We hope you get a chance to explore the tranquil beauty of our #publiclands this weekend! This picture is of Great Smoky Mountains #NationalPark, America’s most visited national park. On the border of #Tennessee and #NorthCarolina, Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers something for everyone -- from more than 800 miles of hiking trails to fishable streams and beautiful waterfalls. by usinterior

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Eclipse at Moonrise Eclipse at Moonrise

As the Moon rose and the Sun set on October 8, a lunar eclipse was in progress seen from Chongqing, China. Trailing through this composite time exposure, the rising Moon began as a dark reddened disk in total eclipse near the eastern horizon. Steadily climbing above the populous city's colorful lights along the Yangtze River, the moontrail grows brighter and broader, until a bright Full Moon emerged from the Earth's shadow in evening skies. Although lunar eclipses are not always total ones, this eclipse, along with last April's lunar eclipse, were the first two of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, a series known as a tetrad. The final two eclipses of this tetrad will occur in early April and late September 2015. via NASA http://ift.tt/1yjIEAS

This time of year, flights of sandhill cranes arrive daily to the Bosque del Apache National #Wildlife Refuge, which means “Woods of the Apache.” Situated between the Chupadera Mountains and the San Pascual Mountains in #NewMexico, the 57,331-acre refuge has become a critical home for waterfowl that migrate here every winter. Tomorrow, explore the “Woods of the Apache” -- and other #refuges -- with free entrance to all national wildlife refuges. Visit www.fws.gov/refuges to find one near you! Photo by Marvin DeJong (@USFWS). by usinterior

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Moons at Opposition Moons at Opposition

From the early hours of October 8, over the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos, California, the totally eclipsed Moon shows a range of color across this well-exposed telescopic view of the lunar eclipse. Of course, a lunar eclipse can only occur when the Moon is opposite the Sun in Earth's sky and gliding through the planet's shadow. But also near opposition during this eclipse, and remarkably only half a degree or so from the lunar limb, distant Uranus is faint but easy to spot at the lower right. Fainter still are the ice giant's moons. To find them, slide your cursor over the image (or just follow this link) to check out a longer exposure. While even the darkened surface of our eclipsed Moon will be strongly overexposed, Uranus moons Titania, Oberon, and Umbriel can just be distinguished as faint pinpricks of light. via NASA http://ift.tt/1oWkwf7

Here’s a stunning #sunset photo to end the week! Gregg Gleason captured this amazing picture of the lighthouse at St. Marks National #Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Established in 1931, the #refuge includes coastal marshes, islands and tidal creeks and estuaries of seven north #Florida rivers, and is home to a diverse community of plant and animal life. To celebrate the important work of our refuges, we’re waiving entrance fees to all national wildlife refuges this Sunday (@usfws) Visit www.fws.gov/refuges to find one near you. Photo from http://ift.tt/18oFfjl. by usinterior

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Ready or not, winter is quickly approaching for #LakeClark #NationalPark and Preserve in #Alaska. Pictured here is the east end of Telaquana Lake -- one of the park’s many great fishing spots. by usinterior

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Eclipse at Moonset Eclipse at Moonset

The Pacific Ocean and Chilean coast lie below this sea of clouds. Seen through the subtle colors of the predawn sky a lunar eclipse is in progress above, the partially eclipsed Moon growing dark. The curved edge of planet Earth's shadow still cuts across the middle of the lunar disk as the Moon sinks lower toward the western horizon. In fact, from this southern hemisphere location as well as much of eastern North America totality, the Moon completely immersed within Earth's shadow, began near the time of moonset and sunrise on October 8. From farther west the total phase could be followed for almost an hour though, the darker reddened Moon still high in the night sky. via NASA http://ift.tt/1vOiRxf

Stargazing is a must when visiting the California Coastal National #Monument! Established in January 2000, the California Coastal National Monument is one of the most unique among America's National #Conservation Lands. The Monument is comprised of more than 20,000 rocks, islands, exposed reefs and pinnacles along the 1,100 miles of California’s coast. This photo was taken at the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit, which is north of San Francisco. Photo by Bob Wick, BLM (@mypubliclands). by usinterior

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Chief Mountain -- also named Ninaistako -- in Glacier #NationalPark (@glaciernps) stands tall above the golden aspen forest below. A spectacular monolith towering above the prairie along the eastern of side #Glacier National Park (#Montana), Chief Mountain can be seen for more than a hundred miles away. by usinterior

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NGC 6823: Cloud Sculpting Star Cluster NGC 6823: Cloud Sculpting Star Cluster

Star cluster NGC 6823 is slowly turning gas clouds into stars. The center of the open cluster, visible on the upper right, formed only about two million years ago and is dominated in brightness by a host of bright young blue stars. Some outer parts of the cluster, visible in the featured image's center as the stars and pillars of emission nebula NGC 6820, contain even younger stars. The huge pillars of gas and dust likely get their elongated shape by erosion from hot radiation emitted from the brightest cluster stars. Striking dark globules of gas and dust are also visible across the upper left of the featured image. Open star cluster NGC 6823 spans about 50 light years and lies about 6000 light years away toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula). via NASA http://ift.tt/1qexgxh