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Sep 30, 2015
One of the most beautiful and most photographed scenes in #GrandTeton #NationalPark in Wyoming is #SchwabacherLanding. On any given morning, a crowd will gather to shoot the reflection of the Teton Range in the quiet stream or beaver ponds. A few years ago, D. Brent Young was lucky enough to capture this amazing photo of a cow #moose feeding in the stream with fall color and the towering Teton peaks in the background. Photo of @grandtetonnps by D. Brent Young (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
Red Rock Lakes National #WildlifeRefuge is a place where creeks flow freely, wildlife thrives and visitors can find solitude and astounding natural beauty. Located in southwest #Montana, the refuge is bounded by high mountains, wildflower filled meadows, grasslands, marshes and forests. This rich system nurtures many mammals, waterfowl, raptors, songbirds and a wide variety of fish. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is key in protecting Red Rock Lakes and other public lands for future generations. For 50 years, the fund has helped preserve some of the nation’s epic landscapes and historic places -- providing Americans all across the country with access to parks. #parksforall by usinterior
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Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse and Lightning Storm Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse and Lightning Storm
What's more rare than a supermoon total lunar eclipse? How about a supermoon total lunar eclipse over a lightning storm. Such an electrifying sequence was captured yesterday from Ibiza, an island in southeastern Spain. After planning the location for beauty, and the timing to capture the entire eclipse sequence, the only thing that had to cooperate for this astrophotographer to capture a memorable eclipse sequence was the weather. What looked to be a bother on the horizon, though, turned out to be a blessing. The composite picture features over 200 digitally combined images from the same location over the course of a night. The full moon is seen setting as it faded to red in Earth's shadow and then returned to normal. The fortuitous lightning is seen reflected in the Mediterranean to the right of the 400-meter tall rocky island of Es Vedra. Although the next total eclipse of a large and bright supermoon will occur in 2033, the next total eclipse of any full moon will occur in January 2018 and be best visible from eastern Asia and Australia. via NASA http://ift.tt/1ODsDxR
Sep 29, 2015
DID YOU KNOW? #Skunks are known for their scent but usually only attack when cornered or defending their young. However, this iconic smell is not their first method of defense. A skunk will growl, spit, fluff its fur, shake its tail, and stamp the ground. If you miss those telltale signs then get ready to have a bad day. This pic was captured at #CokevilleMeadows National #WildlifeRefuge in #Wyoming. Photo by K. Theule, @USFWS. by usinterior
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Connecting the Pacific Ocean with the land, the California Coastal #NationalMonument provides unique coastal habitat for marine-dependent wildlife and vegetation on more than 20,000 rocks, islands, exposed reefs, and pinnacles along the #California coastline. Along its length, this spectacular interplay of land and sea is an experience that creates lasting connections between people and nature. Starting with a donation of 1,711 acres, the California Coastal National Monument at Point Arena was expanded thanks to money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. #parksforall by usinterior
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Total Lunar Eclipse over Waterton Lake Total Lunar Eclipse over Waterton Lake
Recorded in 2014 April, this total lunar eclipse sequence looks south down icy Waterton Lake from the Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, planet Earth. The most distant horizon includes peaks in Glacier National Park, USA. An exposure every 10 minutes captured the Moon's position and eclipse phase, as it arced, left to right, above the rugged skyline and Waterton town lights. In fact, the sequence effectively measures the roughly 80 minute duration of the total phase of the eclipse. Around 270 BC, the Greek astronomer Aristarchus also measured the duration of lunar eclipses - though probably without the benefit of digital clocks and cameras. Still, using geometry, he devised a simple and impressively accurate way to calculate the Moon's distance, in terms of the radius of planet Earth, from the eclipse duration. This modern eclipse sequence also tracks the successive positions of Mars, above and right of the Moon, bright star Spica next to the reddened lunar disk, and Saturn to the left and below. via NASA http://ift.tt/1NWb8qX
