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Aug 14, 2023World Lizard Day

When trying to draw attention to World Lizard Day, you don"t want to lead off with a scary Gila monster or monitor lizard. Nope, what you want front and center is a cute little gecko like the one we see here. Geckos come in varying sizes across 1,500 species and are unique among lizards for their vocalizations for mating, distress, and social interactions.Desktop Version

Jul 22, 2022Our Lady of the Rocks

Local legend here in Perast, Montenegro, has it that two brothers were returning from a dangerous sea voyage in 1452 when they spotted an icon of the Virgin Mary and Child in the waters near Saint George, a natural island in the Bay of Kotor. One of the brothers had injured his leg on the journey, but in the morning it had healed. Taking this as an omen, they vowed to honor the Virgin Mary by building her a church on the spot where they"d found the icon. They began dropping stones there, and even scuttling old ships. A tradition was born, and over decades, the fishermen of Perast would drop a stone in the water at that spot before heading to sea.Desktop Version

Apr 21, 2022First day of summer

After long—very long—winter nights, it"s not surprising that the First Day of Summer is cause for a big celebration in Iceland. The public holiday falls on the first Thursday after April 18, and launches Harpa, the first summer month of the old Norse calendar that was followed by the country"s first inhabitants. The year was split into just two seasons back then—summer and winter—which explains why Sumardagurinn Fyrsti, the First Day of Summer, falls in chilly April. Indeed, folklore has it that if you put a dish of water outside the night before the holiday and it freezes, you"ll have a good summer. Regardless of temperature, the holiday does herald the arrival of those famously long days with little darkness, a welcome relief after the light-deprived winter months.Desktop Version

Dec 26, 2023Happy Boxing Day!

The holiday season isn"t quite over! December 26 marks Boxing Day—a popular day to get outside and enjoy a walk after a day of indulgence. Our homepage image shows a wintry sunrise over fields near the village of Dedham, in Colchester, England¬—perfect walking country.Desktop Version

Sep 29, 2021The largest American bison around

Emerging from a stand of trees in the Northwest Territories of Canada comes a wood bison, the larger of the two subspecies of the American bison. (The plains bison is the other type). The wood bison once numbered in the tens of thousands, roaming the chilly boreal forests and open meadows in northwestern Canada and parts of Alaska. But by the early 1900s, these majestic animals, as with their cousins to the south, were driven almost to extinction by hunting, disease, and habitat loss.Desktop Version

Apr 14, 2023Mediterranean red sea stars

Sea stars—often called starfish—are some of the most fascinating creatures to live in our oceans. For starters, despite their name, they aren"t fish—they belong to a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms. Like all echinoderms, sea stars are characterized by the radial symmetry of their bodies, which usually have multiple arms extending from the central disc.Desktop Version

Dec 20, 2021Ministry of Fun Santa School

If Kriss Kringle himself stood among this lineup of rigorously trained substitute Santas, you"d never know it: These certified Saint Nicks have done their ho-ho-homework. They"re students of the Ministry of Fun Santa School—each year the Ministry of Fun trains dozens of "Father Christmases" (as Santa Claus is known here in London). Skilled in the art of helping Santa to be in many places at once, Santa School graduates will soon be in demand at department stores across jolly England.Desktop Version

Sep 18, 2019Celebrating Chile’s Independence Day

That’s the Villarrica volcano providing fireworks for our observance of Chile’s Independence Day celebrations—called Fiestas Patrias—taking place September 18 and 19. The second-most active volcano in South America, Villarrica is known to the indigenous Mapuche people as Rucapillán (Devil’s House). The eruption shown in this photo, which was taken on September 2, 2018, alarmed nearby residents, but it wasn’t nearly as destructive as other relatively recent eruptions, like one in 2015 that prompted authorities to evacuate thousands of people.Desktop Version

Jan 17, 2024Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany

This Eurasian wolf, curled up for a winter nap in the Bavarian Forest National Park, can rest easy knowing it is an apex predator around these parts. This park covers 93 square miles of the wider forest, where it sits on Germany"s border with Czechia. The softly rolling mountains Great Rachel, Little Rachel, and Little Arber pose modest challenges for hikers as they wander through stands of Norway spruce. The forest teems with life, including lynxes, bears, pygmy owls, and Eurasian wolves, like our sleepy homepage friend. These wolves form a close-knit pack led by an alpha pair and have been spotted in the park after decades of being hunted out of Western Europe.Desktop Version

