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Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Today we"re celebrating Darwin Day with this blue-footed booby on the shores of the Galápagos Islands, where the famous naturalist observed wildlife and collected specimens that would inform his theory of evolution.Desktop Version
A perfect day to fly your flag
A perfect day to fly your flag
We"re at Chimney Rock State Park, about 25 miles southeast of Asheville, North Carolina, for Flag Day. The 6,807-acre park gets its name from the 315-foot spire that offers expansive views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. If you"re wondering how this sizable flag made it up to the summit, we don"t know the answer to that. But there is an elevator inside the mountain that can zip you to the top in 32 seconds. The other option is to hike up the 499 steps to the viewpoint.Desktop Version
The dry days of winter in Etosha
The dry days of winter in Etosha
During the dry winter months from May to October, scattered waterholes sustain wildlife in the grasslands of Etosha National Park in Namibia. Large numbers of animals, such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, and our springboks here gather for a drink—making this among the best times of year to view wildlife. A medium-sized antelope, springboks are native to the dry savannahs of southern Africa where they once migrated in large numbers. Today, springbok herds live mainly on game preserves and protected areas like the 8,600 square miles within the Etosha boundaries.Desktop Version
Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
The Lucian Blaga National Theater, in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, is a cultural icon. Built between 1904 and 1906, it was designed by the famous Austrian architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer in the Neo-Baroque style, popular in the late 19th century. This opulent style nodded back to the grandiosity of the Baroque movement, which began in Rome in the 1600s and flourished across Europe. The building houses both the national theater and the Romanian Opera and plays host to a wide array of cultural events here in Romania"s second-largest city.Desktop Version
Illuminating Annecy
Illuminating Annecy
Who knew that an 800-year-old structure could look so festive? The pretty holiday illumination you see is adorning the side of the Palais de l"Ile, a distinctive 12th-century building in the town of Annecy, France, high in the French Alps. Designated a historic monument in 1900, the medieval structure is perched on a small islet in the Canal du Thiou.Desktop Version
Happy Father s Day
Happy Father s Day
These bald eagles look like they"re enjoying some family time on Father"s Day. But today is extra special for them, because it"s also American Eagle Day, a celebration that commemorates the date in 1782 when the bird was added to the Great Seal of the United States, effectively becoming a national symbol. With an olive branch in its right talons and a bundle of 13 arrows in its left (representing the 13 original states in the Union), the eagle is said to represent a strong desire for peace, but readiness for conflict. You"ll recognize the Great Seal of the United States from its appearance on passports, flags, official documents, and American currency.Desktop Version
Winter Olympics in Beijing
Winter Olympics in Beijing
Winter is coming to Beijing. The Winter Olympics that is, as the Chinese capital hosts the 24th edition of the sporting extravaganza. Over the next 17 days, close to 3,000 athletes will compete in 109 events across 15 disciplines in seven sports. The venues are spread over three zones: central Beijing, the Yanqing District of northwestern Beijing, and Zhangjiakou, a city in neighboring Hebei province. Artificial snow will be used for outdoor competitions, including here at the illuminated Big Air Shougang, the only snow event venue in downtown Beijing.Desktop Version
A grand event
A grand event
It"s Grandparents Day in the USA! Did you know Asian elephants live an average of 60 years in the wild? That means this pair of pachyderms in West Bengal, India, could easily be grandparents. Or great-grandparents, or even great-great-grandparents, considering elephants normally start having babies at around age 12.Desktop Version
Rocks on the move
Rocks on the move
No, that stone in today"s homepage image didn"t get there by itself. Or did it? Not only is Death Valley one of the hottest places on Earth, it also boasts a mysterious geologic phenomenon—rocks that drift across the exceptionally flat desert floor, seemingly under their own power. The rocks here at Death Valley"s Racetrack Playa are known as "sailing stones" and they can vary in size from a few ounces to hundreds of pounds. As seen in our image, the stones leave long trails behind them as they move across the scenic dry lakebed.Desktop Version
Is that a buzzing sound?
Is that a buzzing sound?