Sep 28, 2015
#Everglades #NationalPark protects an unparalleled landscape that provides important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile and the elusive Florida panther. One of the largest wetlands in the world, @EvergladesNPS protects 1.5 million acres of subtropical wilderness in South #Florida. There is a lot of area to discover here, and Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped protect much of it. As of this month, these funds have protected more than 206,800 acres of this international treasure. Since 1965, the fund has made more than 40,000 grants to local and state governments, benefiting every county in the U.S. Check out this photo gallery for more protected sites: http://on.doi.gov/1WteZyR #parksforall by usinterior
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Sep 27, 2015
Hey everyone! In honor of @Instagram’s #WWIM12, @GlacierNPS and @RockyNPS are teaming up for #GlacerMeetsRocky InstaMeet, and you are invited! For more details, check http://ift.tt/1BoC3bu. Hope to see you at Rocky Mountain #NationalPark! Mashup photo of #RockyMountain (top) and #Glacier (bottom). by usinterior
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#Arches #NationalPark in #Utah is a red rock wonderland. With a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures, it is unlike any other in the world. Pictured here is the park’s (@ArchesNPS’s) majestic #ParkAvenue at #sunrise. A 1-mile hike takes you into a spectacular canyon with the park’s gigantic red-rock monoliths. Photo by Richard Briggs (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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M31 versus M33 M31 versus M33
Separated by about 14 degrees (28 Full Moons) in planet Earth's sky, spiral galaxies M31 at left, and M33 are both large members of the Local Group, along with our own Milky Way galaxy. This narrow- and wide-angle, multi-camera composite finds details of spiral structure in both, while the massive neighboring galaxies seem to be balanced in starry fields either side of bright Mirach, beta star in the constellation Andromeda. Mirach is just 200 light-years from the Sun. But M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, is really 2.5 million light-years distant and M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is also about 3 million light years away. Although they look far apart, M31 and M33 are engaged in a gravitational struggle. In fact, radio astronomers have found indications of a bridge of neutral hydrogen gas that could connect the two, evidence of a closer encounter in the past. Based on measurements, gravitational simulations currently predict that the Milky Way, M31, and M33 will all undergo mutual close encounters and potentially mergers, billions of years in the future. via NASA http://ift.tt/1KEHRM9
Sep 26, 2015
Happy National #PublicLands Day! We’re waiving entrance fees for all national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands to celebrate. Your public lands are terrific places for playing, learning, serving and volunteering, so get out there and enjoy them! #NPLD This photo was taken in Isle Royale #NationalPark in #Michigan. Surrounded by #LakeSuperior, #IsleRoyale offers unparalleled solitude and adventures for backpackers, hikers, boaters, kayakers, canoeists and scuba divers. Here, amid stunning scenic beauty, you'll find opportunities for reflection and discovery, and make memories that last a lifetime. Photo by Adam Jewell (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Pluto's Snakeskin Terrain Pluto's Snakeskin Terrain
A mountainous region informally known as Tartarus Dorsa sprawls some 530 kilometers (330 miles) across this Plutonian landscape. Recently downloaded from New Horizons, it combines blue, red, and infrared image data in an extended color view captured near the spacecraft's close approach to Pluto on July 14. Shadows near the terminator, the line between Pluto's dim day and night, emphasize a rough, scaly texture. The stunning image resolves details on the distant world about 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) across. Refering to a part of Hades in ancient Greek mythology, Tartarus Dorsa borders Tombaugh Regio to the east. via NASA http://ift.tt/1KFBkBI
Sep 25, 2015
Talk about an epic view! This pic was taken from #HaystackFalls at #Glacier National Park in #Montana. Tomorrow you can explore the beauty of @GlacierNPS and all other #publiclands for free in celebration of National Public Lands Day. We hope you can get out & enjoy the great outdoors tomorrow! Photo by #NationalPark Service. #NPLD by usinterior
