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Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
In shallow areas of the tropical Indo-Pacific, you"ll come across the blue linckia sea star. Oftentimes it"s found anchored to or hiding under rocks. This duo was spotted near the coast of New Ireland, an island in Papua New Guinea. Even though "blue" is in the name, this species of sea star has also been observed in purple, pink, or orange. The vibrant colors make the linckia popular in the seashell trade, unfortunately, and intensive poaching has diminished their populations. But new research could lead to calls for their protection: Scientists have studied potential anti-tumor and antibacterial properties inherent to the blue linckia.Desktop Version
Old underground cellar, Bavaria, Germany
Old underground cellar, Bavaria, Germany
This mysterious door can be found in the woods in Germany"s largest state, Bavaria, known for its stunning castles, mountains, and forests. The home of Oktoberfest, it also has a worldwide reputation for its beer and its northern region of Franconia, where our picture was taken, is a premier wine destination. This little door leads to an underground cellar near the village of Pünzendorf, and its naturally low temperature once made it an ideal place to store the beer and wine the area is famous for. These days, you might be more likely to find bats inside, so perhaps it"s better admired from a distance.Desktop Version
World Turtle Day
World Turtle Day
That"s a Florida red-bellied turtle celebrating World Turtle Day with a dip in the clear waters of Rainbow Springs State Park in Florida. This river turtle species spends the bulk of its day basking in Florida"s abundant sunshine and chomping on vegetation, but it"s nice to cool off with a swim, too. Red-bellied turtles have been known to sneak into alligator nests to lay eggs. If you"re going to find someone to protect your kids, you might as well make it an alligator!Desktop Version
Haaga Rhododendron Park
Haaga Rhododendron Park
In early June, if it"s a "good" year, people in Western Helsinki get treated to bursts of color at the Haaga Rhododendron Park. Started in 1975 as a research location for the University of Helsinki, the plan was to create rhododendron plants that would thrive in Finland"s northern climate. And, boy, did they. Around 3,000 specimens of a Japanese variety of rhododendron were originally planted, then selectively bred to produce eight new varieties of "rhodies" over the years.Desktop Version
Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Grand palaces and towering forts shape the landscape of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Among the most prominent is Amber Fort, also known as Amer Fort or Amber Palace, which is perched on a small hill about 7 miles from the main city of Jaipur. Within its regal walls lies the Sattais Katcheri, which means "court of 27 pillars," featured in today"s image. Amber Fort was built in 1592 and it served as the residence of the maharajas, or rulers, of the area. Famous for its unique blend of Hindu, Rajput, and Mughal architectural styles, it is constructed from pale yellow and pink sandstone alongside white marble. This masterpiece is spread across four levels, each with its own courtyard. Part of the wider Hill Forts of Rajasthan UNESCO World Heritage Site, Amber Fort invites visitors to explore a rich blend of history and royalty.Desktop Version
Pollinator Week
Pollinator Week
We spread our wings and fly into Pollinator Week with these exquisite Old World swallowtail butterflies who are enjoying a sip of nectar. The gorgeous swallowtail is welcome in any garden, both for its beauty and its ability to pass pollen from flower to flower. Far less desired are swallowtails in their caterpillar form, which can take a toll on ornamental plants or citrus crops. There are more than 550 swallowtail butterfly species, and their name comes from the forked appearance of their hindwings, which can be seen when the butterfly is resting with its wings spread.Desktop Version
National Park Service Founders Day
National Park Service Founders Day
While most of us play in our vast system of 63 national parks, others work there. Today, on National Park Service Founders Day, we recognize their efforts and the priceless gift of our country"s national parks. The NPS protects and maintains these parks as well as hundreds of national monuments and other natural, historical, and recreational properties. They include some of our most stunning natural landscapes, like North Cascades National Park in Washington state, featured here. This image, of the Triplets and Cascade Peak, is taken from atop Forbidden Peak.Desktop Version
Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Ancient and beautiful, Rock House is the only true cave in Ohio"s Hocking Hills State Park. This corridor, halfway up a 150-foot cliff, was carved by erosion and has offered shelter to various dwellers over different periods. Long before European settlers arrived, the area"s Native American people are believed to have used Rock House as a refuge. Small recesses in the rock walls are thought to have been used as baking ovens, while troughs gouged in the cave"s floor helped them to collect water. The walls of Rock House have seven window-like openings, allowing sunlight to filter through, casting beautiful patterns inside the cave and offering cliffside views over the trees for generations of Rock House dwellers.Desktop Version
