Image of the Day
Seal of Approval
Perk up your Friday with this adorable picture of a southern elephant seal.
These photogenic creatures are prolific swimmers, able to dive as deep as 5,000 feet
(1,500 meters) and remain underwater for 20 to 30 minutes, according to experts at the World Conservation Society (WCS).
The WCS is studying southern elephant seals as part of the organization's Sea and Sky project, which helps protect the Patagonian Sea and its surrounding coastal regions, which make up one of the largest and richest marine ecosystems in the world. [Related Photos:Elephant Seals of the Antarctic]
These photogenic creatures are prolific swimmers, able to dive as deep as 5,000 feet
(1,500 meters) and remain underwater for 20 to 30 minutes, according to experts at the World Conservation Society (WCS).
The WCS is studying southern elephant seals as part of the organization's Sea and Sky project, which helps protect the Patagonian Sea and its surrounding coastal regions, which make up one of the largest and richest marine ecosystems in the world. [Related Photos:Elephant Seals of the Antarctic]
Postcard From An Expedition
The midday sun blankets the Antarctic landscape in warm colors in this eye-catching scene. The photo, taken in July, shows scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, headquartered in Germany, preparing for a day of work on the sea ice.
A team of 49 scientists and 44 crewmembers embarked on a three-month expedition to Antarctica in June. The researchers examined properties of Antarctic sea ice and studied changes in the region's ecosystems. [Related: Extreme Living – Scientists at the End of the Earth]
A team of 49 scientists and 44 crewmembers embarked on a three-month expedition to Antarctica in June. The researchers examined properties of Antarctic sea ice and studied changes in the region's ecosystems. [Related: Extreme Living – Scientists at the End of the Earth]
An Astronaut's View
La Malinche mountain, an inactive volcano in Mexico, looms large in this photo taken Oct. 29 by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. A dusting of snow at the summit, and deep canyons that cut into the flanks of the eroded volcano, can be seen in the eye-catching image.
La Malinche is a so-called stratovolcano, located approximately 19 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Puebla, Mexico. Stratovolcanoes are steep, conical structures that are composed of layers of ash, lava and rocks that were released from previous explosive eruptions.
An examination of volcanic rocks at La Malinche suggests the structure erupted near the end of the 12th century. Researchers have also found evidence of mudflows that indicate an eruption occurred about 3,100 years ago, which would have affected Pre-Columbian settlements in the nearby Puebla basin, according to NASA. [Related: The 10 Biggest Volcanic Eruptions in History]
La Malinche is a so-called stratovolcano, located approximately 19 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Puebla, Mexico. Stratovolcanoes are steep, conical structures that are composed of layers of ash, lava and rocks that were released from previous explosive eruptions.
An examination of volcanic rocks at La Malinche suggests the structure erupted near the end of the 12th century. Researchers have also found evidence of mudflows that indicate an eruption occurred about 3,100 years ago, which would have affected Pre-Columbian settlements in the nearby Puebla basin, according to NASA. [Related: The 10 Biggest Volcanic Eruptions in History]
Among the Mangroves
A medley of warm colors fills the sky in this stunning photo of the Florida Bay, which separates the main part of the state from the Florida Keys. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey captured this scene of the sun setting behind a mangrove island, at the south end of Everglades National Park.
The Everglades are complex system of interdependent ecosystems, including marshes, swamps, mangrove forests and rocklands.
Everglades National Park protects 20 percent of the original Everglades. The national park attracts about a million visitors each year, and is the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states, according to the National Park Service. Everglades National Park, which was established on Dec. 6, 1947, has also been declared an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site and a Wetland of International Importance. [Related Photos: Giant Pythons Invade Everglades]
The Everglades are complex system of interdependent ecosystems, including marshes, swamps, mangrove forests and rocklands.
Everglades National Park protects 20 percent of the original Everglades. The national park attracts about a million visitors each year, and is the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states, according to the National Park Service. Everglades National Park, which was established on Dec. 6, 1947, has also been declared an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site and a Wetland of International Importance. [Related Photos: Giant Pythons Invade Everglades]
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Bison Traffic Jam in Yellowstone
Warning: Bison in rear view mirror may be closer than they appear.
The driver of the car in the above undated photo found this out first-hand when the car was caught in a bison "traffic jam" in Yellowstone National Park.
The bison is the largest land mammal in North America. They can weigh more than half a ton. Despite their size, bison can run up to 30 mph (50 km/h). That's more than fast enough to keep up with traffic on wintery roads in Yellowstone.
This herd was large enough to intimidate, but it's a mere fraction of the Yellowstone bison population, which fluctuates between 2,300 and 4,500 animals. There are two subpopulations within Yellowstone bison, the Northern Range and Hayden Valley herds, which are divided based on their gathering for breeding.
Bison were nearly extinct in the 19th century due to hunting, slaughter and bovine diseases from domestic cattle. Today, Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 states where a population of wild bison has persisted since prehistoric times.
The driver of the car in the above undated photo found this out first-hand when the car was caught in a bison "traffic jam" in Yellowstone National Park.
The bison is the largest land mammal in North America. They can weigh more than half a ton. Despite their size, bison can run up to 30 mph (50 km/h). That's more than fast enough to keep up with traffic on wintery roads in Yellowstone.
This herd was large enough to intimidate, but it's a mere fraction of the Yellowstone bison population, which fluctuates between 2,300 and 4,500 animals. There are two subpopulations within Yellowstone bison, the Northern Range and Hayden Valley herds, which are divided based on their gathering for breeding.
Bison were nearly extinct in the 19th century due to hunting, slaughter and bovine diseases from domestic cattle. Today, Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 states where a population of wild bison has persisted since prehistoric times.
Planetary portrait
Last month, NASA's Juno spacecraft paid us a visit, flying by Earth to use the planet's gravity to boost it on its way through the solar system toJupiter. The spacecraft's onboard camera captured this haunting photo of Earth as it swung by the planet. Juno's other instruments were tested during the flyby to ensure they work as designed for close planetary encounters.
The Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 5, 2011. Juno's rocket was only capable of giving the spacecraft enough energy or speed to reach the asteroid belt, at which point the sun's gravity pulled Juno back toward the inner solar system. The spacecraft's Earth flyby helped increase its speed to put it on course to arrive at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. [Related Quiz: How Well Do You Know Our Solar System?]
The Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 5, 2011. Juno's rocket was only capable of giving the spacecraft enough energy or speed to reach the asteroid belt, at which point the sun's gravity pulled Juno back toward the inner solar system. The spacecraft's Earth flyby helped increase its speed to put it on course to arrive at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. [Related Quiz: How Well Do You Know Our Solar System?]
Hot date with the sun
Are you ready for a cosmic Thanksgiving show? The icy Comet ISON will swing around the sun today, in a well-timed Thanksgiving treat for skywatchers. Comet ISON is scheduled to pass closest to the sun Thursday at 1:38 p.m. EST (1838 GMT), coming within 684,000 miles (1.1 million kilometers) of the solar surface, according to NASA officials.
Scientists around the world will be keen to see if the comet survives its fiery encounter with the sun, or if it disintegrates into ice and dust.
This photo, taken Nov. 19, shows Comet ISON's tail as it blazes through space at 136,700 miles per hour (220,000 km/h). At the time of this image, Comet ISON was some 80 million miles (128.7 million km) from Earth, and 44 million miles (71 million km) from the sun. [Related:Comet ISON's Sun Encounter: Complete Coverage]
Scientists around the world will be keen to see if the comet survives its fiery encounter with the sun, or if it disintegrates into ice and dust.
This photo, taken Nov. 19, shows Comet ISON's tail as it blazes through space at 136,700 miles per hour (220,000 km/h). At the time of this image, Comet ISON was some 80 million miles (128.7 million km) from Earth, and 44 million miles (71 million km) from the sun. [Related:Comet ISON's Sun Encounter: Complete Coverage]
Portrait of a bear
This photogenic Andean bear flashes its best pensive look to the camera. Andean bears are the only bears native to South America, and they inhabit mountainous regions of western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Andean bears are also known as spectacled bears, because they often have light fur on their faces that resemble huge glasses. Animal conservation experts estimate there are fewer than 18,000 Andean bears are living in the wild today. Over the past few decades, this species has been affected by deforestation and habitat fragmentation. [Related: Camera Trapped - Elusive Wildlife Caught in Photos]
Andean bears are also known as spectacled bears, because they often have light fur on their faces that resemble huge glasses. Animal conservation experts estimate there are fewer than 18,000 Andean bears are living in the wild today. Over the past few decades, this species has been affected by deforestation and habitat fragmentation. [Related: Camera Trapped - Elusive Wildlife Caught in Photos]
Winter 'Wonderland of Rocks'
A dusting of snow covers the jagged rocks at Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona. This so-called "Wonderland of Rocks" is located in the Chiricahua mountain range, which stretches roughly 35 miles (56 kilometers) along southeastern Arizona.
Chiricahua National Monument is known for its columns of rock, which cover the 18-square-mile (47-square-kilometer) site. Geologists believe a volcanic eruption rocked the region more than 25 million years ago, spewing ash that cooled, hardened and eventually eroded into the structures that can be seen today. [Related: The World's Most Famous Rocks]
Chiricahua National Monument is known for its columns of rock, which cover the 18-square-mile (47-square-kilometer) site. Geologists believe a volcanic eruption rocked the region more than 25 million years ago, spewing ash that cooled, hardened and eventually eroded into the structures that can be seen today. [Related: The World's Most Famous Rocks]
Turkey Time: Wild Turkeys Rebound in US
Despite being an iconic staple of Thanksgiving dinner, the wild turkey population in the United States is alive and gobbling. They can be found strutting their stuff at wildlife refuges across the country, like the tom in the above picture was doing at New Jersey’s Edwin B. Forsythe Refuge.
The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to the United States, where the species has struggled in the past due to hunting and loss of habitat. In the early 20th century, the wild turkey population fell to around 20,000. Today, due to successful conservation efforts, the population is around 7 million.
By looking at a turkey, it's hard to tell that they would be tasty. Maleturkeys have a distinctive fleshy wattle, called a snood, that hangs from the top of the beak. Males are known as toms or gobblers and are larger and much more colorful than the females, known as hens. A baby turkey is known as a poult.
Legend has it that the turkey got its name from a similar looking variety of bird being imported to Britain from the Eastern Mediterranean, by way of Spain. The British came to associate the tbird with the country Turkey, and the name has stuck ever since.
The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to the United States, where the species has struggled in the past due to hunting and loss of habitat. In the early 20th century, the wild turkey population fell to around 20,000. Today, due to successful conservation efforts, the population is around 7 million.
By looking at a turkey, it's hard to tell that they would be tasty. Maleturkeys have a distinctive fleshy wattle, called a snood, that hangs from the top of the beak. Males are known as toms or gobblers and are larger and much more colorful than the females, known as hens. A baby turkey is known as a poult.
Legend has it that the turkey got its name from a similar looking variety of bird being imported to Britain from the Eastern Mediterranean, by way of Spain. The British came to associate the tbird with the country Turkey, and the name has stuck ever since.
Free Fallin'
Paratroopers from the Bangladesh Air Force and the U.S. Air Forcejump from a C-130 Hercules aircraft in a free-fall exercise over Bangladesh on Nov. 12, 2013.
The drill was part of an annual exercise program, called Cope South. The training program is designed to increase the troops' combat readiness, and to improve cooperation between the U.S. Air Force and the Bangladesh Air Force. [Related: 7 Technologies That Transformed Warfare]
The drill was part of an annual exercise program, called Cope South. The training program is designed to increase the troops' combat readiness, and to improve cooperation between the U.S. Air Force and the Bangladesh Air Force. [Related: 7 Technologies That Transformed Warfare]
G'day mate!