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Happy 125th birthday, Sequoia National Park! The nation's second #nationalpark was created on September 25, 1890. Established to protect some of the few remaining #GiantSequoia groves, these towering trees are the largest living organisms on Earth by volume and can live over 3,000 years. Standing at the base of these massive trees is an experience no one can forget. Photo courtesy of Ed Cooper (@ed_cooper_photography). Explore Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in #California for free on Friday and Saturday. In honor of Sequoia’s birthday, both parks are waiving entrance fees on Sept 25-26! by usinterior
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LDN 988 and Friends LDN 988 and Friends
Stars are forming in dark, dusty molecular cloud LDN 988. Seen near picture center some 2,000 light-years distant, LDN 988 and other nearby dark nebulae were cataloged by Beverly T. Lynds in 1962 using Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates. Narrowband and near-infrared explorations of the dark nebula reveal energetic shocks and outflows light-years across associated with dozens of newborn stars. But in this sharp optical telescopic view, the irregular outlines of LDN 988 and friends look like dancing stick figures eclipsing the rich starfields of the constellation Cygnus. From dark sky sites the region can be identified by eye alone. It's part of the Great Rift of dark nebulae along the plane of the Milky Way galaxy known as the Northern Coalsack. via NASA http://ift.tt/1L7qNVt
Sep 24, 2015
America’s #publiclands give us so much -- from stunning views to amazing adventures. Now’s your chance to give back. This Saturday, join volunteers for National Public Lands Day and lend a hand to spruce up a public land in your area. We’ve also celebrating the day by waiving entrance fees to all national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands on Saturday. So get out there and #FindYourPark! Photo of #GrandTeton #NationalPark in #Wyoming by Robert Buman (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). #NPLD by usinterior
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The first rays of sun hit the top of Mount Rainier and are reflected on the mirror-like surface of Tipsoo Lake. It’s an incredible sight and easy to experience. #MountRainier #NationalPark in #Washington has #hiking trails ranging in difficulty from easy to very challenging, so no matter your level of commitment, you can still get some amazing views. Photo by Bob Kim (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). Want to be featured on @USInterior’s account? We’re partnering with @CBSThisMorning to share amazing sunrise photo from America’s national parks and other public lands. Tag your photos with #SunriseThisMorning for a chance to have one of your photos appear on our feeds! by usinterior
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Antarctic Analemma Antarctic Analemma
Does the Sun return to the same spot on the sky every day? No. A better and more visual answer to that question is an analemma, a composite image taken from the same spot at the same time over the course of a year. The featured weekly analemma was taken despite cold temperatures and high winds near the Concordia Station in Antarctica. The position of the Sun at 4 pm was captured on multiple days in the digital composite image, believed to be the first analemma constructed from Antarctica. The reason the image only shows the Sun from September to March is because the Sun was below the horizon for much of the rest of the year. In fact, today being an equinox, the Sun rises today at the South Pole after a six month absence and won't set again until the next equinox in March, baring large atmospheric refraction effects. Conversely, today the Sun sets at the North Pole after half a year of continuous daylight. For all of the Earth in between, though, the equinox means that today will have a nighttime and daytime that are both 12 hours long. via NASA http://ift.tt/1iLrXtz
Sep 23, 2015
