Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA Mar 23, 2026

Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA

The strength of nature is nowhere more evident than in powerful storms. Scary? Yes. Fascinating? Even more so. Learning to understand and respect these forces is how people learn to live alongside them. The image of lightning over saguaro cacti captures that balance perfectly. The Sonoran Desert, spanning 260,000 square kilometres across the United States and Mexico, may appear dry and still, but it hosts one of North America"s most dynamic desert climates.

© Jack Dykinga/Nature Picture Library

palette

Today in History

Mar 23, 2024Large anvil clouds, Amazon, Brazil
Mar 23, 2025Lightning and storm clouds at sunset near Bowman, Nebraska, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 25, 2024Glacier National Park, Montana
Nov 3, 2024Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán, Mexico
Sep 27, 2025Tank Lakes, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington, United States
Jan 2, 2024Jaswant Thada and Mehrangarh Fort, India
Aug 17, 2025Lyngvig Lighthouse, Hvide Sande, Denmark
Aug 26, 2025Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
Mar 2, 2026Harbour and longtail boats at Ko Samui, Thailand
Mar 19, 2025A black heron canopy hunting in Botswana
Sep 12, 2024Dolphin pod near Réunion island
Feb 2, 2024Alpine marmot
May 25, 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Jun 18, 2025Asian swallowtail butterfly
Aug 20, 2024Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands
Sep 5, 2024Toronto, Canada
Oct 15, 2023European hedgehog
Nov 21, 2023Grey seal pup
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and anemone wildflowers, Jutland, Denmark
Sep 14, 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Apr 26, 2026Pink apple blossoms, Avila Beach, California, USA
Nov 14, 2025Mother manatee and calf
Mar 12, 2026Juvenile sunbittern displaying at nest, Ecuador
Jul 16, 2024Skara Brae, Scotland
Nov 19, 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Nov 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose
Apr 23, 2024Library of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Jun 20, 2024Kokino, North Macedonia
Jan 5, 2024Bavarian Alps, Germany