Lucky visitors at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland recently caught a glimpse of the zoo's first baby koala. Zookeepers have yet to determine the sex of the little one, but report that the baby koala has grown almost all of its fur and is becoming more active.
Some spectators at the zoo were able to see baby koala emerging from its mother's pouch. "Over the past few weeks, patient visitors have spotted a nose or a pink arm poking out," Lorna Hughes, team leader for koalas, hoofstock and primates at the Edinburgh Zoo, said in a statement. "Now you [are] more likely to see the joey's whole head or if you are very lucky the whole thing!"
The birth of the new baby koala is a first for the United Kingdom. Its mother, two-year-old Alinga, was the first female koala to arrive at the Edinburgh Zoo, according to zookeepers. [Related: 9 Weird Animal Facts]
Some spectators at the zoo were able to see baby koala emerging from its mother's pouch. "Over the past few weeks, patient visitors have spotted a nose or a pink arm poking out," Lorna Hughes, team leader for koalas, hoofstock and primates at the Edinburgh Zoo, said in a statement. "Now you [are] more likely to see the joey's whole head or if you are very lucky the whole thing!"
The birth of the new baby koala is a first for the United Kingdom. Its mother, two-year-old Alinga, was the first female koala to arrive at the Edinburgh Zoo, according to zookeepers. [Related: 9 Weird Animal Facts]
Minotaur liftoff
A spectacular rocket launch lit up the night sky along the U.S. East Coast yesterday (Nov. 19). A Minotaur 1 rocket, built by Orbital Sciences, blasted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's eastern shore, carrying 29 satellites into orbit.
Skywatchers along the U.S. East Coast — from Massachusetts to New Jersey — reported seeing the impressive night launch. Because of the rocket's trajectory, it was expected to be visible from northeastern Canada to Florida, and as far inland as Kentucky, Orbital Sciences officials said. [Related: See more amazing Minotaur 1 rocket launch photos]
Skywatchers along the U.S. East Coast — from Massachusetts to New Jersey — reported seeing the impressive night launch. Because of the rocket's trajectory, it was expected to be visible from northeastern Canada to Florida, and as far inland as Kentucky, Orbital Sciences officials said. [Related: See more amazing Minotaur 1 rocket launch photos]
Golden horizon
This breathtaking view of the horizon from Buck Hollow Overlook inShenandoah National Park is a good reminder that even city dwellers don't have to travel too far to enjoy the spoils of nature. Shenandoah National Park straddles part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, just 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Washington, D.C.
The park's scenic Skyline Drive lets visitors explore the 105-mile-long (170-kilometer-long) park, with more than 75 overlooks along the way. The park's 500 miles (800 km) of trails are also a hiker's paradise, and visitors can expect to see some of the most spectacular panoramic views of the Virginia landscape from the various peaks. [Related: Top 10 Most Visited National Parks]
The park's scenic Skyline Drive lets visitors explore the 105-mile-long (170-kilometer-long) park, with more than 75 overlooks along the way. The park's 500 miles (800 km) of trails are also a hiker's paradise, and visitors can expect to see some of the most spectacular panoramic views of the Virginia landscape from the various peaks. [Related: Top 10 Most Visited National Parks]
Frost Blankets Bison at Yellowstone
A bison in Yellowstone National Park recently awoke with a frosty blanket. What looks miserably cold to people barely registers to a bison, whose heavy fur is perfectly adapted to such wintery conditions.
The bison is the largest land mammal in North America. Bulls (what males are called) are more massive in appearance than cows (females), and more bearded. They can weigh more than half a ton. But don't be fooled by their size; bison are agile and quick and can run up to 30 mph (50 km/h).
Bison were nearly extinct in the 19th century due to hunting, slaughter and bovine diseases from domestic cattle. Today, Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 states where a population of wild bison has persisted since prehistoric times, although fewer than 50 native bison remained there in 1902. Today, the Yellowstone Park bison herd is estimated at 3,700 bison.
A place with a view
Colorado residents will likely be familiar with this pristine, sunrise view of the famous Maroon Bells, two peaks in the rugged Elk Mountains of west-central Colorado. Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak — collectively known as the Maroon Bells — are located about 12 miles southwest of Aspen, in the White River National Forest.
The two mountains, which are separated by roughly a third of a mile, are composed of Paleozoic Era-mudstone and sandstone that hardened into rock over the course of millions of years. Both Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak have summit elevations over 14,000 feet (4,200 meters), and represent the 27th and 50th highest peaks in Colorado, respectively.
This southwest view of the Maroon Bells, looking across an unbelievably still Maroon Lake, is touted as one of the most photographed spots in Colorado. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey captured this scene in January 2010. [Related: One-of-a-Kind Places on Earth]
The two mountains, which are separated by roughly a third of a mile, are composed of Paleozoic Era-mudstone and sandstone that hardened into rock over the course of millions of years. Both Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak have summit elevations over 14,000 feet (4,200 meters), and represent the 27th and 50th highest peaks in Colorado, respectively.
This southwest view of the Maroon Bells, looking across an unbelievably still Maroon Lake, is touted as one of the most photographed spots in Colorado. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey captured this scene in January 2010. [Related: One-of-a-Kind Places on Earth]
Welcome to the (concrete) jungle
A pair of adorable snow leopard cubs made their debut at the Central Park Zoo in New York City earlier this month. The still-unnamed male and female cubs were born this summer, and are the first snow leopard cubs ever born at the Central Park Zoo, according to officials at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
The litter is the result of a successful pairing between a seven-year-old female, Zoe, and a six-year-old male, Askai. Both adult snow leopardsare first-time parents, WCS officials said in a statement.
Currently, the cubs weigh about 30 pounds (14 kilograms) each, but they can reach up to 120 pounds (54 kg) when fully grown. Snow leopards are among the world's most endangered big cats, and conservation experts estimate roughly 3,500 to 6,500 remain in the wild. These animals are typically found in the remote mountains of Central Asia, and parts of China, Mongolia, Russia, India and Bhutan. [Related: World's Cutest Baby Wild Animals]
The litter is the result of a successful pairing between a seven-year-old female, Zoe, and a six-year-old male, Askai. Both adult snow leopardsare first-time parents, WCS officials said in a statement.