Happy #FirstDayofFall! Autumn colors are popping up all over America’s public lands, making it a great time to visit. This stunning photo was taken during sunset at #RockyMountain #NationalPark’s Bear Lake in #Colorado. Photo of @rockynps by Steven Sawusch (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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Here’s a dramatic shot of sage steppe desert at #Seedskadee National #WildlifeRefuge in #Wyoming. Nicknamed the sagebrush sea, the #sagebrush landscape spans 11 western states. While this landscape might look like a barren desert, the sagebrush steppe is home to more than 350 #wildlife species, including elk, pronghorn, golden eagles and the sage grouse. Called an indicator species, the #sagegrouse provides biologists with an early warning about the state of other species that call the sagebrush home. After years of decline, public and private partners embarked on the largest conservation effort in U.S. history to restore sagebrush habitat and protect the sage grouse. It led to a huge #WildlifeWin -- the sage grouse no longer faces the risk of extinction. More work will needed to be done in the future, but we’re happy to celebrate this great conservation success! Photo by @usfws. by usinterior
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Mount St. Elias looms over Wrangell-St. Elias #NationalPark & Preserve, our nation’s biggest national park. With towering mountains, county sized glaciers, diverse wildlife and scenery like this, it’s no surprise that this #Alaska park is also a World Heritage site. It doesn’t reveal its wonders easily, but for the adventurous spirit, the rewards are limitless. This image is from a recent flyover of the park by the National Park Service. by usinterior
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Milky Way over Bosque Alegre Station in Argentina Milky Way over Bosque Alegre Station in Argentina
What are those streaks of light in the sky? First and foremost, the arching structure is the central band of our Milky Way galaxy. Visible in this galactic band are millions of distant stars mixed with numerous lanes of dark dust. Harder to discern is a nearly vertical beam of light rising from the horizon, just to the right of the image center. This beam is zodiacal light, sunlight scattered by dust in our Solar System that may be surprisingly prominent just after sunset or just before sunrise. In the foreground are several telescopes of the Bosque Alegre Astrophysical Station of the National University of Cordoba in Argentina. The station schedules weekend tours and conducts research into the nature of many astronomical objects including comets, active galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. The featured image was taken early this month. via NASA http://ift.tt/1WeYpCs
Sep 22, 2015
Happy 94th birthday, Betty Reid Soskin -- the oldest active #nationalpark ranger! Once a file clerk in a Jim Crow union hall during World War II, Soskin is now helping preserve WWII #history at #RosietheRiveter National Historic Park in #California. 🎉🎊🎉 by usinterior
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#Sunsets are amazing at the #GrandCanyon #NationalPark in #Arizona. Randy Langstraat captured this pic from #CapeRoyal — a point that provides a panorama up, down, and across the canyon. With seemingly unlimited vistas to the east and west, it is popular for both #sunrise and #sunset. Cape Royal is on the #NorthRim of @grandcanyonnps. Photo from http://ift.tt/18oFfjl. by usinterior
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Spiral Galaxy M96 from Hubble Spiral Galaxy M96 from Hubble
Dust lanes seem to swirl around the core of Messier 96 in this colorful, detailed portrait of the center of a beautiful island universe. Of course M96 is a spiral galaxy, and counting the faint arms extending beyond the brighter central region, it spans 100 thousand light-years or so, making it about the size of our own Milky Way. M96, also known as NGC 3368, is known to be about 35 million light-years distant and a dominant member of the Leo I galaxy group. The featured image was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The reason for M96's asymmetry is unclear -- it could have arisen from gravitational interactions with other Leo I group galaxies, but the lack of an intra-group diffuse glow seems to indicate few recent interactions. Galaxies far in the background can be found by examining the edges of the picture. via NASA http://ift.tt/1NNvVhP
Sep 21, 2015
Guess who’s excited about Sea Otter Awareness Week! #SeaOtterWeek is held every year to put a spotlight on the world of sea otters, and to highlight ongoing conservation efforts to ensure these beautiful creatures remain a part of our marine environment. Pictured here is a sea otter at #Kodiak National #WildlifeRefuge in Alaska. Ninety percent of the world’s sea otters live in coastal #Alaska. Photo by Lisa Hupp, @USFWS. by usinterior
