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A timeless view of the night sky
A timeless view of the night sky
The bright sweep of the Milky Way is especially vivid amid the mesas, canyons, and prehistoric towers of Hovenweep National Monument. Straddling the southern Colorado-Utah border, Hovenweep is so remote that almost no artificial light disturbs the view of star-filled skies. The dazzling nightscapes are little different from those seen by the Ancestral Puebloans who built these towers. They were a farming culture who first settled in the area roughly 1,100 years ago. By the late 1200s they numbered around 2,500 people and had built these and other structures in six different villages. Archaeologists offer several theories to explain the use of the buildings. Some may have been defensive fortifications, storage areas, homes, or any combination of these. But researchers suggest that the tower called Hovenweep Castle, seen here, was almost certainly used as a celestial observatory.Desktop Version
Quilts as high art
Quilts as high art
The high-contrast quilts you see here are just a few of the 651 works that were included in a 2011 exhibit of red and white quilts spanning three centuries at the American Folk Art Museum in NYC. Ever since the Whitney Museum of American Art held a quilt-focused art exhibit back in 1971, quilts have often hung in galleries and museums as artworks rather than folk crafts. For centuries, though, quilts had a much more utilitarian use—warmth. (Of course, their decorative designs added to the pleasure they gave.) Quilting has a long tradition in the United States, going back to colonial times. Quilts were created not only for bedding but also to commemorate special occasions, like a wedding or a new baby. Quilting bees brought out the whole community—including many men—to share the work.Desktop Version
Bioluminescence at Trwyn Du Lighthouse in Wales
Bioluminescence at Trwyn Du Lighthouse in Wales
Bad weather and unpredictable tides can make the Irish Sea off the northwest coast of Wales a dicey passage. Many seafaring people had urged the leaders of Anglesey Island to build a lighthouse here, but it took a deadly shipwreck in 1831 to prompt the construction of Trwyn Du Lighthouse.Desktop Version
Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
The various vacuum chambers at NASA Glenn Research Center are used to simulate the atmosphere-free vacuum of space, and how that affects various materials, constructions, and rocket propulsion. Vacuum Chamber 5 (VF-5) is one of dozens at the research center, each used for specific testing projects. The center is named for John Glenn, the senator and former astronaut who was the first American to orbit the Earth.Desktop Version
An avian predator built for the snow
An avian predator built for the snow
This striking snowy owl makes its home in the Arctic tundra, but the species is known to migrate as far south as the northern part of the contiguous United States in search of food. If you’re in snowy owl territory, keep a lookout for its signature wintry white plumage. While adult male snowy owls are almost entirely white, young owls and adult females like this one have patterns of black feathers among the snow-white plumage. All snowy owls have unmistakably golden eyes, and like other owls, they can rotate their heads about 270 degrees.Desktop Version
It’s Penguin Awareness Day
It’s Penguin Awareness Day
In honor of Penguin Awareness Day, we’re featuring the big daddy of the penguin world–the emperor penguin. At about 4 feet tall and weighing up to 100 pounds, it’s both the tallest and heaviest penguin species. The emperor is found only in Antarctica, where it endures wind chills colder than -75 degrees F and blizzard winds of more than 120 mph. It survives these harsh weather conditions by storing lots of fat underneath four layers of feathers. But the emperor penguin truly rules underwater, where it spends roughly half of its life. Studies show that an emperor can dive more than 1,700 feet below the surface, holding its breath more than 15 minutes at a time. It goes to such great depths in search of food, often for its babies back on shore.Desktop Version
Canada s $20 view
Canada s $20 view
For Canada Day, we"re looking at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. And if you"re thinking that this amazing view is worth more than $20, you"re right. But this priceless scene was once featured on Canada"s $20 bill, hence the nickname. Canada Day, celebrated on July 1, commemorates the date in 1867 when Canada was recognized as a self-governing country under the British Empire. It"s not exactly Canadian Independence Day—it marks the passing of the Constitution Act of 1867, which was the first major step toward Canada"s sovereignty.Desktop Version
Watson Lake in Granite Dells, Arizona
Watson Lake in Granite Dells, Arizona
The cliffs in the Granite Dells of central Arizona are popular with rock climbers. Watson Lake—a reservoir created when a dam was built on Granite Creek—is a draw for fishing enthusiasts and attracts many visitors with canoes, kayaks, and other water craft. If you want to blend in with the locals, take Peavine Trail from Prescott into the Granite Dells.Desktop Version
Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
Lake Serre-Ponçon, known as the ‘Sea in the Mountains,’ was formed in 1961, when the Durance River was dammed to help prevent flooding in nearby communities. It’s considered one of the largest manmade lakes in Europe and is a major source of hydroelectric power, irrigation, and tourism. The historic Chapel of St. Michel, established in 1020 and rebuilt in the 17th century, survived the flooding of the valley—but it became an island destination in the process.Desktop Version
Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia
Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia
Georgia’s largest barrier island is as rich in history as it is in nature. Here you’ll find miles of unspoiled beaches, maritime forests, and the remnants of early island inhabitants such as missionaries and cotton farmers. Only ruins remain at the site of Dungeness, a mansion built by industrialist Thomas M. Carnegie, brother of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, in the 1880s. But in its prime, the ornate 59-room residence served as a home for Carnegie’s family and their guests. These days, the island’s band of wild horses enjoys grazing at the site.Desktop Version
A stunning national park in winter white