Currently, the cubs weigh about 30 pounds (14 kilograms) each, but they can reach up to 120 pounds (54 kg) when fully grown. Snow leopards are among the world's most endangered big cats, and conservation experts estimate roughly 3,500 to 6,500 remain in the wild. These animals are typically found in the remote mountains of Central Asia, and parts of China, Mongolia, Russia, India and Bhutan. [Related: World's Cutest Baby Wild Animals]
18 of 26
NASA has revealed a stunning natural-color panoramic mosaic of Saturn, along with its rings and moons, as they'd look to human eyes. The majestic image, which also shows Earth, Venus and Mars, was snapped by NASA's Cassini spacecraft and unveiled at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12, 2013.
"In this one magnificent view, Cassini has delivered to us a universe of marvels," Carolyn Porco, Cassini's imaging team lead at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., said in a NASA statement. "And it did so on a day people all over the world, in unison, smiled in celebration at the sheer joy of being alive on a pale blue dot."
Porco and colleagues processed 141 wide-angle images to create this space-scape, which sweeps 404,880 miles (651,591 kilometers) across Saturn and its inner ring system out to the planet's second-outermost ring (the E ring). According to NASA, the distance between Earth and its moon would fit easily inside the span of Saturn's E ring.
"In this one magnificent view, Cassini has delivered to us a universe of marvels," Carolyn Porco, Cassini's imaging team lead at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., said in a NASA statement. "And it did so on a day people all over the world, in unison, smiled in celebration at the sheer joy of being alive on a pale blue dot."
Porco and colleagues processed 141 wide-angle images to create this space-scape, which sweeps 404,880 miles (651,591 kilometers) across Saturn and its inner ring system out to the planet's second-outermost ring (the E ring). According to NASA, the distance between Earth and its moon would fit easily inside the span of Saturn's E ring.
Where the glacier meets the sea
Last year, NASA's airborne research program conducted flights over the Arctic to assess the health of the ice in this fast-changing region. The agency's Operation IceBridge campaign is a six-year mission to study the complex dynamics of ice at the Earth's poles, in order to help scientists determine how melting ice sheets might elevate sea levels, and how fast sea ice is likely to retreat in the future.
This image was captured during an IceBridge flight over Greenland on April 25, 2012. A camera aboard NASA's P-3B aircraft snapped the photo of a glacier in eastern Greenland, flowing through a long and narrow valley that was carved by the movement of the ice. A layer of floating ice dotted with chunks of icebergs can be seen where the edge of the glacier meets the sea.
This month, Operation IceBridge researchers will kick off another season of monitoring ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice from the air. For the first time, however, the mission will be based in Antarctica, which will enable scientists to survey parts of the continent not visited on previous IceBridge campaigns. [Related: Stunning Photos of Antarctic
This image was captured during an IceBridge flight over Greenland on April 25, 2012. A camera aboard NASA's P-3B aircraft snapped the photo of a glacier in eastern Greenland, flowing through a long and narrow valley that was carved by the movement of the ice. A layer of floating ice dotted with chunks of icebergs can be seen where the edge of the glacier meets the sea.
This month, Operation IceBridge researchers will kick off another season of monitoring ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice from the air. For the first time, however, the mission will be based in Antarctica, which will enable scientists to survey parts of the continent not visited on previous IceBridge campaigns. [Related: Stunning Photos of Antarctic
Great Blue Heron Snags a Snake Snack
Of course, the early bird gets the worm, but in the above photo that worm turned out to be a snake.
Photographer Gary Davenport’s stunning close-up photo of a great blue heron and a hapless garter snake took honorable mention in the 2013 Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge photo contest. First place was awarded to a photograph of a pair of camouflaged raccoons. Photographs of coyotes and a stunning array of birds, including others with food on their minds, were also honored in the contest. To see more photos from the contest click here.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge was established in Oregon's Willamette Valley in 1965 to protect a habitat for wintering waterfowl. The refuge spans some 5,300 acres of marshes, grasslands and woodlands.
Thousands of ducks, geese and swans winter on the Refuge. The all-star of the refuge is the dusky Canada goose, whose nesting areas in Alaska were harmed by an earthquake in 1964.
Photographer Gary Davenport’s stunning close-up photo of a great blue heron and a hapless garter snake took honorable mention in the 2013 Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge photo contest. First place was awarded to a photograph of a pair of camouflaged raccoons. Photographs of coyotes and a stunning array of birds, including others with food on their minds, were also honored in the contest. To see more photos from the contest click here.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge was established in Oregon's Willamette Valley in 1965 to protect a habitat for wintering waterfowl. The refuge spans some 5,300 acres of marshes, grasslands and woodlands.
Thousands of ducks, geese and swans winter on the Refuge. The all-star of the refuge is the dusky Canada goose, whose nesting areas in Alaska were harmed by an earthquake in 1964.
Little bundle of joy
The Edinburgh Zoo recently celebrated the arrival of a new pygmy hippo calf. The female calf was born on Oct. 27, and has been named Adana by her keepers, which is a West African name meaning "her father's daughter."
Zookeepers at the Edinburgh Zoo said Adana is still a little shy, but has started to venture into the indoor pool. "Growing in confidence every day, Adana has ventured into the water under the watchful eye of mum," Lorna Hughes, team leader for primates and hoofstock at the Edinburgh Zoo, said in a statement. "Even though pygmy hippos are incredible swimmers, it's a little known fact the hippo calves need to be taught how to swim by their mothers."
Pygmy hippos are native to West Africa, but are endangered due to hunting and habitat loss. As part of the European Breeding Programme, 18 pygmy hippos have been born and raised at the Edinburgh Zoo since the 1970s. [Related: World's Cutest Baby Wild Animals]
Zookeepers at the Edinburgh Zoo said Adana is still a little shy, but has started to venture into the indoor pool. "Growing in confidence every day, Adana has ventured into the water under the watchful eye of mum," Lorna Hughes, team leader for primates and hoofstock at the Edinburgh Zoo, said in a statement. "Even though pygmy hippos are incredible swimmers, it's a little known fact the hippo calves need to be taught how to swim by their mothers."