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#Zion #NationalPark is known for great hiking and incredible views. Gazing up at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. Everywhere you look, there’s something beautiful to see and as the light and weather changes, so does the scenery. After a desert rainstorm left puddles in the park’s lower areas, Ian Barin used the opportunity and some ingenuity to capture this amazing shot of @zionnps's colorful scenery. Photo courtesy of Ian Barin (@ianbarin). by usinterior
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Global Ocean Suspected on Saturns Enceladus Global Ocean Suspected on Saturns Enceladus
Do some surface features on Enceladus roll like a conveyor belt? A leading interpretation of images taken of Saturn's most explosive moon indicate that they do. This form of asymmetric tectonic activity, very unusual on Earth, likely holds clues to the internal structure of Enceladus, which may contain subsurface seas where life might be able to develop. Pictured above is a composite of 28 images taken by the robotic Cassini spacecraft in 2008 just after swooping by the ice-spewing orb. Inspection of these images show clear tectonic displacements where large portions of the surface all appear to move all in one direction. On the image right appears one of the most prominent tectonic divides: Labtayt Sulci, a canyon about one kilometer deep. The small magnitude of Enceladus' wobble as it orbits Saturn might indicate damping by a globally extending underground ocean layer. via NASA http://ift.tt/1iFN28I
Sep 20, 2015
Explore #Redwood National and State Parks for an otherworldly experience! Located in far north #California, the park’s crowning feature: The majestic redwood forests -- home to the tallest trees on Earth. 🌲🌲 As the morning’s first light streams through the towering trees and the misty, it creates surreal experience. Photo courtesy of Scotty Perkins (@scottyperkinsphoto). by usinterior
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A Prominence on the Sun A Prominence on the Sun
This eerie landscape of incandescent plasma suspended in looping and twisted magnetic fields stretched toward the Sun's eastern horizon on September 16. Captured through a backyard telescope and narrowband filter in light from ionized hydrogen, the scene reveals a gigantic prominence lofted above the solar limb. Some 600,000 kilometers across, the magnetized plasma wall would dwarf worlds of the Solar System. Ruling gas giant Jupiter can only boast a diameter of 143,000 kilometers or so, while planet Earth's diameter is less than 13,000 kilometers. Known as a hedgerow prominence for its appearance, the enormous structure is far from stable though, and such large solar prominences often erupt. via NASA http://ift.tt/1FmkD19
Sep 19, 2015
Fireweed blooms in the late Alaskan summer and darkens as autumn approaches. It gets its name from growing on burnt ground left open after wildfires. One of the great joys of discovering the botany of Denali #NationalPark is the intact nature of the plant communities that exist here. Here we see fireweed thriving with #Denali in the background. Photo by Gavin Danapong (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl). by usinterior
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A Plutonian Landscape A Plutonian Landscape
This shadowy landscape of majestic mountains and icy plains stretches toward the horizon of a small, distant world. It was captured from a range of about 18,000 kilometers when New Horizons looked back toward Pluto, 15 minutes after the spacecraft's closest approach on July 14. The dramatic, low-angle, near-twilight scene follows rugged mountains still popularly known as Norgay Montes from foreground left, and Hillary Montes along the horizon, giving way to smooth Sputnik Planum at right. Layers of Pluto's tenuous atmosphere are also revealed in the backlit view. With a strangely familiar appearance, the frigid terrain likely includes ices of nitrogen and carbon monoxide with water-ice mountains rising up to 3,500 meters (11,000 feet). That's comparable in height to the majestic mountains of planet Earth. This Plutonian landscape is 380 kilometers (230 miles) across. via NASA http://ift.tt/1iB2Qth
Sep 18, 2015
Located in northwestern #Wyoming, #GrandTeton #NationalPark protects stunning mountain scenery. Rising more than 7,000 feet above the valley of Jackson Hole, the Teton Range dominates @grandtetonnps’s skyline, making for some amazing photos. This shot was taken from Jackson Lake at #sunrise, illuminating the Tetons and creating the phenomena called #alpenglow. Photo courtesy of Venkatreddy Kancharla. by usinterior