A stunning national park in winter white
Most of us visit our national parks when the weather is warm and comfortable. But winter’s snowy landscapes and cold solitude can lend a striking beauty to the scenery and wildlife of many public lands. For example, winter is a great time to enjoy recreational snow activities at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state, pictured here peeking through the clouds at sunrise. An added winter bonus is that visitors can experience public treasures like Mount Rainier without the summertime crowds. Other parks also have distinct charms when the snow falls. Check out dramatic steaming geyser action in the brisk winter air at Yellowstone. Easily spot herds of elk and other wildlife in the snow blanket of the Grand Tetons. Or walk among the snow-capped hoodoos (towering red-rock spires) of Bryce Canyon. You may decide wintertime is the right time to visit your national parks.Desktop Version
New Year’s Day in the land of the rising sun
New Year’s Day in the land of the rising sun
Watching the first sunrise of a new year is a tradition for some, and in Japan, it’s an event. Crowds gather on mountaintops or beaches to get beautiful, unobstructed views of the new year’s first daybreak. The hikers in this photo are gathered on Japan’s Mount Fuji to watch the sunrise, but in a warmer time of year. Highly skilled mountaineers have been known to summit Mount Fuji on New Year’s Day, but dangerously high winds and bitterly cold temperatures make the peak of Mount Fuji on January 1 off limits to most of us. Of course, you don’t have to get to Japan and climb Fuji or any other mountain to watch the new year sun peek over the horizon. Maybe you are still awake from your New Year’s Eve celebration and can enjoy the sunrise just before you retire for the first official nap of 2019. Let’s make it a good one!Desktop Version
Make way for robots
Make way for robots
Happy Robotics Week! Every April, people across the country come together to educate and inspire students about the importance of robotics, which can now be found just about everywhere, contributing to almost every industry. Many people now have robots in their homes to help with simple housekeeping tasks, but robots are also capable of incredibly complex and delicate work. For example, robotic surgery allows doctors to make more precise movements than possible by a human hand. Reconnaissance robots are used by police to gather intel in situations that are too dangerous for humans. And robots are experts at rote tasks that we humans find boring, like repetitive assembly work.Desktop Version
Papa was a flightless bird
Papa was a flightless bird
Why ostriches on Father’s Day? Because male ostriches are more involved in the care and rearing of their young than many other wild animals. At night, the expectant ostrich dad sits on the eggs in the nest, his black plumage camouflaging him from predators. When the chicks hatch, papa ostrich teaches them how to forage for food and is their primary protector. Way to go, ostrich dad! We hope at least one of those baby ostriches remembers to call you today.Desktop Version
Languid life on the Lakes
Languid life on the Lakes
Surrounded by forested mountains ("fells") and lush, rolling farmlands, the lake known as Derwentwater is one of more than 30 bodies of water in North West England"s Lake District. Rounder and broader in shape than its fingerlike brethren, Derwentwater is home to several small isles like this one—though the classical estate built here is an unusual interruption of this mostly natural tableau.Desktop Version
St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
For centuries, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland was not a loud, celebratory holiday, but more of a quiet observance of the feast day on March 17. It didn’t become an official public holiday in Ireland until 1903. Then in 1996, the capital city of Dublin started embracing the way St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in the US and other places outside Ireland with large Irish populations: It began hosting a festival that’s become so popular, even government agencies housed in Dublin’s Government Buildings—seen in our photo today—get in on the fun by bathing their building’s façade in green light. A big parade and performances celebrating Irish culture are the order of the day here and at St. Patrick’s festivals throughout the country.Desktop Version
Blue paradise on the Costa Brava
Blue paradise on the Costa Brava
On Spain"s Costa Brava, about 65 miles north of Barcelona, lies a perfectly preserved medieval town just beyond the enceinte (stone wall) you see curving up the hillside. While La Vila Vella (The Old Town) traces its origins to the 12th century, it still melds beautifully with the more modern, larger city of Tossa de Mar.Desktop Version
The Big Blue of the Sierra
The Big Blue of the Sierra
High in the Sierra Nevada, straddling the border between Nevada and California, you"ll find the largest alpine lake in North America, Lake Tahoe—sometimes called Big Blue. Seventy-two miles in circumference, with an average depth of 1,000 feet, it has the sixth-largest volume of any lake in the US—only the Great Lakes are larger. For at least 6,000 years, the territory of the Washoe people centered around Lake Tahoe, but the arrival of non-native people in the 19th century led to a series of armed conflicts and eventual loss of land to farms and townships.Desktop Version
A long path to freedom
A long path to freedom
Our photo highlights Tallinn’s Old Town, a portion of the city that has managed to preserve much of its medieval structures and distinctive charm. On Estonia’s Independence Day today, people will be celebrating in Old Town and across Estonia. They have much to celebrate—Estonian independence was hard-fought. Even though the capital’s origins stretch back 900 years, Estonia didn’t declare its independence until 1918. After centuries of successive rule by a variety of foreign powers, this Baltic state’s path to freedom began in the aftermath of World War I. Estonians resisted German occupation, then fought against invading Soviet forces, eventually earning de jure independence. The independent nation eventually fell back under Soviet power in the chaos of World War II, but regained its freedom after the USSR disbanded in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. But enough of this history lesson—let’s get to the parades!Desktop Version
Happy birthday to the Peak!
