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Brotherly cubs
Brotherly cubs
They"re adorable to be sure, but we"re betting these two Kermode bear siblings are a handful (hang in there, mama bear!). We"re featuring them in honor of Siblings Day, an annual celebration of the bond between children who share one or more parent in common. Kermode bears are a subspecies of the American black bear, although they"re obviously not always black. They have a recessive gene that sometimes results in fur that"s cream- or white-colored. While most Kermode bears are black, scientists estimate that between 10% and 20% of the population have ivory coats. Known as "spirit bears," they are special to the indigenous peoples of the British Columbia coastal regions where they live.Desktop Version
Let the games begin
Let the games begin
Welcome to Seattle, Special Olympians! After today’s opening ceremonies, thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities will compete in a variety of team and individual sports, including gymnastics, powerlifting, and even bocce ball. The games highlight the spirit of competition and ‘inclusion for all’ that lie at the heart of the Special Olympics mission. While you’re here, take a spin in the Great Wheel on Seattle’s waterfront to get a one-of-a-kind view of the Emerald City.Desktop Version
Happy Thanksgiving from an expert face-stuffer
Happy Thanksgiving from an expert face-stuffer
The Siberian chipmunk is the only species of chipmunk found outside of North America. Its native habitat ranges from across Russia to northern China, Japan, and Korea. Though Siberian pine nuts are a favorite meal, these little rodents will eat nearly anything—seeds, fruits, insects, even small birds and lizards. Our ravenous friend here in Hokkaido, Japan, is gorging on inflorescences, or clusters of flowers. A chipmunk can stuff a surprising amount of goodies into its cheek pouches, which can stretch to three times its head size—imagine how ridiculous we"d look if our stomachs were as forgiving.Desktop Version
Defying gravity on a swing ride
Defying gravity on a swing ride
Can you smell the fried food and cotton candy? Fair season is upon us, and amusement rides are usually just part of the whole fair-going experience. The modern fair has roots in ancient times, tracing back to a variety of influences, from Roman religious festivals to temporary markets set up at crossroads along the trade routes from Asia to Europe. Today, county and state fairs often combine industry and agriculture exhibits with various entertainment options such as this swing ride. What’s your fair-season favorite?Desktop Version
Paradise, found
Paradise, found
If your dream is to experience a tropical paradise that"s still largely untouched by people, you could do worse than a trip to Raja Ampat, an archipelago in the province of West Papua, Indonesia. Most of the region"s 50,000 inhabitants live on or around its four main islands, Batanta, Misool, Salawati, and Waigeo. The remainder of Raja Ampat is made up of roughly 1,500 smaller islands, cays, and shoals—astonishingly, hundreds of these tiny islands have yet to be explored by humans.Desktop Version
A bridge that rocks
A bridge that rocks
Sandwiched between soaring pinnacles of sandstone, Bastei Bridge is a highlight of Saxon Switzerland National Park. But don"t be fooled by the park"s name because we"re not in Switzerland; we"re hundreds of miles away in eastern Germany, close to the border with the Czech Republic. The name comes from two Swiss artists who visited the area in the second half of the 18th century and felt the picturesque upland scenery was reminiscent of their homeland.Desktop Version
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague, Czech Republic
As a haze of blowing snow diffuses the streetlights of Prague, try to count the steeples, belfries, turrets, and towers that make up the Czech capital"s skyline. You may lose count like 19th-century travel writers did when they dubbed Prague the City of 100 Spires. The number is closer to 500 currently.Desktop Version
Te Rewa Rewa Bridge near New Plymouth, New Zealand
Te Rewa Rewa Bridge near New Plymouth, New Zealand
This pedestrian and cycle bridge lets residents and visitors in the North Island city of New Plymouth cross the Waiwhakaiho River while marveling at the span’s artistic design. Said to resemble both a breaking wave and a whale skeleton, the bridge is meant to invoke the sacred relationship of the indigenous Māori people with the land, sea, and wind. On one side is an old Māori burial ground, so great care was taken in the design and structure of the bridge—an attempt to interfere as little as possible with the Māori site. From the view in this photo, Mount Taranaki lurks in the background.Desktop Version
Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