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Covering 68,000 acres and extending along 35 miles of coastline in #California, #KingRange National Conservation Area preserves the dramatic meeting of the land and the sea. This remote region is known as California’s #LostCoast and is only accessed by a few back roads. But it’s worth the effort! The Douglas-fir peaks attract hikers, campers and mushroom collectors, while the coast beckons to surfers, anglers, beachcombers and abalone divers. Photo by Bob Wick, @mypubliclands. by usinterior
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Pickering's Triangle in the Veil Pickering's Triangle in the Veil
Chaotic in appearance, these filaments of shocked, glowing gas break across planet Earth's sky toward the constellation of Cygnus, as part of the Veil Nebula. The Veil Nebula itself is a large supernova remnant, an expanding cloud born of the death explosion of a massive star. Light from the original supernova explosion likely reached Earth over 5,000 years ago. Blasted out in the cataclysmic event, the interstellar shock waves plow through space sweeping up and exciting interstellar material. The glowing filaments are really more like long ripples in a sheet seen almost edge on, remarkably well separated into the glow of ionized hydrogen and sulfur atoms shown in red and green, and oxygen in blue hues. Also known as the Cygnus Loop, the Veil Nebula now spans nearly 3 degrees or about 6 times the diameter of the full Moon. While that translates to over 70 light-years at its estimated distance of 1,500 light-years, this field of view spans less than one third that distance. Identified as Pickering's Triangle for a director of Harvard College Observatory and cataloged as NGC 6979, the complex of filaments might be more appropriately known as Williamina Fleming's Triangular Wisp. via NASA http://ift.tt/1FOtV0X
Sep 17, 2015
Clearly these bears don't care about the rules at Kodiak National #WildlifeRefuge, #Alaska. The 1.9 million-acre wildlife refuge includes misty fjords, deep glacial valleys and lofty mountains distinguish the 1.9 million-acre refuge -- providing habitats for the Kodiak brown #bear, salmon, bald eagles and other species. Photo by Lisa Hupp, @USFWS. 🐻 by usinterior
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Magnificent #SunriseThisMorning at Blue Ridge Parkway. This stunning photo was taken by Eric Allen Van Tassel (@vantastic20) at the East Fork Overlook on North Carolina side of the Parkway (@blueridgenps). Feeling lucky to stumble upon the overlook at the right time, Eric is still hesitant to show it off because “I felt the product does not reflect the overwhelming beauty and the excitement we experienced watching the sunrise that morning.” We know the feeling, but think this photo is definitely worth sharing! Photo courtesy of Eric Allen Van Tassel (@vantastic20). Want to be featured on @USInterior’s account? We’re partnering with @CBSThisMorning to share amazing sunrise photo from America’s national parks and other public lands. Tag your photos with #SunriseThisMorning for a chance to have one of your photos appear on our feeds! by usinterior
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Bright Spots Resolved in Occator Crater on Ceres Bright Spots Resolved in Occator Crater on Ceres
What created these bright spots on Ceres? The spots were first noted as the robotic Dawn spacecraft approached Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, in February, with the expectation that the mystery would soon be solved in higher resolution images. However, even after Dawn arrived at Ceres in March, the riddle remained. Surprisingly, although images including the featured composite taken in the last month do resolve many details inside Occator crater, they do not resolve the mystery. Another recent clue is that a faint haze develops over the crater's bright spots. Dawn is scheduled to continue to spiral down toward Ceres and scan the dwarf planet in several new ways that, it is hoped, will determine the chemical composition of the region and finally reveal the nature and history of the spots. In several years, after running out of power, Dawn will continue to orbit Ceres indefinitely, becoming an artificial satellite and an enduring monument to human exploration. via NASA http://ift.tt/1Kf3khw
Sep 16, 2015
There is still plenty to see after the sun sets at #Glacier #NationalPark in #Montana. Paul Weeks (@paul_weeks) captured this pic of the #MilkyWay over @glaciernps’s #ElizabethLake after a long day of backpacking through the rain and mud. Of the trip, he says, “Elizabeth Lake was calm and peaceful - the perfect place to snap a few Milky Way photos before catching some z's and making the haul up to Red Gap Pass the following morning.” Photo courtesy of Paul Weeks (@paul_weeks). by usinterior