Why are dozens of colorful boxes stacked in this field? To provide homes inside their walls for millions of honey bees, those hardworking pollinators, producers of honey, and tormenters of Winnie-the-Pooh. Wild honey bee colonies build their nests in trees and caves, but manmade boxes also do the trick, and humans have been building their own beehives since antiquity. The modern beehive boxes shown here contain frames to hold honeycombs that bees produce to store their honey, pollen, and young. When the bees have produced plenty of honey, the beekeeper can simply remove the frames to extract some of it, leaving the rest to nourish the hive.Desktop Version
Where the bearded reedling sings
Where 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
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas
The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas, is one of the most charming buildings in the country. Constructed in 1988 and named for a beloved community member whose husband commissioned it, this chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones, an architect known for his wooden creations. Its unique design seamlessly blends modernist principles with nature"s splendor, resulting in a harmonious space which blends with its natural setting. Surrounded by lush trees, with sunlight filtering in through the huge glass windows, the chapel serves as a perfect sanctuary for contemplation and prayer. It also stands as a powerful testament to the ability of architecture to inspire and uplift the human spirit.Desktop Version
Looking back on 150 years of rail travel
Looking back on 150 years of rail travel
In 1986, work began to convert an old rail yard in Scranton, Pennsylvania, from a relic to a heritage preservation site now known as Steamtown. A donated collection of train engines, some dating back to the 1800s, gave Steamtown exhibits to show off, while the fully functional rail yard provides a live demonstration of how trains work—and how rail transit greatly changed the United States.Desktop Version
Let’s go mothing
Let’s go mothing
In the Lepidoptera order of the animal kingdom, it’s butterflies who get all the glory. But we’d argue it’s their relatives, moths, that have the better story. With more than 160,000 species of moths around the world, moths outnumber butterfly species roughly 10 to 1. While most are nocturnal, the hummingbird hawk-moth on our homepage today breaks the mold. Found throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe, it’s shown here in the daylight of southern Sardinia, sipping nectar with its straw-like appendage known as a proboscis. Like a hummingbird, the moth makes a soft buzzing sound as it hovers over the flowers whose nectar it feeds on exclusively.Desktop Version
Reflections on the mighty Amazon
Reflections on the mighty Amazon
For World Rainforest Day we take you below these clouds to the Amazon River Basin and the largest rainforest in the world. Numbers help the story of this extraordinary place: At more than 2.1 million square miles, the Amazon accounts for half of Earth’s remaining tropical rainforests. And a fifth of the world’s fresh water flows through this river basin. Perhaps a tenth of the planet’s known species call it home, many of which have yet to be identified—that’s trees, plants, fish, mammals, and a third of Earth’s bird species. Now take a deep breath. The ‘Lungs of the World’ produces 20 percent of Earth’s oxygen, while storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide, earning it an all-star ‘carbon sink’ status.Desktop Version
Steyr River, Austria
Steyr River, Austria
These whitewater rapids are found in Upper Austria, where the Steyr River crashes down from the barren Totes Gebirge (the Dead Mountains) through this verdant landscape. When it comes to the ancient town of Steyr, at the foot of the Alps, it will meet the Enns River, which flows into the Danube.Desktop Version
Old Town of Rovinj, Croatia
Old Town of Rovinj, Croatia
Beautiful, historic Rovinj dips into the Adriatic like a toe testing the water. The 200-foot-tall bell tower of the Church of St. Euphemia overlooks Rovinj"s historic center. The church, which was built in the early 1700s over the remains of older Christian holy structures, acts as a beacon that welcomes home the town"s fleet of fishing boats each evening.Desktop Version
World Meteorological Day
World Meteorological Day
Did you check the weather forecast today? Does it look like rain? Will it turn colder? What"s the outlook for the weekend? These questions may seem commonplace, even mundane, but the answers can be of crucial importance. Given our reliance on weather prediction, let"s tip the rain hat to the world"s weather experts on World Meteorological Day, celebrated each March 23 by the United Nation"s World Meteorological Organization (WMO).Desktop Version
Cloughoughter Castle, County Cavan, Ireland
Cloughoughter Castle, County Cavan, Ireland
Cloughoughter Castle sits on a small island in the middle of Lough Oughter, a huge complex of lakes and waterways in County Cavan in Ireland. Its first stones are thought to have been laid in the early 13th century by the Anglo-Norman de Lacy family, but the O"Reilly clan took possession of the area in 1233 and completed the castle"s construction. They retained control of Cloughoughter Castle for centuries, but by 1653, it had been bombed and abandoned. Since then, it has been in ruins, resplendent in a sort of tattered grandeur. It can only be visited by boat but, as a symbol of Ireland"s medieval heritage, it is a must-see for history and castle enthusiasts alike.Desktop Version
Aura River in Turku, Finland
Aura River in Turku, Finland
The Turku Cathedral rises above the frosted forests near the mouth of the Aura River, which runs through the middle of Turku, Finland.Desktop Version
Let s celebrate cephalopods
Let s celebrate cephalopods
For World Octopus Day, we"re lighting up your screen with a shot of a nocturnal octopus from the genus Callistoctopus in its larval stage. It was photographed on a night dive near the Big Island of Hawaii. You may not consider octopuses cute and cuddly, but they have charisma to burn. The highly intelligent species has been observed solving puzzles, unscrewing lids, and even using tools. One study recorded octopuses collecting discarded coconut shells and carrying them back to their dens to use as shelter. In another incident that made headlines, an octopus named Otto taunted staff at his aquarium by repeatedly crawling out of his tank to shoot water at the overhead lights, causing them to short-circuit. Octopuses aren"t all brains—they"ve got heart as well (three, in fact!). The more we learn about this species, the more impressed we are. Can"t every day be World Octopus Day?Desktop Version
Traffic jam on the caribou highway
Traffic 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
Time for brass bands and beer
Time 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
Let s crack the code
Let s crack the code
If you"ve ever been the least bit curious about how computers work, this week is for you. December 9 marks the start of Computer Science Education Week, an annual program that uses the Hour of Code as one way to inspire K-12 students to take an interest in computer science and to level the playing field in an industry that can seem intimidating to some. The Hour of Code is exactly what it sounds like: Students and adults alike are invited to set aside 60 minutes to try out one of the many Hour of Code tutorials—offered in 45 languages—for a brief introduction to coding. Organizers believe every single student should have the opportunity to learn computer science, as it nurtures creativity and encourages problem solving. We concur. And we highly recommend the Minecraft tutorials as a starting place. Happy coding, friends!Desktop Version
International Polar Bear Day
International Polar Bear Day
February 27 marks International Polar Bear Day—an effort to raise awareness of the enormous threats polar bears face due to climate change. Polar bears need Arctic pack ice to hunt on, but that ice is shrinking as the planet warms. While polar bears are excellent swimmers—so much so that they"re classified as marine mammals—the Arctic ice is still a crucial part of their survival. Let"s take this day to think about what we can do to help reduce climate change and protect polar bear habitats.Desktop Version