Sep 14, 2019I am the walrus

This herd of gentle giants is bobbing in the waters of the Svalbard archipelago, roughly midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. Walruses spend more than half their day in the water, masterfully foraging for clams and other marine organisms. The rest of the time, they hang out on ice floes, the males and females huddled separately, taking a break before diving in for more food. Walruses launch from the ice to eat, making the floating blocks an important part of their survival. With the effects of climate change increasing, Arctic ice is melting, posing an existential threat to the ancient pinnipeds.Desktop Version

Oct 9, 2022Earth Science Week

Hundreds of shades of blue are marbled together in this cool shot. No, it"s not a work of modern art, it"s right off the brush of nature. This is a satellite photo of phytoplankton blooming near Alaska as the cool, salty Chukchi Sea mingles with warmer, fresher water closer to shore.Desktop Version

Nov 26, 2022World Olive Tree Day

While not everyone would recognize this as an olive tree, most of us understand the meaning of the phrase "extending an olive branch," long known as a gesture of peace and friendship. That sentiment of compassion, harmony, and wisdom is at the heart of UNESCO"s World Olive Tree Day, created in 2019 and observed every November 26. The intent of the day is to bring attention to the resolution of conflict worldwide and to the preservation of the olive tree itself, like this one standing in front of the Temple of Concordia in Agrigento, Italy. The well-preserved, Greek Doric temple was built on what is now the south shore of Sicily, around 440 BCE. Olive trees are native to the coastal regions of the Mediterranean and are cultivated today in places with similar climates, like parts of California and Israel. About 90% of harvested olives are used to make olive oil, the quintessential ingredient in Mediterranean cooking.Desktop Version

May 15, 2022Lunar eclipse

If you"re lucky enough to find yourself under a cloudless sky tonight, you"ll be able to see one of our solar system"s great wonders, a full lunar eclipse, also known as a "blood moon." The spooky nickname derives from the reddish hue the moon takes on when Earth casts its shadow upon it. Featured here is a blood moon over the Swiss Alps. A full lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth and moon align perfectly with the sun, and the moon falls directly behind Earth"s shadow. When Earth falls behind the moon"s shadow, a solar eclipse occurs.Desktop Version

Jul 24, 2023Cousins Day

When it comes to honoring family members, parents and siblings get most of the attention—but today, let us sing the praises of our cousins on Cousins Day! These extended family members hold a special place in our hearts. They"re not quite siblings, but more than mere friends. When we"re young, they"re the buddies we go adventuring with, while the adults stay behind to make small talk. Maybe you"ve fallen out of touch with your cousins, or maybe you"re still close—either way, today"s a great day to reach out, say hello, and reminisce. That"s what it looks like these zebras are doing; there"s likely a set of cousins or two in this group that"s horsing around on the savannah in Tanzania.Desktop Version

May 6, 2022Bluebells in Hertfordshire, England

For just a few weeks every spring, across the pond in England and under the newly forming woodland canopy, one of the most enchanting flowers begins to bloom. The bluebell is known by many names but those who know it as the "fairy flower" might be the most prepared to withstand its strong, sweetly scented allure. According to British folklore, a blooming bluebell carpet on the woodland floor is a mystical place where fairies live. The legends hold that fairies hang their spells on the flowers to dry, and disturbing them would unleash the magic. In earlier times, children were warned that picking bluebells would cause them to be spirited away. Even adults could fall victim to the flower, being doomed to wander the woods and never escape. And heaven forbid you ever happen to hear the fairies ring the bluebells for their gatherings—it means your death is imminent, a belief that inspired another name for bluebells: "dead men"s bells."Desktop Version

Aug 23, 2022Menton, France

Anchoring the eastern end of the French Riviera near the Italian border is Menton, the so-called Pearl of France. It"s prized for its beauty and incredible weather that features an average of 316 days a year with full or partial sun. That climate enables Menton to enjoy amazing lemon yields that have given rise to the annual Fête du Citron, or Menton Lemon Festival, a 17-day extravaganza in February featuring floats and sculptures created out of lemons and oranges. More than 200,000 visitors marvel at the nearly 150 tons of fruit used in the festival.Desktop Version