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Check out these cute little guys! #Yosemite #NationalPark released of these orphaned fisher kits north of the #MercedRiver as part of a four-year effort to reintroduce fishers in this area of @yosemitenps. Historic records show that fishers once occupied this area but trapping and logging in the late 1800s and early 1900s likely led to their local extinction. Despite over 70 years of protection, fishers have failed to successfully recolonize the area. Biologists hope that human-assisted migration north of #YosemiteValley and across the Merced River barrier may help increase the long term viability of the population. by usinterior
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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in #Alaska is the largest #nationalpark in the U.S. Four mountain ranges run through it, with nine of the 16 highest peaks in the country. Its Malaspina glacier is bigger than the state of Rhode Island and a diverse array of wildlife thrives in habitats from the mountains to the coast. At this time of year, the park is losing over five minutes of sunlight each day and autumn has already arrived. Enjoy these fall colors. They won’t last long. Photo by @nationalparkservice by usinterior
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A Spiral Aurora over Iceland A Spiral Aurora over Iceland
What's happened to the sky? Aurora! Captured late last month, this aurora was noted by Icelanders for its great brightness and quick development. The aurora resulted from a solar storm, with high energy particles bursting out from the Sun and through a crack in Earth's protective magnetosphere a few days later. Although a spiral pattern can be discerned, creative humans might imagine the complex glow as an atmospheric apparition of any number of common icons. In the foreground of the featured image is the Ölfusá River, while the lights illuminate a bridge in Selfoss City. Just beyond the low clouds is a nearly full Moon. The liveliness of the Sun -- and the resulting auroras on Earth -- is slowly diminishing as the Sun emerges from a Solar maximum of surface activity and evolves towards a historically more quite period in its 11-year cycle. In fact, solar astronomers are waiting to see if the coming Solar minimum will be as unusually quiet as the last one, where sometimes months would go by with no discernible sunspots or other active solar phenomena. via NASA http://ift.tt/1Kn2C2V
Sep 15, 2015
Just before it flows past #WashingtonDC, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and rushes through a narrow gorge. #GreatFallsPark offers tremendous views of this powerful, natural spectacle. Hikers enjoy several trails along the river and sometimes gasp at expert kayakers who brave the falls. This #sunrise picture was taken on the #Virginia side of the river. Photo by Yin Lau. (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl) by usinterior
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Pluto from above Cthulhu Regio Pluto from above Cthulhu Regio
New high resolution images of Pluto are starting to arrive from the outer Solar System. The robotic New Horizons spacecraft, which zoomed by Pluto in July, has finished sending back some needed engineering data and is now transmitting selections from its tremendous storehouse of images of Pluto and its moons. The featured image, a digital composite, details a surprising terrain filled with craters, plains, landscape of unknown character, and landforms that resemble something on Earth but are quite unexpected on Pluto. The light area sprawling across the upper right has been dubbed Sputnik Planum and is being studied for its unusual smoothness, while the dark cratered area just under the spacecraft is known as Cthulhu Regio. So far, New Horizons has only shared a few percent of the images and data it took during its Pluto flyby, but will continue to send back new views of the dwarf planet even as it glides outward toward even more distant explorations. via NASA http://ift.tt/1KkOCH1
Sep 14, 2015
Exploring The Loch -- a beautiful alpine lake in #RockyMountain National Park’s #GlacierGorge -- is definitely worth the trip. Erik Stensland took this stunning photo from the area on the first morning @rockynps opened following the a historic flood to the area in 2013. Of the capturing the photo, he says, “The clouds parted just as the sun rose, lighting the top of a rock formation called The Cathedral.” Photo courtesy of Erik Stensland. by usinterior
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