• Tagged aerial photography, Aurora, Earth, ESA, ISS, NASA, space, spacecraft, travel

Aerial photography can give us awesome perspectives, but when we zoom out and then observe the Big Blue Marble from high above, such as the breathtaking views of Earth from the ISS, it’s an eye-opening experience for most of us. Internationally, many countries have satellites and spacecrafts with their unblinking eyes focused on the Earth. These amazing photos offer us a unique window overlooking our world; viewing the Earth from above offers a stunning opportunity to see our wonderful planet in out-of-our-world ways that most humans will never experience in their lifetime. [37 Photos]

• Tagged environment, lunar bow, lunar rainbow, moonbow, nature, phenomena, rainbow, white rainbow

Rare rainbows in the dark of night, midnight moonbows, are an amazing natural phenomena. A rainbow in the moonlight is several hundred thousand times less bright than a rainbow during the day. A true lunar rainbow is lit by the moon itself. To the naked eye, they can appear white and are also called “white rainbows.” There are a few places in the world where “spray moonbows” are so-called “frequent phenomena” such as near waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, Cumberland Falls in Kentucky, and Victoria Falls in Australia. Here is a collection of these wonderful lunar rainbows and well as a few other natural phenomena that appear a bit like rainbows in the dark. [24 Photos]

• Tagged environment, erupt, eruption, Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, National Park, nature, phenomena, photography, photos, pics, places, UNESCO World Heritage Site, volcano, volcanoes

Volcanic activity is spiking in Hawaii and people are flocking there to see the spectacular show. Visitors, both regular folks and scientists, to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are able to witness the active volcanic personality and the formation of new cinder cones, glowing pit craters, rivers of lava and fountains of spatter. This volcanic paradise shows off 70 million years of volcanism, but was only established as a National Park in 1916. It stretches over 333,086 acres (505.36 square miles) and has two active volcanoes. While Kīlauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and has been in nearly continuous eruption since 1983, Mauna Loa is the world’s most massive volcano. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has seven ecological zones, was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and became a World Heritage Site in 1987. Welcome to the Big Island and volcanic paradise! We love these pics! [48 Photos]

• Tagged Argentina, cave, Chile, environment, General Carrera Lake, labyrinth, lake, Marble Cathedral, marble caves, nature, Patagonia, phenomena, photos, pics, pictures, South America

In Patagonia, South America, General Carrera Lake is shared by Argentina and Chile. But on the Chilean side of the beautiful emerald-green to turquoise-blue waters, there are breathtakingly beautiful marble caves carved into passageways and caverns. These amazing marble formations were sculpted by erosion into three main marble formations: La Capilla (the Chapel), El Catedral (the Cathedral), and La Cueva (the Cave). The impressive labyrinth of marble caves are large enough for a small boat to glide into. Here are those magnificent marble caves. [35 Photos]

• Tagged bizarre, Black Rock Desert, environment, Fly Geyser, geothermal, geyser, geysers, images, nature, Nevada, phenomena, photos, pics, pictures, places, travel

Mother Nature didn’t create this bizarre geothermal wonder located in the Nevada desert, but neither did aliens. The vividly multicolored Fly Geyser phenomena is the result of an accident by man. Since the 1960s, the volcano-shaped Fly Geyser has continuously spewed hot water, as if morphing the land and environment into its own ecosystem and desert habitat.

• Tagged lightning, nature, photos, pics, pictures, storms, thunderstorms, weather

Whammo! Zap! Strike! Yikes! Live Dangerously — Ride the Lightning! Spring is nearly here in the U.S. which means rain, but sometimes the rain doesn’t sweep in nice and gentle. Sometimes storms are wicked dangerous. One thing most all of us have in common worldwide is thunderstorms and the lightning that comes with those storms. The National Weather Service reports more than 3,000 deaths a year from lightning strikes, with 4-5 times many more people injured by lightning. Yet we are spellbound, staring at the awesome scary power of lightning. Some photographers are great at capturing that split second of nature’s zapping fury. Here are 45 wicked pics of lightning. We love these pics!

• Tagged Aurora, Aurora Australis, Aurora Borealis, environment, ISS, NASA, nature, Northern lights, photos, pics, pictures, polar auroras, Southern lights, space, stars, winter

We’ve collected 24 stunning auroras; either Auroras Borealis – the northern lights – or Aurora Australis – the southern lights. We love these pics!
[24 Photos]

• Tagged Artist's Palette, bizarre, Champagne Pool, environment, geothermal pool, nature, New Zealand, photos, pictures, places, travel, Wai-o-tapu, wonderland

This geothermal pool, called The Champagne Pool in New Zealand is lovely, perhaps romantic? The water bubbles much like a bubbly glass of champagne from which it gets its name. But before you take a dip, you might like to know it’s hot — over 160 °F and the colors, well . . . some of them come from arsenic and sulfide deposits. It was formed by a hydrothermal eruption 900 years ago. It’s in a crater with a diameter of about 213 feet; the geothermal pool is 230 feet deep. These sacred waters are the most colorful geothermal area in the New Zealand. It’s known as the Champagne Pool at the Artist’s Palette at the Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland. We love these pics!

• Tagged Castle Geyser, geyser, nature, photo, photograph, pic, places, rainbow, travel, Yellowstone National Park

The beauty of nature.