Pygmy hippos are native to West Africa, but are endangered due to hunting and habitat loss. As part of the European Breeding Programme, 18 pygmy hippos have been born and raised at the Edinburgh Zoo since the 1970s. [Related: World's Cutest Baby Wild Animals]
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Somewhere over the rainbow
An eye-catching rainbow lights up the sky over Eagle, Alaska. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey snapped this pretty shot in June 2002, during a research trip to the Alaskan outpost.
Eagle is located on the southern bank of the Yukon River, near the border between Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory. Eagle is home to roughly 86 people, and the city has a total area of 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers), according to the 2010 United States Census. [Related Images: Amazing Rainbows!]
Eagle is located on the southern bank of the Yukon River, near the border between Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory. Eagle is home to roughly 86 people, and the city has a total area of 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers), according to the 2010 United States Census. [Related Images: Amazing Rainbows!]
Rare solar eclipse
On Nov. 3, the moon passed in front of the sun, blocking its light in a rare celestial event known as a hybrid solar eclipse. The hybrid eclipse began as an annular, or "ring of fire," eclipse along the path of totality, then shifted to a total eclipse, as the sun became fully obscured by the moon.
The celestial event, which was visible from eastern North America to the Middle East, was also spotted by the Suomi NPP satellite in orbit. The satellite snapped this image of the moon's shadow over the Gulf of Guinea, extending into western Africa. Three orbits of the Suomi NPP satellite are displayed in this image, each separated by approximately 97 minutes. [Related: The 7 Most Famous Solar Eclipses in History]
The celestial event, which was visible from eastern North America to the Middle East, was also spotted by the Suomi NPP satellite in orbit. The satellite snapped this image of the moon's shadow over the Gulf of Guinea, extending into western Africa. Three orbits of the Suomi NPP satellite are displayed in this image, each separated by approximately 97 minutes. [Related: The 7 Most Famous Solar Eclipses in History]
Eyes over Antarctica
NASA scientists snapped this pristine shot while flying over Antarcticain December 2012. The researchers surveyed the ice sheet and mountains from a U.S. Air National Guard LC-130 aircraft.
Next week, NASA's Operation IceBridge will kick off a new season of monitoring ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice. This year, the mission will be stationed in Antarctica for the first time, enabling researchers to conduct more science on longer flights over the icy continent. Previously, Operation IceBridge flights took off from Punta Arenas in southern Chile. [Related Images: NASA's IceBridge in Action Over Antarctica]
Next week, NASA's Operation IceBridge will kick off a new season of monitoring ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice. This year, the mission will be stationed in Antarctica for the first time, enabling researchers to conduct more science on longer flights over the icy continent. Previously, Operation IceBridge flights took off from Punta Arenas in southern Chile. [Related Images: NASA's IceBridge in Action Over Antarctica]
Oh, What A Night At Arches National Park
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Pennsylvania's Fall Colors from Space
The colors of autumn sweep across the northeastern United States in this satellite image. Between mid-September to late October, forests in central Pennsylvania transform into a symphony of reds, yellow and browns, as temperatures fall and the days grow shorter in the northern hemisphere.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured this photo on Oct. 21, 2013, when fall colors were at or just past their peak in central and eastern Pennsylvania. The forests along the ridge lines of the Appalachian Mountains were the most colorful. [Related: The Rich Colors of Fall Foliage]
NASA's Aqua satellite captured this photo on Oct. 21, 2013, when fall colors were at or just past their peak in central and eastern Pennsylvania. The forests along the ridge lines of the Appalachian Mountains were the most colorful. [Related: The Rich Colors of Fall Foliage]
Autumn Equinox: 5 Odd Facts About Fall
| A carpet of fallen leave beneath nearly bare trees, with green grass in the background serving as a memory of summer gone by. Credit: goran cakmazovic | shutterstock |
The pools have closed and crisp temperatures and crunchy leaves are on their way. Today (Sept. 22) marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall, also called the autumn equinox, in the Northern Hemisphere.
The autumn equinox occurs today at 4:44 p.m. EDT (20:44 UTC) when the sun is directly in line with Earth's celestial equator, or the equator projected onto the sky. Day and night last about equally long on Sunday, with about 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. This same phenomenon occurs on the spring equinox, which will next occur on March 20.
The date of the fall equinox (and its spring counterpart) varies slightly each year, sometimes falling on the 23rd or 24th depending on the quirks of the calendar, along with Earth's slightly irregular orbit. Here are five surprising facts about fall and the autumn equinox.
1. Amazing light shows
In addition to the brilliant colors of fall leaves, the autumn equinox signals another colorful spectacle — the aurora borealis, also called theNorthern Lights. Besides the lengthening of nights and cool evening weather, which are great for stargazers, autumn truly is "aurora season," according to NASA. That's because geomagnetic storms are about twice as frequent as the annual average during the fall. [Aurora Photos: Northern Lights Dazzle in Night-Sky Images]
Particles that get discharged from the sun during such geomagnetic storms zip toward Earth at breakneck speed. As the particles slam into Earth's magnetic field, they bump into atoms and molecules of oxygen, nitrogen and other elements. The result? Dazzling light shows, with hues most commonly of pink, green, yellow, blue, violet and occasionally orange and white — depending on what elements the particles collide with.
2. Animals respond, testes swell
Living things respond to the light changes that come with fall, with trees shedding their leaves and animals preparing for hibernation. Fall can bring an especially noticeable change to the high-attitude-livingmale Siberian hamster. That's because the rodent's testes swell up 17 times their size from short days to long; the swelling allows, in part, the animals to time reproduction properly.
