Reyes Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inland, the area"s grasslands, marshlands, and wooded uplands present a notably diverse collection of landscapes—including the cypress tunnel.Desktop Version

Jun 19, 2021Surf s up—Down Under

It"s International Surfing Day! Here in the US we may be welcoming summer tomorrow, but these Aussie surfers are saying g"day to the rad waves of winter (which started for them on June 1). Though peak surf season is autumn (that is, our spring) here in the Gold Coast area of Queensland, these tropical beaches offer world-class breaks all year long.Desktop Version

Sep 2, 2019Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera"s "Detroit Industry Murals" show off the Mexican painter"s incredible attention to detail in his depiction of the American labor industry in the early 20th century. The portion on our homepage today is from the north wall panel, and shows a busy shift at an automotive factory. It"s one of 27 frescoes that make up this collection of wall-sized paintings.Desktop Version

Nov 30, 2021Giving Tuesday

Social structure in elephant herds is surprisingly complex. The adults in the herd exhibit what scientists call "reciprocal altruism." That means that elephants will act in ways that give them no direct benefit—say, protecting or feeding a calf that isn"t theirs. They do that because the other elephants in their herd will do the same for them. Maybe the elephant is a good role model for Giving Tuesday?Desktop Version

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