On this day in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope entered orbit in the cargo bay of the space shuttle Discovery. Shortly thereafter, it began its continuing mission to capture images of our universe from low Earth orbit, free of the obstructions of clouds and the distortions of the atmosphere. Like its namesake, the great astronomer Edwin Hubble, the Hubble Space Telescope has transformed our understanding of the cosmos. Some of the telescope"s greatest contributions include its Deep Fields images, which peer back billions of light-years and help astronomers measure the size and age of the universe and test theories about its origin. It"s also produced jaw-dropping images of objects closer to home, like the one on today"s homepage. Here we"re looking at a maelstrom of glowing gas and dark dust within one of the Milky Way"s satellite galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud.Desktop Version
Falling for the Canadian Rockies
Falling for the Canadian Rockies
Sunwapta Falls is one of several spectacular waterfalls in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. It"s actually a pair of waterfalls, a lower and an upper one, on the Sunwapta River. Their water comes from the Athabasca Glacier, so volumes are higher in the summer due to seasonal glacial melting. Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, with more than 4,000 square miles for camping, hiking, water sports, and other activities. Wildlife in the park includes elk, grizzly bears, moose, bighorn sheep, and caribou.Desktop Version
A horse of many colors
A horse of many colors
Whitehorse, Yukon"s only city and the largest in northern Canada, will have just seven hours of daylight today, but nature has a way of compensating for this injustice. The area enjoys frequent and spectacular light shows, thanks to the aurora borealis. The mechanics of northern lights are still not fully understood, but scientists agree that solar winds—big pulses of energy from our sun—pass through the Earth"s magnetic fields, especially at the polar regions, resulting in shimmering colors.Desktop Version
Where is this gorgeous peak?
Where is this gorgeous peak?
This spectacular landscape might just be the perfect place to celebrate Waitangi Day, New Zealand"s national holiday. It commemorates the 1840 treaty between Britain and some 500 Māori chiefs that established British law in the island nation. The Treaty of Waitangi is considered New Zealand"s founding document and a cornerstone in the country"s history. Another important legacy of the treaty is that it provided the framework for political relations between New Zealand"s government and the Indigenous Māori people.Desktop Version
To Roswell, and beyond!
To Roswell, and beyond!
Tourism in New Mexico is fueled in part by attractions such as the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell—seen here in our photo today. Recognizing the revenue potential in embracing popular interest in UFOs, in 2003 the New Mexico State Legislature declared the second Tuesday in February each year to be Extraterrestrial Culture Day. Why New Mexico? The answer lies in the city of Roswell in the southeastern corner of of the state.Desktop Version
A medieval Moorish gem
A medieval Moorish gem
Originally founded as the capital of a small Moorish kingdom in the 10th century, Albarracín remains one of the most perfectly preserved medieval towns in Spain. The town"s narrow, winding streets, centuries-old architecture, and dramatic defensive walls were all constructed with the pink-hued gypsum found throughout the region. Aside from its historical charms, Albarracín is also a popular destination for rock climbers who come to scale the red boulders and cliff faces outside the village"s fortress walls.Desktop Version
Cecil Brewer Staircase, London
Cecil Brewer Staircase, London
This stunning staircase spirals up through three floors at Heal"s department store in central London, where it has been helping shoppers get around in stylish fashion since 1916. It was designed by architect Cecil Brewer ahead of the opening of an in-store art gallery. While the gallery no longer exists, the Cecil Brewer Staircase remains a popular part of the store"s heritage, particularly with photographers looking to capture a little London glamour. The lights at the outer edge of the stairs were added after World War II, and the elegant chandelier cascading from top to bottom was installed in 2013. If you visit, keep an eye out for a bronze cat on a windowsill overlooking the stairs, the store"s not-for-sale official mascot.Desktop Version
A peak in the clouds
A peak in the clouds
World Meteorological Day brings us to Washington"s Mount Rainier, a huge stratovolcano with a habit of creating its own weather systems. Jutting out about 2 miles above the surrounding landscape, its high altitude interrupts the flow of air that comes in off the Pacific Ocean, creating dramatic weather such as the saucer-shaped clouds on our homepage. They"re called lenticular clouds, and because of their distinctive appearance, they"ve been suggested as an explanation for some UFO sightings. Thanks to the science of meteorology, we know they"re a normal weather phenomenon, commonly occurring on the downwind side of obstructions such as mountains, buildings, or other tall structures.Desktop Version
Anybody out there?