Hamsters aren't the only creatures to herald in fall in strange ways. When autumn hits, the black-capped chickadee goes gangbusters collecting seeds and hiding them in hundreds of different spots in trees and on the ground. At the same time, the tiny bird's hippocampus balloons by 30 percent as new nerve cells pop up in this part of the brain, which is responsible for spatial organization and memory.
3. Full moon named for autumn
Autumn gets its own full moon, the Harvest Moon. From Wolf and Sturgeon to Hunter and Harvest, full moons are named for the month or season in which they rise. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which occurred on the night of Sept. 18-19 this year.
Before artificial lighting, farmers took advantage of the full moon's light to harvest their crops. In late summer and early autumn, many crops ripen all at once, making lots of work for farmers who had to stay in the fields after sundown to harvest all the goods. Such moonlight became essential to their harvest, and the Harvest Moon emerged, according to NASA.
4. Why fall leaves may fade
Climate change may dull the picture most synonymous with autumn — fall leaves. Leaves change their wardrobes in response to chilly temperatures and less light (as days begin to shorten); they stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment that helps leaves capture sunlight to power photosynthesis. As green fades, the leave's other pigments, such as the orange and yellow of carotenoids shine through. Vibrant red hues are the result of anthocyanins, pigments that are produced in the fall. [Photos of Turning Leaves: The Rich Colors of Fall Foliage]
These autumn colors could be some of the casualties of global warming, say scientists. Research has shown as the world warms, fall-colored leaves are delayed since their cues to change color come partly from cooling temperatures.
Fall's cool nights and sunny days also help to trigger trees like the sugar maple to store their anthocyanins temporarily in their leaves, giving leaf peepers a show of red. But if global warming leads to warmer nights, paired with autumn's shortening days, trees may not use their sugars to make red pigments, instead sending that fuel to twigs or burning it off, according to Howie Neufeld, a plant physiologist at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Climate change may also alter suitable habitats for trees like the sugar maple known to be big players in fall's vibrant colors.
5. When is the equinox?
The autumnal equinox falls on different dates
each year, usually Sept. 22, like this year, or Sept. 23; but in 1931, the equinox happened on Sept. 24. The reason: The Gregorian calendar doesn't match up perfectly with the position of Earth in its orbit around the sun.
As Earth orbits the sun, it revolves around its axis at a 23.5-degree angle so that it is pointed directly toward the sun at the summer solstice, directly away from the sun during the winter solstice, and at a right angle with the sun on the equinoxes; that right angle means the sun shines about equal amounts of light across the Northern Hemisphere on the equinoxes. If this trek around the sun took exactly 365 days, Earth would be in its autumn equinox position on the same day each year. Since Earth takes 365.25 days to make a complete journey around the sun, the date is slightly different each year. The fall equinox won't happen again on Sept. 24 until 2303.
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The Spectacular Colors of Fall
Fall is here and the leaves are beginning to turn, with trees taking on golden, amber and scarlet hues. Feast your eyes on all the seasonal beauty that autumn has to offer with our gallery of fall foliage images.
English Autumn
Amber leaves are scattered over the emerald moss of Stock Ghyll, a tributary of the River Rothay in the English Lake District.
Golden Yellow
In the above photo, the fallen bright yellow leaves that herald autumn mix with the vivid green grass left over from summer.
Autumn Alley
A Superior View
This picturesque shot captured the colorful landscape surrounding the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota.
Fall in Portugal
Plum-colored leaves litter the ground at Peneda-Geres National Park, which is located in the northwest of Portugal and is the only national park in the country.
A Rainbow of Autumn Colors
The foliage of Hocking Hills is so breathtaking the fall time that it's known as Southeastern Ohio's Scenic Wonderland.
Rustic Rivulet
In the above photo, the sun shines through the caramel-colored leaves of trees surrounding a flowing country creek.
Foliage and Fog
This serene shot shows fog drifting over a remote pond's surface, with the vivid colors of the surrounding hills reflecting in its waters.
Scarlet-Tipped Sumac
The leaves of staghorn sumac trees gradually turn a brilliant red ascool autumn temperatures creep in.
Crimson Tree
Fall Colors in Minnesota
Sunny Autumn Morning
Tranquil Water and Technicolor Leaves
Plumas County, located in Sierra Nevada Calif., boasts plenty of fall flavor. From the low-growing Indian rhubarb to the mighty English maples, the plants in this region get ready for the winter with a cornucopia of colors.
Bursts of Color
The flashy autumn colors of the New Jersey landscape rival the rainbow hues of an overhead hot air balloon. Peak leaf viewing time in Northwest New Jersey usually occurs during the first two weeks of October.
A Quiet Beauty
Canada's Prince Edward Island has breath-taking fall foliage, with some of its best views showcased along a series of back country drives knows as the Scenic Heritage Roads. These remote roads are made of red clay that matches the leaves' hues, and trees often meet over the throughways, creating a tunnel of autumn color.
Maine Lakeside
This gorgeous view was captured toward the southern end of Route 17, near Rumford, Maine. Located in the Rangeley region of the state's western edge, the trees in this area generally peak around the first week of October.
Peek-a-Boo Pines
The above photo, snapped during early October in Minnesota, capturescolorful fall foliage along the side of a mountain, with several evergreen trees peeking through the saffron leaves
Postcard Perfect
The above photo shows a picturesque mix of coral, chartreuse, peach, pale yellow and crimson leaves.
Orange Road
The trees lining this peaceful path have almost all turned a deep ginger hue, save for a few stubborn green trees that are still holding out for autumn.
Into the Woods
This spectacular shot from atop a mountainside shows rich fall foliage creeping in along the edges of a forest, showing signs that autumn is approaching.
Tranquil Japanese Garden
Built in 1903, the world-famous Butchart Gardens, located in Brentwood Bay in British Columbia, Canada, boasts lavish floral displaygardens and a wide array of trees. Shown above is the treasured estate's Japanese garden.
All Ablaze
Japanese maple trees turn bright cherry red a darker wine color when autumn rolls around. Trees get their crimson hue from a pigment called anthocyanin, the same nutritious pigment that lends red cabbage its intense color. Maples produce anthocyanin during autumn to serve as a kind of antioxidant for the trees.
