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Apr 30, 2015
Nothing compares to the golden hour at #GoldenGate National Recreation Area in #California. Photographer Eric DaBreo was in search of the the perfect #sunset when he took this pic of the Golden Gate Bridge from @goldengatenationalparks' Marshall Beach. Photo from http://ift.tt/18oFfjl. by usinterior
Congrats the winner of the Share the Experience photo contest! 📷Gregory Cameron Teller took home the contest's grand prize for his touching photo of a baby #polarbear and its mama at #Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in #Alaska -- an honor that includes having his photo appear on the 2016 America the Beautiful #publiclands pass. This was Teller's first time visiting the #wildliferefuge, and of the experience, he says, “We stayed a couple of days in a village in the refuge where bears frequented this part of the landscape. Moments with mothers and their cubs were just perfect; especially this shot as the cub reached up to his mother.” #FindYourPark by usinterior
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Apr 29, 2015
At 3,000 vertical feet above the #ColoradoRiver, the sheer drop from #Toroweap Overlook offers a dramatic view of the #GrandCanyon below. The volcanic cinder cones and lava flows in this ancestral home of the Southern Paiute people make this area unique. A visit to @grandcanyonnps's Toroweap provides an opportunity for an uncrowded, rustic and remote experience. Access is challenging and demands skill at negotiating difficult roadways. First light over Grand Canyon #NationalPark courtesy of Taylor Franta. by usinterior
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Apr 28, 2015
While the still blue waters of #CraterLake astonish visitors during the day, it's the dark sky with millions of #stars that leaves visitors awestruck during nights. Seen in this picture is the Sagittarius arm of #MilkyWay stretching over #WizardIsland at Crater Lake #NationalPark in #Oregon. The green light on the horizon -- that's a phenomenon called airglow. Photo by Sankar Salvady (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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The 31,000 acre #GraniteMountainWilderness, a part of the Bureau of Land Management's National #Conservation Lands, is located in #California’s eastern #Sierra near Mono Lake and Lee Vining. The area has a varied landscape of open alluvial basins, basaltic plateaus and granite ridges, and sagebrush steppe. Photo of the #fullmoon rising by Bob Wick, BLM (@mypubliclands). by usinterior
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Space Station over Lunar Terminator Space Station over Lunar Terminator
What's that in front of the Moon? It's the International Space Station. Using precise timing, the Earth-orbiting space platform was photographed in front of a partially lit Moon last year. The featured image was taken from Madrid, Spain with an exposure time of only 1/1000 of a second. In contrast, the duration of the transit of the ISS across the entire Moon was about half a second. The sun-glinting station can be seen just to the dark side of the day / night line known as the terminator. Numerous circular craters are visible on the distant Moon, as well as comparatively rough, light colored terrain known as highlands, and relatively smooth, dark colored areas known as maria. On-line tools can tell you when the International Space Station will be visible from your area. via NASA http://ift.tt/1KmcckE
Apr 27, 2015
Here’s some serious cute for your Monday evening! Meet B327 -- a 3 to 4-week-old baby #bobcat at #SantaMonicaMountains National Recreation Area in #California. The park’s biologists recently ear-tagged this kitten and her sister as part of a 20-year-long study of how urbanization has affected bobcats in the #SantaMonica Mountains and surrounding area. Biologists have been tracking the mom, B255, since 2010 and tagged her kittens while she was away from the den. The ear tags will help identify the cats in remote camera images. Photo by #NationalPark Service. 🐯🐯 #nature #wildlife #cute by usinterior
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A rugged, whitewater river flowing northward through deep canyons, the #NewRiver is among the oldest rivers on the continent. #NewRiverGorge National River in #WestVirginia encompasses over 70,000 acres of land along the New River, is rich in cultural and natural history, and offers an abundance of scenic and recreational opportunities. Photo of #SandstoneFalls -- the largest #waterfall on the New River -- by Adam Jewell (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Planetary Nebula Mz3: The Ant Nebula Planetary Nebula Mz3: The Ant Nebula