Mar 10, 2021Commemorating the life of a famous railroad conductor

What better way to celebrate Harriet Tubman Day than with a visit to Harriet Tubman Park? It"s in the South End neighborhood of Boston, where this bronze statue by local artist Fern Cunningham commemorates the great abolitionist"s life. It depicts Tubman leading fellow slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Under her arm, Tubman holds a Bible. Deeply religious, Tubman felt it was her duty to help people escape bondage in the South. It"s estimated she helped free more than 300 slaves on 19 trips north, communicating with coded songs and maps. Tubman is widely regarded as the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. But she wasn"t just a conductor—during the Civil War, she worked as a spy and a nurse, and she led the Combahee River Raid which set free 700 slaves. After the war, she traveled here, to Boston, to work on women"s voting rights.Desktop Version

Oct 18, 2024Autumn in Central Park, New York

Every autumn, many of the 18,000 trees in Central Park, New York, are painted in shades of yellow, red, and orange. It"s one of Central Park"s most photographed seasons, and fall in the park has provided iconic backdrops for movies like "When Harry Met Sally…" and "Hair." Trees sense the coming of winter not only by temperature, but by the angle at which sunlight hits their leaves. Because of New York"s buildings, the unique interaction of light, shadows, and temperatures often results in fall foliage occurring later in the park than the rest of the city.Desktop Version

Nov 14, 2019The perfect canvas for an ancient text

Since 2009, the city of Durham has served as a grand stage for the biennial Lumiere Durham festival. During four days in November, works of "son et lumière"—a French phrase that means "sound and light"—provide spectators with new ways of viewing public spaces and buildings. Artists from around the world design large-scale light shows paired with narratives and sound effects. It"s become the UK"s largest light festival, and Lumiere Durham"s 10th anniversary, which begins today, promises to attract more than 200,000 people to enjoy the illuminated artworks along cobbled streets.Desktop Version

Oct 16, 2022Prince Christian Sound in southern Greenland

The sheer size of Greenland is hard to put in perspective. The world"s largest island is more than 836,000 square miles—that"s more than three times the size of Texas and 170,000 square miles larger than Alaska. It is a land of deep fjords and thick ice that must have made the Norse explorers feel right at home when they landed there a thousand years ago.Desktop Version

Dec 23, 2022Gentoo penguins in Antarctica

For the uninitiated, the origins of the made-up holiday Festivus can be traced back to an episode of the hit "90s show, "Seinfeld." Based on the real family tradition of one of the show"s writers, Festivus has taken on a life of its own in the real world and provides fans with a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to celebrate the holiday season while ignoring its pressures and commercialism.Desktop Version

Sep 7, 2020Take a break! It s Labor Day!

On this Labor Day, we"re paying homage to hard work, no matter what form it takes. In this case, a worker is applying a fresh coat of paint to the Hammering Man, a symbol of laborers everywhere. Hammering Man is a series of sculptures in varying sizes that depict a man with a motorized arm swinging a hammer in a slow, steady motion. American artist Jonathan Borofsky says he created the sculptures as tribute to working-class men and women around the world, and with that in mind, Hammering Man is our Labor Day hero.Desktop Version

Jan 13, 2024Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii

With more than 600 curves and numerous one-lane bridges, it"s best not to relax too much while navigating Hawaii"s famous Road to Hana. It"s hard to stay focused though, as the road winds its way through lush surroundings over 64 miles along the northern coast of Maui, from Kahului to Hana. Make a few stops along the way to get the best views of the rainforests and waterfalls that line the route. Popular attractions include the Waikamoi Ridge Trail, the easily accessible Twin Falls, and the black sands of Wai"ānapanapa State Park.Desktop Version

Jul 27, 2021Maybe we should be looking up

When it first flicked on the projector lights in 1930, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago was the only one in the Western Hemisphere, and it featured an innovative new lens imported from Germany. But the American public"s fascination with stars and distant worlds, it turned out, was skyrocketing. By 1934, the Adler had welcomed over a million visitors.Desktop Version

Oct 30, 2021Central Highlands of Vietnam

The woods are a tranquil place, but they can be scary for a lone wanderer. Out here, you could suddenly find yourself running from the Big Bad Wolf, trying to escape a witch"s clutches, or just plain old lost. Though often in the old stories, scary places like this are also where the hero overcomes a great obstacle or finds a valuable treasure. Could you be in luck?Desktop Version

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