Happy birthday to the Peak!
Let"s raise a pint to the Peak. Sixty-eight years ago today, on April 17, 1951, the UK officially created Peak District National Park, the country"s first. The aim was to ensure public access to the open countryside in northern England and protect it from inappropriate development. The 555-square-mile park, located mainly within the county of Derbyshire, has a mix of private and public lands. Within the park boundaries, you"ll find towns, villages, historical sites, and herds of cattle and sheep grazing in the lush hills. About 1,800 miles of hiking trails in the park traverse rolling hills, pastures, and moors. Bonus for the thirsty hiker: The trails also pass by some of the best pubs in England.Desktop Version
A story of wind and ice
A story of wind and ice
The extreme weather atop New Hampshire’s Mount Washington is a combination of the peak’s 6,288-foot elevation and its position between three storm fronts, from the Atlantic, the Gulf region, and the Pacific Northwest. Our photo today shows the Mount Washington Observatory, a private, non-profit weather and climate research facility at the summit. Two crews of scientists alternate living here every other week. For most of the winter, rime ice covers the observatory, as sub-zero water droplets instantly freeze on contact with the building façade. Not only is it cold up here; the winds can be ferocious. It was on this day in 1934 that instruments at the observatory clocked a wind speed of 231 mph. That was the fastest recorded wind speed in the world, until the record was broken in 1996 by Cyclone Olivia on Barrow Island, off the coast of Western Australia.Desktop Version
Over and under the delta
Over and under the delta
This ambitious construction project in China connects three major cities (Hong Kong, Macau, and Zuhai) on the Pearl River Delta. The Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) includes three cable bridges, and a tunnel—similar to the Chunnel between England and France—that takes commuters below the delta’s waters. The HZMB is currently the world’s longest sea-spanning bridge, with a combined length of more than 34 miles. Originally set to open in 2016, it was finally completed and open to traffic in October 2018. Would you take a ride through the tunnel under the waters of the Pearl River Delta?Desktop Version
A plot was afoot
A plot was afoot
We"re at the Roman Forum for the ides of March, a day made famous by the assassination of Julius Caesar. While Shakespeare"s Caesar was warned to "beware the ides of March," historians have never attributed the phrase to those who tipped off the actual Caesar about a plot against him. But we do know that before March 15, 44 BCE was over, Caesar was assassinated. Afterward, Rome descended into war, ending the Roman Republic and leading to the rise of the Roman Empire.Desktop Version
A universe underground
A universe underground
When Vietnamese farmer Hồ Khanh stumbled upon this cave in 1991, it was immediately clear the gaping mouth led to a huge, dark, untouched chamber, complete with a free-flowing underground river. What couldn"t have been apparent to him then was that this cave, now known as Sơn Đoòng, is by far the world"s largest by volume.Desktop Version
Feelin groovy on Record Store Day
Feelin groovy on Record Store Day
Record stores are more than just places to buy music. They create communities where music fans can browse titles, discover new sounds, and connect with each other. Record Store Day started in 2008 to celebrate the culture of independently owned record stores and the people behind them. Since then it’s grown into an international event with special vinyl and CD releases, live performances, and a designated artist ambassador. This year"s ambassador is Pearl Jam, and the hundreds of special releases include a picture disc of the "Bohemian Rhapsody" soundtrack. Visit your local record store and see what you can discover—today or any day.Desktop Version