Why isn't this ant a big sphere? Planetary nebula Mz3 is being cast off by a star similar to our Sun that is, surely, round. Why then would the gas that is streaming away create an ant-shaped nebula that is distinctly not round? Clues might include the high 1000-kilometer per second speed of the expelled gas, the light-year long length of the structure, and the magnetism of the star visible above at the nebula's center. One possible answer is that Mz3 is hiding a second, dimmer star that orbits close in to the bright star. A competing hypothesis holds that the central star's own spin and magnetic field are channeling the gas. Since the central star appears to be so similar to our own Sun, astronomers hope that increased understanding of the history of this giant space ant can provide useful insight into the likely future of our own Sun and Earth. via NASA http://ift.tt/1E7nJCe
Apr 26, 2015
Part of the #GlenCanyon National Recreation Area, #HorseshoeBend is one of the most photographed areas on the #ColoradoRiver. Whether it’s your first or hundredth visit to this awe-inspiring place, you are guaranteed to see something new. The colors of the rocks change throughout the day, the shadows move in and out of the canyons, and as the river flows, it sparkles and shines in different shades of green and blue. #Sunset pic courtesy of Louis Kamler. Want to be featured on @USInterior? Share your stunning pics of America’s #publiclands at http://ift.tt/1QwF2TB by usinterior
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Cluster and Starforming Region Westerlund 2 Cluster and Starforming Region Westerlund 2
Located 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Carina, the young cluster and starforming region Westerlund 2 fills this cosmic scene. Captured with Hubble's cameras in near-infrared and visible light, the stunning image is a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope on April 24, 1990. The cluster's dense concentration of luminous, massive stars is about 10 light-years across. Strong winds and radiation from those massive young stars have sculpted and shaped the region's gas and dust, into starforming pillars that point back to the central cluster. Red dots surrounding the bright stars are the cluster's faint newborn stars, still within their natal gas and dust cocoons. But brighter blue stars scattered around are likely not in the Westerlund 2 cluster and instead lie in the foreground of the Hubble anniversary field of view. via NASA http://ift.tt/1aZXkM1
Apr 25, 2015
An amazing display of #nature’s power as a #lightning bolt tears through the sky over Grand Staircase-Escalante #NationalMonument’s Devils Garden in #Utah. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument spans nearly 1.9 million acres of America’s #publiclands. From its spectacular #GrandStaircase of cliffs and terraces to the wonders of the #Escalante River Canyons, the Monument is truly a treasure. Adam Haggerty captured this amazing shot in the middle of a rain storm using a 10-second exposure. Photo from http://ift.tt/18oFfjl. by usinterior
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Blue Tears and the Milky Way Blue Tears and the Milky Way
Lapping at rocks along the shore of the Island of Nangan, Taiwan, planet Earth, waves are infused with a subtle blue light in this sea and night skyscape. Composed of a series of long exposures made on April 16 the image captures the faint glow from Noctiluca scintillans. Also known as sea sparkles or blue tears, the marine plankton's bioluminescence is stimulated by wave motion. City lights along the coast of mainland China shine beneath low clouds in the west but stars and the faint Milky Way still fill the night above. Over the horizon the galaxy's central bulge and dark rifts seem to echo the rocks and luminous waves. via NASA http://ift.tt/1ExrgNs
Apr 24, 2015
A fiery #sunrise at one of the hottest, driest places on Earth: #DeathValley National Park in #California. Many first time visitors to Death Valley are surprised it is not covered with a sea of sand. Less than one percent of the desert is covered with #dunes, yet the shadowed ripples and stark, graceful curves define "desert" in our imaginations. The #MesquiteFlat Dunes (pictured here) are the best known and easiest to visit in the #nationalpark. For more amazing pics of Death Valley, check out our @stellerstories at http://ift.tt/1EMukiJ. Photo courtesy of Mike Mezeul II (@mikemezphoto). by usinterior
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Here’s an amazing photo of some of the tallest trees in the world to celebrate #ArborDay! 🌲🌳🌲 #Redwood National and State Parks in #California protect forests, vast prairies, oak woodlands, wild riverways, and nearly 40 miles of pristine coastline as part of the ancient coast #redwoodforest ecosystem. But most visitors come to see the majestic #redwoods, which can exceed 300 feet in height. Photo by Jessica Watz (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Meteor in the Milky Way Meteor in the Milky Way