Anybody out there?
This is the time of year that polar bears emerge from their winter dens. In today"s photo, these adorable cubs are peeking out for the first time in their young lives. Polar bears don"t technically hibernate, but in fall, a pregnant female polar bear will dig a maternity den in the snow (although in some areas it"ll be under the peat soil). While in her small den, the bear enters a dormant state, sleeping nearly all the time, until she gives birth, usually between November and February. Then in spring she"ll dig herself out and emerge with her recently arrived cubs. Polar bear cubs stay with their mother for about two years as they learn to survive in the Arctic.Desktop Version
Space is for everyone
Space is for everyone
The end of World Space Week today comes with a message of hope. Fifty-one years ago, the pact known as the Outer Space Treaty went into effect. The US, UK, and USSR were the first parties to the treaty and at least 107 other nations have since joined them, with additional countries working on ratification. The treaty establishes ‘space law’—in essence, an agreement that space exploration should only be for the benefit of all of humanity. No weapons of mass destruction can be placed on the moon, or any other orbiting body.Desktop Version
National Park Week: Yosemite National Park, California
National Park Week: Yosemite National Park, California
Here at Yosemite National Park, trees have mastered the art of aging gracefully. This is redwood territory, home to majestic sequoias that tower over humans and animals. In a remote area of the park you’ll find Hyperion (‘the high one’), a 380-foot-tall sequoia—named after a Greek god of light—that’s more than six centuries old. Nearby you’ll find its relative, the General Sherman tree, famous for both its age (roughly 2,000 years) and its size.Desktop Version
Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand
Vietnam’s new bridge deserves a big hand
When Vietnam’s Golden Bridge opened this summer in the Ba Na Hills near Da Nang, images of the stunning structure went viral, and it’s no wonder. The bridge is cradled by ancient-looking hands that look like they were carved out of the mountain centuries ago–the perfect backdrop for a stunning selfie. Those big hands are actually made of wire mesh and fiberglass, fashioned around towers that support this tourist attraction that sits 3,200 feet above sea level. The pedestrian bridge offers some of the region’s most dramatic views of the Trường Sơn Mountains here in Central Vietnam. The architect is reportedly working on a sister bridge, but it will be silver, not gold.Desktop Version
The Cordillera de la Sal in the Cordillera Domeyko Range of Chile
The Cordillera de la Sal in the Cordillera Domeyko Range of Chile
This subrange of the Andes runs north-south, parallel with the Chilean coast. Pictured here is Cordillera de la Sal ("Salt Range’). If you’re traveling in the region, be sure to pack lots of water. This is the Atacama Desert, a region so dry and at such a high elevation, that NASA has used it to simulate Mars.Desktop Version
Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Among Estonia"s stunning natural sites is the Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, covering 132 square miles of wilderness in the heart of the country. This occasionally ice-covered, vast area of wetlands, forests, and rivers is the largest natural reserve in Estonia. From the majestic white-tailed eagle to the elusive black stork, more than 200 bird species can be found here. The landscape is a tapestry of aquatic forests: still water, bog, and floodplain forests. Winding trails and boardwalks invite explorers to craft their own adventures.Desktop Version
This grizzly has Napping Day down
This grizzly has Napping Day down
Like the napping grizzly cub in today"s image, we"re guessing you might feel tired after losing an hour of sleep to the start of daylight saving time. So, we"re giving you a great reason to get your nap on—it"s National Napping Day. This sleep-inducing day was created by Boston University professor William Anthony in 1999 and always occurs the Monday after "springing forward." The idea is that losing even just an hour of sleep renders most of us in need of some extra shut-eye. If that describes you, then maybe it"s time to give napping a try.Desktop Version
Pumpkin patch
Pumpkin patch
It"s not too late to pick up a pumpkin to add some Halloween flair to your doorstep. Although pumpkins are grown across the country, most of the 2 billion pounds produced annually in the US come from five states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas. While California grows the most pumpkins headed for the jack-o"-lantern market, Illinois wins in poundage, though most of its crop ends up as pie filling or other processed products—perhaps even in your pumpkin spice latte?Desktop Version
Why does this panda cub look so happy?
Why does this panda cub look so happy?
It"s National Panda Day!Desktop Version