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Nature

Arches National Park

National Parks

Marathoner Sets Out to Run All of America’s National Parks

Autumn Ray’s goal: 59 national parks before she turns 40 in four years

The Bisti Badlands in northern New Mexico is known for its Easter egg-like rock formations.

These Massive Rock Formations Look Just Like Cracked Eggs

Bisti Badlands’ bizarre eggs bring a bit of Easter to the New Mexico desert

The Matterhorn is perhaps the most recognizable of the peaks that make up the Alps, and has a height of 14,692 feet.

Switzerland

Seven Surprising Facts About the Matterhorn

The towering peak that straddles Switzerland and Italy is full of secrets

Yellow and red are the primary colors in this double rainbow.

New Research

Not All Rainbows Have Every Color

Depending on the angle of the sun, ROY G. BIV don’t all necessarily appear

Category winner, Behavior: A school of tropical clupeid fish swim in sync, keeping a healthy distance from a teenage black-tip reef shark in the Rasdhoo Atoll, Republic of Maldives. Though the sharks cruise placidly for hours without so much as a glance at the fish, they strike suddenly, gobbling up a mouthful of fish.

Trending Today

A Tadpole’s Perspective and More “Life Through a Lens” Images

Ogle the images from winners of the Royal Society’s photography contest

Listen to Nature Through These Gigantic Wooden Megaphones in Estonia’s Forests

You know, in case a tree falls and there’s no one there to hear it

Cool Finds

Visit the Giant Galápagos Tortoises Using Google Street View

The 15-sided camera of the Street View Trekker followed migration routes for the giant reptiles

New Research

Feeling Small in the Face of Nature Makes People More Generous

Awe, yeah

Visit the World’s Most Amazing Old-Growth Forests

Here are some of the best places to hug centuries-old trees

Lesser spotted eagle (Clanga pomarina)

Trending Today

Germany is Turning its Old Military Bases Into Nature Reserves

While downsizing the military, Germany sets aside land for wildlife

Mosasaur

14 Fun Facts About the Animals of “Jurassic World”

While the lead predator of the film might be a genetically modified fiction, these real fossil species were just as amazing and bizarre

Tiny ovenbirds wore an even tinier backpack equipped with a GPS tracker that monitored their migratory paths over the course of a year—offering new data on their routes.

The Hottest New Accessory for Songbirds: Tiny GPS-Enabled Backpacks

Peter Marra and Michael Hallworth of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center test a groundbreaking device that tracks birds’ migrations

What Makes the “Lion Whisperer” Roar?

He’s famous for getting dangerously close to his fearsome charges, but what can Kevin Richardson teach us about ethical conservation—and ourselves?

Ask Smithsonian 2017

When Did Americans Lose Their British Accents And More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

Lightning crackles across the sky over Canyonlands National Park in Utah.

New Research

Rockets and Microphones Reveal the First Images of Thunder

The acoustic visuals could help us better understand the physical processes that drive lightning strikes

Cavers stand amongst large gour pool walls and unique raft cone formations inside Hang Va.

Journey to the Center of Earth

These Breathtaking Photos of Vietnam’s Caves Bring Out the Armchair Spelunker in Everyone

Photographer Ryan Deboodt discovers beauty in this subterranean realm

New Research

Pandas Actually Hang Out Together

GPS tracking data sheds light on giant pandas secretive societies

Who Determined That the Sun Was a Star and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

The natural habitats of many bumblebees are nearly gone and restoring floral diversity is vital to promote their survival.

Can Returning Farmland to the Wild Help Bumblebees in Crisis?

Even if only a small percentage of current farmland became wild meadows, it could bring populations back to previous levels

A barn owl by the light of the moon.

American South

Best Places to See Nature After Dark

The sun may power most of our world—but some things come alive only at night

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