Earth's April showers include the Lyrid Meteor Shower, observed for more than 2,000 years when the planet makes its annual passage through the dust stream of long-period Comet Thatcher. A grain of that comet's dust, moving 48 kilometers per second at an altitude of 100 kilometers or so, is swept up in this night sky view from the early hours of April 21. Flashing toward the southeastern horizon, the meteor's brilliant streak crosses the central region of the rising Milky Way. Its trail points back toward the shower's radiant in the constellation Lyra, high in the northern springtime sky and off the top of the frame. The yellowish hue of giant star Antares shines to the right of the Milky Way's bulge. Higher still is bright planet Saturn, near the right edge. Seen from Istra, Croatia, the Lyrid meteor's greenish glow reflects in the waters of the Adriatic Sea. via NASA http://ift.tt/1HoENaF
Apr 23, 2015
Utah’s first #nationalpark -- #Zion -- is home to massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink and red that soar into the sky above. Visitors can explore a spectacular network of colorful canyons, forested mesas and striking deserts in Southwestern #Utah. Jay Wanta captured this dramatic image @zionnps during a passing rain storm. Of the experience, Jay says, “I got a little wet while walking in the rain on this trail and found this image along the way.” Photo from http://ift.tt/18oFfjl. by usinterior
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The newest national #wildliferefuge -- Mountain Bogs -- will help protect one of the smallest, rarest #turtles in the U.S., the bog turtle. Located in #NorthCarolina, #MountainBogs National Wildlife Refuge is America's 563rd refuge. It'll be devoted to the conservation of southern Appalachian #mountain bogs, which is home to five endangered species including bog turtles, green pitcher plant, mountain sweet pitcher plant, swamp pink (a lily), and bunched arrowhead. Photo of a newly hatched #bogturtle by @USFWS. 🐢🐢 by usinterior
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Colorful Star Clouds in Cygnus Colorful Star Clouds in Cygnus
Stars can form in colorful surroundings. Featured here is a star forming region rich in glowing gas and dark dust toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus), near the bright star Sadr. This region, which spans about 50 light years, is part of the Gamma Cygni nebula which lies about 1,800 light years distant. Toward the right of the image is Barnard 344, a dark and twisted dust cloud rich in cool molecular gas. A dramatic wall of dust and red-glowing hydrogen gas forms a line down the picture center. While the glowing red gas is indicative of small emission nebulas, the blue tinted areas are reflection nebulas -- starlight reflecting from usually dark dust grains. The Gamma Cygni nebula will likely not last the next billion years, as most of the bright young stars will explode, most of the dust will be destroyed, and most of the gas will drift away. via NASA http://ift.tt/1GgOTas
Apr 22, 2015
We're ending #EarthDay with this stunning #mangrove #sunset at Everglades #NationalPark. One of the largest wetlands in the world, @EvergladesNPS protects 1.5 million acres of subtropical wilderness in South #Florida. The #Everglades provides important habitat for numerous species like the manatee, American crocodile and the elusive Florida panther. We must continue to conserve the Everglades and other #publiclands for future generations. Photo by James Pion (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Happy #EarthDay! 🌎 We celebrate our earth every day by conserving America's #publiclands like #Yosemite (pictured here). Our #nationalparks not only create healthier communities, they also support local economies. Every dollar invested in national parks returns $10 to the U.S. economy. We need to continue to invest in our national parks and other public lands for future generations. Photo of Upper #CathedralLake @yosemitenps in #California by Cliff LaPlant (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Apr 21, 2015
Happy birthday to the father of national parks! On this day in 1838, America's most famous naturalist and conservationist -- #JohnMuir -- was born. Muir fought to protect America's wild places, and his writings convinced the government to conserve special sites like #Yosemite and #Sequoia National Parks in #California. Photo Sequoia #NationalPark along the iconic #JohnMuirTrail by Jeff Sambur (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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This screech owl at #MerrittIsland National #WildlifeRefuge in #Florida looks like a grump! Although its facial expression makes the bird seem grouchy, this Eastern Screech-#owl was just surveying the view from a cavity in a dead cabbage palm tree. Eastern Screech-owls use natural tree cavities, abandoned woodpecker holes and constructed nest boxes to roost and rear their young. Photo by Tom Dunkerton, @USFWS Volunteer. by usinterior
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Total Solar Eclipse over Svalbard Total Solar Eclipse over Svalbard
