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Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Let"s take a trip to a forest of stones. Sunset Point, seen in today"s image, offers sweeping views of the hoodoos of Utah"s Bryce Canyon National Park. These rock formations are created by frost weathering and stream erosion, which shape the stone into an otherworldly landscape. Perched at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, this overlook offers a panoramic view of rocky spires in red, orange, and white. The most iconic of them is Thor"s Hammer, a hoodoo that overlooks a part of the park known as the "Silent City." The Queen"s Garden Trail, which leads from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point, offers even more vistas and rock formations, including the Queen Victoria hoodoo. According to the legend told by the Paiute Indigenous people who inhabited this area, hoodoos are people who have been turned to stone for their misdeeds by the trickster Coyote. Whether you"re a hiker, a photographer, or simply a traveler, the hoodoos are waiting.Desktop Version
Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
From waterfalls to temples, Shivamogga, in the South Indian state of Karnataka, offers experiences waiting to be discovered. Steeped in timeless lore, the city is mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, epics composed as poems and set in the ancient Hindu kingdoms of India. The region"s name itself holds a spiritual significance, derived from the Sanskrit words "Shiva-Mukha," meaning the "face of Shiva," the Hindu god. It is home to several temples, including the Sharavati Temple, dedicated to Shiva, and a temple in the Kodachadri hills that offers vistas of the Western Ghats mountain range.Desktop Version
Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Welcome to this eco-travelers" paradise in the middle of the Pacific. Situated halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa, the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2001 to conserve, manage, and restore the nation"s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats.Desktop Version
Independence Day
Independence Day
Today the sky sparkles with shades of patriotism as our nation celebrates its Independence Day! The Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates from the 13 colonies on July 4, 1776. The Founding Fathers proclaimed that the colonies were now unified, independent, and sovereign states, no longer under the authority of Britain"s King George III.Desktop Version
International Tiger Day
International Tiger Day
We"re off to a roaring start today: It"s International Tiger Day, which aims to protect these magnificent big cats amid threats such as poaching and habitat loss. At the end of the 19th century, there were thought to be around 100,000 tigers in the wild; these days, there are fewer than 6,000.Desktop Version
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
Get ready to revel—Mardi Gras is here! Also called Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, the holiday was originally celebrated to live life to the fullest before fasting and giving up other indulgences for Lent. For some, it"s just an excuse to party.Desktop Version
West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut
West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut
Covered bridges like West Cornwall Covered Bridge, pictured in today"s image, were designed with roofs and siding to protect their wooden structures from weathering, greatly increasing their durability. While many were built in the 19th century, few have survived to the present day, and the ones that have are often preserved for their historical and visual significance.Desktop Version
Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Winter turns Mestia"s medieval towers into icy fortresses. Perched 4,921 feet up in the Caucasus Mountains, Mestia is a charming highland town in northwest Georgia. The town is home to the Svans, a cultural and linguistic subgroup of Georgians. Despite its modest size, Mestia has been an essential hub of Georgian culture for centuries, dotted with the Svan defensive towers, seen in today"s image. Most of these towers were constructed between the 9th and 12th centuries, a period often referred to as Georgia"s Golden Age. However, their roots are believed to stretch even further back, possibly into prehistoric times. Built for both protection and shelter, these towers were not just fortresses but also integral parts of family homes, reflecting the region"s history of resilience and self-sufficiency. Therefore, it isn"t just a town; it"s a living museum where history rises from these towers and echoes through the mountains.Desktop Version
Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
Take a stroll along almost any marina from Costa Rica to Alaska, and you"ll likely hear the playful barks of sea lions echo through the air. California sea lions, like the one pictured, are a common sight basking in the sun along the rocky shores of North America"s western coast. These marine mammals, belonging to the pinniped group, are often mistaken for seals. An easy way to distinguish between them is by looking at their ears—sea lions have visible flaps, seals don"t.Desktop Version
Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska
Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska
As National Park Week rolls on, let"s turn our attention to Kenai Fjords National Park, a gem on Alaska"s Kenai Peninsula. Stretching over 1,000 square miles, this landscape features fjords, river valleys, and alpine landscapes. More than half of the terrain is blanketed in ice. Throughout the 20th century, the park"s glaciers have receded, uncovering new land for plant and animal life to take root. From ancient Sitka spruces to delicate fireweed shoots and moss carpeting the forest floor, plant life in Kenai Fjords flourishes. The park is also home to diverse terrestrial and marine mammals, including timber wolves, porcupines, Canadian lynxes, and cetaceans like orcas and fin whales. It also hosts a variety of birds, such as bald eagles and Peale"s peregrine falcons.Desktop Version