An Autumn Bouquet
Holding On
Stroll Through the Park
View from the Balcony
This view from a terrace highlights the coral and canary yellow colors of trees and shrubbery in Kyoto, Japan.
Looking Up
A view of autumn treetops, with various types of trees each changing their own unique shade of fall thanks to the breakdown of chlorophyll, the pigment that lends leaves their original green color
Crimson Carpet
A carpet of fallen leave beneath nearly bare trees, with green grass in the background serving as a memory of summer gone by.
Adirondacks Autumn
This magnificent view shows the multihued beauty of the Adirondacks, a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York. In this region, the fall foliage peaks during the last two weeks of September.
Why Fall Colors Are Different in U.S. and Europe
| While leaves in the United States turn yellow, orange and red in the autumn, those in Europe only turn yellow. Credit: stockxpert |
The riot of color that erupts in forests every autumn looks different depending on which side of the ocean you're on.
While the fall foliage in North America and East Asia takes on a fiery red hue, perplexingly, autumn leaves in Europe are mostly yellow in color.
A team of researchers has a new idea as to why the autumnal colors differ between the continents, one that involved taking a step back 35 million years in time.
Pigment processes
The green color of leaves during the spring and summer is a result of the presence of the pigment chlorophyll, which allows plants to capture sunlight and produce energy by the process of photosynthesis.
When the weather begins to turn cool in the fall, chlorophyll, which is sensitive to the cold, stops being produced. As the green fades, yellow and orange pigments called carotenoids (also responsible for the orange color of carrots) take over. These pigments were always present in the background of the leaves' color, but can finally shine through as the green diminishes.
While this process has long been known to scientists, the mechanism that results in red hues has proved trickier to understand, particularly because of the energy the tree must use to produce them at a time when the leaves are about to die anyway.
The red color comes from anthocyanins, which unlike carotenoids are produced only in the fall. These red pigments act as sunscreen for the trees by blocking out harmful radiation and preventing overexposure to light. They also act as an antifreeze, preventing leaf cells from freezing easily in the autumn chill.
Some scientists have even suggested that the red colors ward off pests that would munch on the leaves if they were a more appetizing-looking yellow. It's from this premise that scientists figured out what might be going on.
Color evolution
Until 35 million years ago, the idea goes, large areas of the globe were covered with evergreen jungles or forests composed of tropical trees, say Simcha Lev-Yadun of the University of Haifa-Oranim in Israel and Jarmo Holopainen of the University of Kuopio in Finland. During this phase, a series of ice ages and dry spells transpired, and many tree species evolved to become deciduous, dropping their leaves for winter.
Many of these trees also began an evolutionary process of producing red deciduous leaves in order to ward off insects, the researchers say.
In North America, as in East Asia, north-to-south mountain chains enabled plant and animal 'migration' to the south or north with the advance and retreat of the ice according to the climatic fluctuations. And, of course, along with them migrated their insect 'enemies'. Thus the war for survival continued there uninterrupted.
In Europe, on the other hand, the mountains – the Alps and their lateral branches – reach from east to west, and therefore no protected areas were created. Many tree species that did not survive the severe cold died, and with them the insects that depended on them for survival.
At the end of the repeated ice ages, most tree species that had survived in Europe had no need to cope with many of the insects that had become extinct, and therefore no longer had to expend efforts on producing red warning leaves.
To back up this theory, the researchers offer an example of the exception that proves the rule: Dwarf shrubs, which grow in Scandinavia, still color their leaves red in autumn.
Unlike trees, dwarf shrubs have managed to survive the ice ages under a layer of snow that covered them and protected them from the extreme conditions above. Under the blanket of snow, the insects that fed off the shrubs were also protected – so the battle with insects continued in these plants, making it necessary for them to color their leaves red, the thinking goes.
Why Autumn Begins Tuesday
| he height of the noon sun on the winter solstice, as seen from 44 degrees north latitude. The actual height of the sun above your local horizon depends on your latitude, but the total difference between the winter and summer height of the noon sun, for all latitudes, is 47 degrees. Credit: Starry Night Software |
The first day of autumn — Sept. 22 this year — is no guarantee of fall-like weather, but officially the season's start comes around at the same time each year nonetheless.
Well, sort of.
The first day of autumn arrives on varying dates in different years for two reasons: Our year is not exactly an even number of days; and Earth's slightly noncircular orbit, plus the gravitational tug of the other planets, constantly changes our planet's orientation to the sun from year to year.
And weather-wise, Earth's seasons have shifted in the past 150 years or so, according to a study that came out earlier this year. The hottest and coldest days of the years now are occurring almost two days earlier.
This year, fall starts Tuesday, because that is when the so-called autumnal equinox occurs (at 5:18 p.m. EDT). Equinoxes (which mark the onset of spring and autumn) and solstices (which mark when summer and winter begin) are points in time and space that mark a transition in our planet's annual trip around the sun.
At each equinox, the sun crosses the Earth's equator, making night and day of approximately equal length on most of the planet (from the Latin, equinox means "equal night"). At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on either equinox.
How it works
Earth's multiple motions — spinning on its axis and orbiting the sun — are behind everything from day and night to the changing seasons.
The sun comes up each day because Earth rotates once on its axis every 24 hours or so. Seasons are a result of Earth being tilted 23.5 degrees on its spin axis coupled with the planet's 365-day orbit around the sun.
(At the North Pole, the sun rises only once a year — at the start of spring. It gets higher in the sky each day until the summer solstice, then sinks but does not truly set until late September, at the autumn equinox.)
Imagine Earth as an apple sitting on one side of a table, with the stem being the North Pole. Tilt the apple 23.5 degrees so the stem points toward a candle (the sun) at the center of the table. That's summer for the top half of the apple.
Keep the stem pointing in the same direction but move the apple to the other side of the table: Now the stem points away from the candle, and it's winter on the top half of the fruit. The very top of the apple, representing the north polar region, is in total darkness 24 hours a day, during that season.