Going, going, gone. That was the feeling in Svalbard, Norway last month during a total eclipse of the Sun by the Moon. In the featured image, the eclipse was captured every three minutes and then digitally merged with a foreground frame taken from the same location. Visible in the foreground are numerous gawking eclipse seekers, some deploying pretty sophisticated cameras. As the Moon and Sun moved together across the sky -- nearly horizontally from this far north -- an increasing fraction of the Sun appears covered by the Moon. In the central frame, the Moon's complete blockage of the disk of the Sun makes the immediate surroundings appear like night during the day. The exception is the Moon itself, which now appears surrounded by the expansive corona of the Sun. Of course, about 2.5 minutes later, the surface of the Sun began to reappear. The next total eclipse of the Sun will occur in 2016 March and be visible from Southeast Asia. via NASA http://ift.tt/1Q80TAK
Apr 20, 2015
Last week, the Northern Lights put on a show that could be seen as far south as #Glacier #NationalPark in #Montana. Witnessing this natural phenomenon @glaciernps can be a rare sight and only happens when there are strong bursts of the #AuroraBorealis. Photo of the #NorthernLights and the starry night sky over #LakeMcDonald by Jacob W. Frank (@jwfrankphotography). by usinterior
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The #Colorado #NationalMonument rises more than 2,000 feet above the Grand Valley of the #ColoradoRiver. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama. You can experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of #RimRockDrive or hike some of the park's more than 40 miles of maintained trails. #Sunrise over the monument by William Woodward (http://ift.tt/1Oyw98a) by usinterior
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Ring Galaxy AM 0644 741 from Hubble Ring Galaxy AM 0644 741 from Hubble
How could a galaxy become shaped like a ring? The rim of the blue galaxy pictured on the right is an immense ring-like structure 150,000 light years in diameter composed of newly formed, extremely bright, massive stars. That galaxy, AM 0644-741, is known as a ring galaxy and was caused by an immense galaxy collision. When galaxies collide, they pass through each other -- their individual stars rarely come into contact. The ring-like shape is the result of the gravitational disruption caused by an entire small intruder galaxy passing through a large one. When this happens, interstellar gas and dust become condensed, causing a wave of star formation to move out from the impact point like a ripple across the surface of a pond. The intruder galaxy is just outside of the frame taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. This featured image was taken to commemorate the anniversary of Hubble's launch in 1990. Ring galaxy AM 0644-741 lies about 300 million light years away. via NASA http://ift.tt/1OWthnF
Apr 19, 2015
The Great Crater Hokusai The Great Crater Hokusai
One of the largest young craters on Mercury, 114 kilometer (71 mile) diameter Hokusai crater's bright rays are known to extend across much of the planet. But this mosaic of oblique views focuses on Hokusai close up, its sunlit central peaks, terraced crater walls, and frozen sea of impact melt on the crater's floor. The images were captured by the MESSENGER spacecraft. The first to orbit Mercury, since 2011 MESSENGER has conducted scientific explorations, including extensive imaging of the Solar System's innermost planet. Now running out of propellant and unable to counter orbital perturbations caused by the Sun's gravity, MESSENGER is predicted to impact the surface of Mercury on April 30. via NASA http://ift.tt/1JS7via
Apr 18, 2015
Visit #Arches #NationalPark in #Utah at night, and enjoy stunning views of the starry night. Pictured here, a hiker takes in the gorgeous views of the Milky Way underneath the #DelicateArch @archesnps. For more breathtaking photos of the #MilkyWay, check out our @stellerstories at http://ift.tt/1EMukiJ. Photo by Jacob W. Frank (@jwfrankphotography), http://ift.tt/18oFfjl. by usinterior
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M46 Plus Two M46 Plus Two
Galactic or open star clusters are young. These swarms of stars are born together near the plane of the Milky Way, but their numbers steadily dwindle as cluster members are ejected by galactic tides and gravitational interactions. In fact, this bright open cluster, known as M46, is around 300 million years young. It still contains a few hundred stars within a span of 30 light-years or so. Located about 5,000 light-years away toward the constellation Puppis, M46 also seems to contain contradictions to its youthful status. In this pretty starscape, the colorful, circular patch above and right of the center of M46 is the planetary nebula NGC 2438. Fainter still, a second planetary nebula, PK231+4.1, is identified by the box at the right and enlarged in the inset. Planetary nebulae are a brief, final phase in the life of a sun-like star a billion years old or more, whose central reservoir of hydrogen fuel has been exhausted. NGC 2438 is estimated to be only 3,000 light-years distant, though, and moves at a different speed than M46 cluster members. Along with its fainter cohort, planetary nebula NGC 2438 is likely only by chance appearing near our line-of-sight to the young stars of M46. via NASA http://ift.tt/1CUGJ2I