Easter
Easter
The American robin doesn"t go out of its way to hide its colored eggs, nor does it need watercolor to celebrate Easter! Thanks to a process in the mother"s blood, her eggs—which she can lay up to three times each year—are always colored this lovely shade of blue. There"s even a name for the hue, "robin"s-egg blue."Desktop Version
Mute swan
Mute swan
The mute swan is a symbol of beauty and elegance, thanks in no small part to the beloved fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling," about an awkward and unsightly duckling who upon growing up discovers he is actually a swan. The proverbial story is often used as a lesson in transformation and the relative nature of beauty. One glance at this swan, seen here holding a feather in a nature preserve in the Netherlands, and it"s easy to see how the idiom "graceful as a swan" came about.Desktop Version
International Tiger Day
International Tiger Day
Famously solitary, tigers seldom live in groups unless they"re still cubs staying close to their mother. This rare "streak," as a group of tigers is called, is an exception. So much so, they became the subjects of a TV documentary called "Girl Gang of Telia." Today, on International Tiger Day, we"re featuring these tigress sisters from the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in central India, a protected area that includes Tadoba National Park.Desktop Version
Fox kits
Fox kits
At first glance, these red fox kits might look like they"re just enjoying playtime in a Canadian field, but this is serious business. The kits are actually practicing crucial hunting skills. Called "mousing," a fox jumps high so it can surprise its prey from above. These little guys are going to get the hang of it pretty quickly, too. Baby foxes grow up very fast—they"re roughly fully grown after only six or seven months. This pair is 4 months old, which is just about when their mother will get them to hunt for themselves. By autumn, when they’re around 8 to 10 months old, they"ll be ready to leave their mother altogether and go off on their own.Desktop Version
harlem
harlem
We"re continuing our celebration of Black History Month with a glimpse of a public art installation in Moynihan Train Hall in New York City"s Penn Station. As you rush to catch your commuter train in the station, pause to look up and then contemplate Kehinde Wiley"s triptych called "Go." The ceiling fresco—a mix of stained glass, hand-painted detail, and LED lighting—recalls artwork from the Italian Renaissance, with vibrant blue skies and heavenly clouds. But in Wiley"s interpretation, the religious figures common in such works are replaced by Black Americans in modern-day clothing—seemingly weightless in the air, in poses reminiscent of breakdancing moves.Desktop Version
Frankenstein Friday
Frankenstein Friday
If the sight of storm clouds gathering over Lake Geneva puts you in a dark mood, then you have an idea of Mary Shelley"s frame of mind when she conceived the story that would become her seminal work. While Shelley wrote several historical novels and travel books, it was this macabre story of a grotesque creature that made her legacy.Desktop Version
Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, England
Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, England
Part engineering genius, part daredevil stunt—that"s the Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire, England. This Victorian structure, also known as Batty Moss Viaduct, has been carrying trains and turning heads since the 1870s. Built by the Midland Railway, it"s the longest and third tallest on the Settle–Carlisle railway line. Stretching 440 yards across the Ribble Valley, its 24 stone arches reach a height of 104 feet.Desktop Version
Cappadocia, Türkiye
Cappadocia, Türkiye
Welcome to Cappadocia, a historical region in Türkiye known for its fantastical landscape. A magical moment to enjoy here is watching dozens of hot air balloons rising into the dawn sky. Every sunrise and sunset gives life to the "fairy chimneys" of this striking region, mysterious towering rock formations reaching up to 130 feet high. The unusual landscape was formed over millions of years by volcanic eruptions. Another attraction here that you won"t see from the air is Derinkuyu, a city dating from 1400 BCE that is completely underground. This subterranean city sheltered citizens from invaders who swept through over the centuries. When you experience the ancient wonders of Cappadocia, it"s easier to understand how old the world is.Desktop Version
National Trails Day
National Trails Day
Whether you"re a leisurely day walker or a hardcore hiker, there"s a US National Trail with your name on it. Thankfully the trails in the national network are categorized as "Scenic," "Historic," or "Recreational" to simplify things. Probably the most famous pathways are the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail (both designated "Scenic" trails), which were the first to be officially named to the National Trails System when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the system into law in 1968.Desktop Version
Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
The enchanting Isle of Skye in Scotland is home to the Sligachan Old Bridge, built by Thomas Telford, a prolific Scottish civil engineer, in the early 1800s. The bridge arches over a river of the same name, and carries only cyclists and pedestrians, while a modern bridge downstream serves cars. From atop the bridge"s weathered, mossy stones, travelers can take in the majestic Cuillin Mountains in the distance. According to local tradition, the Sligachan River"s water contains a mysterious blessing provided by fairies. Those who dare to immerse their faces in these waters are said to be gifted with timeless beauty.Desktop Version
National Bison Month
National Bison Month
July is National Bison Month and we"ve chosen today to honor America"s official and largest land-dwelling mammal. The male American bison in today"s photo is lazing among wildflowers in Yellowstone National Park, the only place in the country where there"s been a continuous population of bison since prehistoric times. Once widespread across the American plains and revered by Native Americans, they numbered in the tens of millions. Tragically, settlers hunted the bison nearly to extinction by the late 1800s. Fewer than 1,000 of the giants were left in 1905 when the American Bison Society was formed to save them. These days, the population has stabilized with a little more than half a million bison spread across the country, with a few thousand living freely on the plains at Yellowstone.Desktop Version
Halfway Day
Halfway Day
Congratulations! It"s Halfway Day, the midpoint of the year. We"ve lived through 182 days of 2022, and today is the first of 182 days left—we"re halfway there. It"s up to us whether we see this as a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty day… But the past is gone, so we"re all for making the most of the remainder of the year.Desktop Version
Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Australia
Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, Australia
Aboriginal Australians have lived in this area for more than 20,000 years. But only recently did the rest of the world learn of the extraordinary terrain of the mountains known as the Bungle Bungle Range. In 1982, a nature-documentary crew was filming in remote areas within the Kimberley region of Western Australia and "discovered" the little-known mountain range. Today it is the most popular aspect of Purnululu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Desktop Version
Burrowing owls
Burrowing owls
Many things distinguish burrowing owls from their owl cousins. Instead of sleeping in trees, they make their homes in the ground, often taking over tunnels abandoned by ground squirrels or prairie dogs. They"re also one of the smallest owl species, measuring 9 or 10 inches and weighing less than a half-pound.Desktop Version
Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
Rapa Valley runs through Sarek National Park in northern Sweden, where rivers cut into lush meadows and towering peaks reach towards the sky. In this national park, covering about 760 square miles of pristine wilderness, elk roam freely, golden eagles soar overhead, and the elusive arctic fox leaves traces of its presence in the snow. From the beauty of Abisko to the rugged peaks of Sarek, Sweden"s many national parks boast a range of landscapes from glaciers to lush green forests and sandy beaches. The Sámi people have called this alpine region home since ancient times, and their cultural heritage is intertwined with the landscape. They fish the coasts, and perhaps most famously, herd reindeer.Desktop Version
Squirrel Appreciation Day
Squirrel Appreciation Day
Have you ever been captivated by a squirrel crossing your path? January 21 is Squirrel Awareness Day, honoring these furry seed distributors. Today"s homepage star is the Eurasian red squirrel, whose striking reddish-brown coat, white underbelly, and bushy tail are a familiar sight in several countries. These squirrels are not only exceptional jumpers—capable of leaping up to 6 feet in one jump—they can even swim to search for food. They gather nuts and acorns in the autumn and hide them, to see them through the winter months. If you spot fuzzy-tailed squirrels frolicking in your backyard, they might also appreciate a feeding station stocked with treats such as raspberries or crab apples.Desktop Version
Nature Photography Day
Nature Photography Day
If you"re celebrating Nature Photography Day today, then Great Smoky Mountains National Park would be an excellent place to snap your own shots of sylvan splendor like this one. That"s because you"d have two reasons to celebrate—the park turns 88 today. These misty peaks and valleys along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina were established as a national park on this day in 1934. All these years later, it may not be the most famous national park in the US, but it is by far the most popular. With more than 14 million visitors per year, it draws more people than the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite combined.Desktop Version