World Octopus Day
World Octopus Day
Today, we celebrate a creature with three hearts and the uncanny ability to change color at will: the octopus. Octopuses are cephalopods, marine animals like squids and cuttlefish that have tentacles. Among their many species is the small and shy mototi octopus, pictured here. It was discovered in 1999 around Rapa Island in the South Pacific and is known for the "fake eyes" or ocelli—vibrant blue and yellow rings—between its eyes and arms. Found in the Indo-Pacific region, including Indonesia, Australia, and Okinawa in Japan, mototi octopuses are masters of disguise. They usually have a dull orange-cream-brown color but when alarmed, they can quickly shift to striking maroon with white stripes along their body and arms. Also known as poison ocellate octopuses, these cephalopods are highly venomous. But you don"t need to worry about running into one, because they tend to be shy and solitary, often hiding in crevices, shells, or man-made objects like bottles and cans.Desktop Version
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Few people in modern history have captured our imagination as much as the famed aviator Amelia Earhart, born on this day in 1897. She was doubly a pioneer of her day, a skilled pilot when flying was a relatively new and daring endeavor, and a woman in a field dominated by men. Earhart"s legend was made, sadly, not as much by her piloting accomplishments as by her sudden disappearance in 1937 when her fame was still ascending. The 39-year-old famously went missing, along with navigator Fred Noonan, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, near Howland Island, while attempting to fly around the world. The official search for Earhart and Noonan lasted 17 days. The US Navy and Coast Guard searched 150,000 square miles of the Pacific, an effort that became the most expensive search in history at the time. Her husband, George Putnam, led a private search in the months that followed. No verified trace of Earhart, Noonan, or the twin-propeller Lockheed Electra plane has ever been found.Desktop Version
Park of the Monsters, Bomarzo, Italy
Park of the Monsters, Bomarzo, Italy
Join us for a pre-Halloween trip to a small Italian town about 60 miles northwest of Rome. We"re taking you to Bomarzo, where a once-forgotten 16th-century garden holds monstrous sculptures that are meant to evoke anything but pleasure. In our photo, "The Mouth of Orcus," a Roman god of the underworld and punisher of broken oaths, gives visitors the feeling of being swallowed into the abyss. During a visit to the Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters), as it"s known, you"ll come across other grotesque sights such as a dragon being attacked by lions, a giant shredding a man, and Hannibal"s elephant snatching a Roman soldier.Desktop Version
Castle Day in Japan
Castle Day in Japan
From Strawberry Day to Cat Day and even Vegetable Day, Japan has a list of faux holidays, which are the clever results of "dajare" or word plays. Today"s date, April 6, makes up the Japanese word for castle, "shiro" from "shi" (4) and "ro" (6). Hence, the celebration of castles. What better opportunity than Castle Day, to learn about the country"s largest and most-visited castle, Himeji Castle? Dating back to 1333, this UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts an advanced defensive design and five National Treasure structures. The castle has also withstood time and nature"s fury, surviving the bombings of World War II and the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. Nearly 700 years of glory, local legends, and ghost stories reverberate through the 83 rooms of this hilltop fortress. Would you care to explore?Desktop Version
Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Say hello to the crescent-tail bigeye, a fish as eye-catching as its name suggests. With large, wide eyes and a distinctive tail shaped like a crescent moon, it"s hard to miss. Measuring about 20 inches long, it has a sleek body and a protruding lower jaw with small conical teeth. Its eyes are adapted to the low-light conditions of deep waters, helping it spot prey and avoid predators. This fish mainly feeds on smaller fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates, fueling its active lifestyle as it patrols the reefs and hunts for food.Desktop Version
Spring equinox
Spring equinox
With the sun rising higher, the days grow longer, marking the arrival of spring. The spring equinox occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator, moving from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere. Traditionally, spring is considered to begin on March 21. However, astronomers and calendar makers now agree that spring officially commences on March 20 across all time zones in North America. This event signals the true start of the season, bringing with it the beauty and symbolism of spring blooms.Desktop Version
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
At the heart of the Orkney Islands, an archipelago in northern Scotland, lies an ancient riddle: the Ring of Brodgar. Dating back to sometime between 2500 and 2000 BCE, this Neolithic henge—a type of ancient circular earthwork—and stone circle measure about 340 feet across. Lying on a narrow strip of land between two lochs, the site initially comprised 60 stones, although today only 36 remain. The exact purpose of the structure is still unknown, despite an excavation project at the site in 2008. In 1999, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney group of monuments, which includes the Ring of Brodgar, was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you are planning a trip to Scotland, consider walking amid the echoes of history at the Ring of Brodgar while the crisp Scottish air embraces you.Desktop Version