Apr 17, 2015
A visitor enjoys a passing rain storm and #sunset at #Yellowstone National Park. To celebrate the start of #NationalPark Week, all national parks (including @yellowstonenps) are waiving entrance fees on April 18-19. #GetOutdoors! Photo by Manish Mamtani (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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One-Armed Spiral Galaxy NGC 4725 One-Armed Spiral Galaxy NGC 4725
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While most spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have two or more spiral arms, NGC 4725 has only one. In this sharp color composite image, the solo spira mirabilis seems to wind from a prominent ring of bluish, newborn star clusters and red tinted star forming regions. The odd galaxy also sports obscuring dust lanes a yellowish central bar structure composed of an older population of stars. NGC 4725 is over 100 thousand light-years across and lies 41 million light-years away in the well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. Computer simulations of the formation of single spiral arms suggest that they can be either leading or trailing arms with respect to a galaxy's overall rotation. Also included in the frame, sporting a noticably more traditional spiral galaxy look, is a more distant background galaxy. via NASA http://ift.tt/1J5wFJ7
Apr 16, 2015
#MazeOverlook offers spectacular views of Canyonlands National Park (#Utah) that stretches for miles. Explore #Canyonlands’ amazing landscape for free this weekend! To celebrate the start of #NationalPark Week, all national parks are waiving entrance fees on April 18-19. #Sunset photo by Weston Shirey (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Mystic Mountain Dust Pillars Mystic Mountain Dust Pillars
It's stars versus dust in the Carina Nebula and the stars are winning. More precisely, the energetic light and winds from massive newly formed stars are evaporating and dispersing the dusty stellar nurseries in which they formed. Located in the Carina Nebula and known informally as Mystic Mountain, these pillar's appearance is dominated by the dark dust even though it is composed mostly of clear hydrogen gas. Dust pillars such as these are actually much thinner than air and only appear as mountains due to relatively small amounts of opaque interstellar dust. About 7,500 light-years distant, the featured image was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, digitally reprocessed by an industrious amateur, and highlights an interior region of Carina which spans about three light years. Within a few million years, the stars will likely win out completely and the entire dust mountain will be destroyed. via NASA http://ift.tt/1EDpfOa
Apr 15, 2015
The late afternoon sun creates a #rainbow in #BridalveilFalls at #Yosemite National Park in #California. This weekend, you can experience the beauty of @yosemitenps's #YosemiteValley first hand with free entrance to the park -- and all other national parks across the country. To celebrate the start of #NationalPark Week, all national parks are waiving entrance fees on April 18-19. Photo by Perry Foutch (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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#GrandTeton #NationalPark in #Wyoming is truly breathtaking! This Sunday, April 19, from 2-4 pm ET join park rangers @grandtetonnps for the first ever national parks #Instameet. From @yosemitenps and @goldengatenationalparks to @evergladesnps and @blueridgenps, national parks across the country are hosting #FindYourParkInstaMeet -- check with your favorite park to see if they are participating. Be sure to tag @USInterior in your pics, and we'll feature some of our favorite images next week. #Sunset photo by Donald Higgs (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Apr 14, 2015
The first baby #bison of the year have arrived at #RockyMountain Arsenal National #WildlifeRefuge in #Colorado. Last week four bison calves were born on the refuge. Here's a cute pic of one of them with its mother. Photo by Tom Wall, @USFWS. #nature #wildlife #animals by usinterior
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America's national parks hold some of the last remaining harbors of darkness, providing unspoiled views of the #stars above. Pictured here is the #MilkyWay over Craters of the Moon #NationalMonument and Preserve in #Idaho. The only national park unit named for a celestial body, Craters of the Moon offers spectacular opportunities for #stargazing. #NationalPark Service photo. #DarkSkyWeek by usinterior
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Milky Way over Erupting Volcano Milky Way over Erupting Volcano
The view was worth the trip. Battling high winds, cold temperatures, and low oxygen, the trek to near the top of the volcano Santa Maria in Guatemala -- while carrying sensitive camera equipment -- was lonely and difficult. Once set up, though, the camera captured this breathtaking vista during the early morning hours of February 28. Visible on the ground are six volcanoes of the Central America Volcanic Arc, including Fuego, the Volcano of Fire, which is seen erupting in the distance. Visible in the sky, in separate exposures taken a few minutes later, are many stars much further in the distance, as well as the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy situated horizontally overhead. via NASA http://ift.tt/1I8rbwY