At winter solstice, the sun arcs low across the Northern Hemisphere sky for those of us below the Arctic Circle, and the stretch of daylight is at its shortest. By the time of the spring equinox, days have grown noticeably longer. At the summer solstice, the sun gets as high in our sky as it can go, yielding the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. And another quarter of the way around, at the autumnal equinox, the planet's axis is again pointing neither toward or away from the sun.
As long ago as the fourth century B.C., ancient peoples in the Americas understood enough of this that they could create giant calendars to interact with the cycle of sunlight. They built observatories of stone to mark the solstices and other times important for planting or harvesting crops. Shrines and even tombs were also designed with the sun in mind.
More seasonal facts
As we orbit the sun, the part of the night sky that's in our view changes. A given star sets about 4 minutes earlier each night. Over a month, this amounts to two hours. In winter, this means that we're looking at stars that during the summer were in our daytime sky, overwhelmed of course by the glare of the sun. Since we complete a circle around the sun every year, the stars of summer, such as those in the Big Dipper, are always the stars of summer.
During summer on the top half of Earth, our planet is actually farther from the sun than during winter, a fact owing to our non-circular orbit around the sun. The difference is about 3 million miles (5 million kilometers), and it makes a difference in radiant heat received by the entire Earth of nearly 7 percent. But the difference is more than made up for by the longer days in the Northern Hemisphere summer with the sun higher in the sky.
Which brings up a common question: If the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, why are the dog days of August typically hotter? It takes a while for the oceans to warm up, and a lot of weather on land is driven by the heat of the oceans.
North vs. South Poles: 10 Wild Differences
Meltdown
Credit: AP/John McConnicoThe Arctic has a normal melting cycle in which about half of the ice packdisappears in the summer, only to grow back to the size of the United States during the winter. Still, an alarming recent study determined that the 2-mile-thick ice sheet in Greenland is melting so rapidly that half of it could be gone by the end of the century. Other studies have found that the entire Arctic could be ice-free during summer in a few decades. Lately, research has also found that the Antarctic is alsolosing ice, which if all melted (no one expects this to happen anytime soon), would cause sea levels to rise roughly 200 feet.
1-Polar Opposites
Credit: NOAAThe Arctic region is essentially a frozen ocean surrounded by land. Conversely, Antarctica is a continent—with mountain ranges and lakes—surrounded by an ocean. Socially and politically, though, the Arctic region includes the northern territories of Canada, Greenland (a territory of Denmark), Russia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the United States.
Most Ice
Credit: NOAAThe southernmost continent has roughly 90 percent of the world’s ice, which amounts to nearly three quarters of the Earth’s fresh water being locked away there. This has led some to float the idea of towing icebergs to quench dry, drought-stricken areas. In fact, Prince Mohammed al Faisal of Saudi Arabia once considered a plan to find a 100 million-ton iceberg off Antarctica and tow it to the Arabian peninsula.
No-Man’s Land
Credit: National Science FoundationDespite symbolic images of past explorers triumphantly planting flags at the South Pole, the continent remains the only place on Earth not owned by anyone. It has no history of native peoples and is governed by the Antarctic treaty, which maintains that the land and resources be used for peaceful and scientific purposes. This is in stark contrast to the more than 4 million people living within the Arctic circle in several small towns as well as major cities such as Barrow, Alaska; Tromso, Norway; and Muramansk and Salekhaard in Russia.
Black Gold
Credit: APEnergy-hungry nations are forging northward as an estimated one quarter of all untapped oil reserves lie north of the Arctic circle, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Russia has taken the bold step of laying claim to a large swath of the Arctic region in hopes of exploring gas deposits in the Lomonosov Ridge—a 1,200-mile underwater mountain range purported to hold up to 10 billion tons of the coveted resource. Even the U.S. is getting involved, sending anicebreaker ship to map out their Arctic territory off Alaska. While it is believed by some that deposits of petroleum exist in the southern continental shelf, such as the area under the Ross Sea, the Antarctic Treaty makes oil drilling momentarily off-limits.
Penguins and Polar Bears
Credit: AP Photo/Xinhua/Zhang Zongtang & Scott Schliebe/USFWSChristmas cards and Coke commercials can be blamed for the misconception that polar bears and penguins live in the same frigid neighborhood. If penguins of the Antarctic and Artic-dwelling polar bears ever did cross the same frozen paths, the waddling birds would make for very easy prey for the giant bears. But since penguins needn’t worry about land predators, they have adapted their wings into paddle-like flippers to maneuver through the ocean.
Santa Claus’ Address
Credit: Santa Claus HouseEvery Christmas, thousands of letters mailed to Santa Claus do make it to the North Pole... North Pole, Alaska that is. The small town of roughly 1,778 people advertises its ZIP code as the ZIP code of Santa. The Holiday spirit is felt year-round as candy-cane striped street lights keep things moving along festive places such as St. Nicholas Drive, Snowman Lane and Kris Kringle Drive.
Battle of the Brrr
Credit: National Science FoundationThe Antarctic is so cold that the snow never melts in many areas of the continent. The region's average temperature is about -56 degrees Fahrenheit (-49 degrees Celsius), making it the coldest climate on earth. In contrast, the Arctic's average winter temperature is -29 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius), but it gets warmer in the summer. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -128 degrees Fahrenheit (-89.6 degrees Celsius), recorded July 21, 1983, at the Vostok Station located near the South Geomagnetic Pole.
The Ozone Hole
While the Antarctic has an ozone hole that has grown to about three times the size of the United States’ land mass, the Arctic is losing ozone coverage as well. In truth, there is no actual hole; the "hole" is a region of severely depleted ozone, a chemical that helps protect the planet from harmful solar radiation. Ozone losses in the Northern Hemisphere are lower than in the Southern because warmer Arctic temperatures limit the formation of polar stratospheric clouds that destroy ozone. But temperatures in the stratosphere, high above the Arctic, have gradually cooled over the last decade, resulting in increased ozone loss.