World Meerkat Day
World Meerkat Day
It is World Meerkat Day, a celebration of these adorably upstanding creatures. Despite the name, they are not related to cats. They"re small carnivores of the mongoose family, native to the deserts and grasslands of southwestern Africa. Meerkats live in mobs, tight-knit groups of up to 30 individuals that forage together, groom each other, and take turns watching for predators. These critters create huge burrows where they spend the night and retreat to escape the midday heat.Desktop Version
International Day for Biological Diversity
International Day for Biological Diversity
Life on Earth, from tiny bacteria to towering trees, is interconnected. International Day for Biological Diversity is about celebrating this web of life that keeps our planet thriving. Biodiversity ties into everything, from sustainable farming and clean water to climate action and disaster preparedness. A decline in biodiversity can increase the spread of zoonotic diseases—those transmitted from animals to humans. In contrast, protecting biodiversity strengthens our ability to prevent and respond to health crises like pandemics. Recognizing its crucial role for current and future generations, the United Nations observes this day each year to raise awareness and foster action for conserving the planet"s biological treasures.Desktop Version
European river otter, Netherlands
European river otter, Netherlands
The European river otter is more than just an adorable face in the wild. Found across Europe, Asia, and parts of northern Africa, these otters thrive in clean rivers, lakes, and wetlands, serving as an important indicator of environmental health. They are built for agility, with streamlined bodies, webbed feet, and dense fur that keeps them warm even in icy waters. A single square inch of their fur can hold more than 400,000 hairs, making it one of nature"s most effective insulators. River otters were once endangered due to pollution and habitat loss. Thanks to conservation efforts, their populations are rebounding in many regions across Europe.Desktop Version
Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Sorano is a serene medieval village perched atop a cliff in the Italian province of Grosseto, southern Tuscany. Walking through the age-old cobblestone streets, one can explore the Fortezza Orsini, a fortress-turned-museum that dates back to the 11th century. Visitors engage with centuries-old tales of power and defense with each step they take inside the fort. Near Poggio San Rocco and Poggio Croce hills lies a necropolis—a large, ancient burial site—with well-preserved Etruscan tombs that hint at the area"s long history. The Etruscan civilization inhabited this area and flourished in what is now Tuscany and Umbria between the 8th and 3rd centuries BCE.Desktop Version
The Bahamas
The Bahamas
Turquoise waters, vibrant coral reefs, alfresco dining, and tales of pirates—welcome to the Bahamas! With over 3,000 cays, islands, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, this West Indies archipelago is home to the world"s third-largest barrier reef—the Andros Barrier Reef. For adventurous souls drawn to nature, Dean"s Blue Hole, a 663-foot-deep marine sinkhole on Long Island, offers a thrilling experience. From the serene pink sand beaches of Harbour Island to the capital city Nassau"s bustling Straw Market and famous wine cellars, the Bahamas is more than just a destination—it"s a captivating tale waiting to unfold.Desktop Version
A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil
A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil
Spot the wildlife star in today"s image. The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and is seen here in the world"s largest tropical wetland, the Pantanal in Brazil. Jaguars arrived in the Americas some 2 million years ago, migrating from Eurasia through the Bering Strait. Today, they live in various habitats from the woodlands of the southwestern US to the rainforests of northern Argentina. Brazil is home to about half of the world"s wild jaguars.Desktop Version
Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile
Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile
Wildlife roams freely in one of Chile"s most stunning protected areas, where towering peaks and ancient glaciers shape the land. Established on this day in 1959, Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia turns 66 years old today and covers over 448,000 acres. Originally called Grey Lake National Tourism Park, it was renamed in 1970 and later designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. Its most recognizable feature—the three massive granite peaks known as the Torres—stands over 8,000 feet tall. These formations took shape through magma intrusion and uplift, followed by millions of years of glacial erosion, leaving behind the jagged spires seen today.Desktop Version
Celebrating Labor Day
Celebrating Labor Day
Take a load off this Labor Day weekend. One of 11 federal holidays, Labor Day honors America"s workers and is celebrated on the first Monday of September. Its origins are rooted in late 1800s efforts to recognize the contributions the country"s workers, and labor activists ultimately helped establish the 40-hour work week and weekends. President Grover Cleveland made the US holiday official in 1894. Today, many Americans celebrate the long weekend, which is often considered the unofficial end of summer, by grilling, hanging out with friends and family, and going to parades.Desktop Version