Apr 13, 2015
Peak bloom has arrived on the #TidalBasin, and it is gorgeous. Over the weekend, the #cherryblossoms on the #NationalMall and Memorial Parks in Washington, #DC, reached their peak. Photo of the cherry blossoms and the #WashingtonMonument by Andrew S. Geraci (@drewgiggity). by usinterior
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The sky is ablaze with color during #sunset at #WarnerWetlands. The 52,000-acre Warner Wetlands is home to lakes surrounds by the high desert along the base of #HartMountain in southeastern #Oregon. This wetlands habitat is critical for the thousands of migrating birds, fish and many other #wildlife species. Warner Wetlands is an ideal location for bird watching, fishing, camping and boating. Photo by Roman Iacobucci, BLM (@mypubliclands). by usinterior
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Sentinels of the Arctic Sentinels of the Arctic
Who guards the north? Judging from the above photograph, possibly giant trees covered in snow and ice. The featured picture was taken a few winters ago in Finnish Lapland where weather can include sub-freezing temperatures and driving snow. Surreal landscapes sometimes result, where common trees become cloaked in white and so appear, to some, as watchful aliens. Far in the distance, behind this uncommon Earthly vista, is a more common sight -- a Belt of Venus that divided a darkened from sunlit sky as the Sun rose behind the photographer. Of course, in the spring, the trees thaw and Lapland looks much different. via NASA http://ift.tt/1FMlJQ9
Apr 12, 2015
A stunning shot of the #MilkyWay rising over #RockyMountain #NationalPark’s Longs Peak. At 14,259 feet, #LongsPeak towers above all other summits in @RockyNPS. The flat-topped monarch is seen from almost anywhere in the park. Photo by Pat Gaines (http://www.sharetheexperiece.org). by usinterior
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Venus in the West Venus in the West
In the coming days, Venus shines near the western horizon at sunset. To find Earth's sister planet in twilight skies just look for the brilliant evening star. Tonight very close to the Pleiades star cluster, Venus dominates this springtime night skyscape taken only a few days ago near the town of Lich in central Germany. Also known as the Seven Sisters, the stars of the compact Pleiades cluster appear above Venus in this picture. The budding tree branches to its left frame bright star Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus the Bull, and the V-shaped Hyades star cluster. via NASA http://ift.tt/1I1ozBb
Apr 11, 2015
#MountRainier stands as an icon in the #Washington landscape. Mount Rainier #NationalPark is home to the highest peak in the #CascadeRange. From its old growth forests and subalpine meadows to its glacier-clad peak, Mount Rainier offers many opportunities to explore its natural beauty. For more amazing pics of Mount Rainier, check out our @stellerstories at http://ift.tt/1EMukiJ. #Sunrise photo of the #mountain taken from #NachesPeak by park volunteer JD Hascup. by usinterior
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#MountRainier stands as an icon in the #Washington landscape. Mount Rainier #NationalPark is home to the highest peak in the #CascadeRange. From its old growth forests and subalpine meadows to its glacier-clad peak, Mount Rainier offers many opportunities to explore its natural beauty. For more amazing pics of Mount Rainier, check out our @stellerstories at http://ift.tt/1EMukiJ. #Sunrise photo of the #mountain taken from #NachesPeak by park volunteer JD Hascup. by usinterior
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NGC 2903: A Missing Jewel in Leo NGC 2903: A Missing Jewel in Leo
Barred spiral galaxy NGC 2903 is only some 20 million light-years distant. Popular among amateur astronomers, it shines in the northern spring constellation Leo, near the top of the lion's head. That part of the constellation is sometimes seen as a reversed question mark or sickle. One of the brighter galaxies visible from the northern hemisphere, NGC 2903 is surprisingly missing from Charles Messier's catalog of lustrous celestial sights. This colorful image from a small ground-based telescope shows off the galaxy's gorgeous spiral arms traced by young, blue star clusters and pinkish star forming regions. Included are intriguing details of NGC 2903's bright core, a remarkable mix of old and young clusters with immense dust and gas clouds. In fact, NGC 2903 exhibits an exceptional rate of star formation activity near its center, also bright in radio, infrared, ultraviolet, and x-ray bands. Just a little smaller than our own Milky Way, NGC 2903 is about 80,000 light-years across. via NASA http://ift.tt/1HXGmZK