The view from the Moon
Only two dozen people have personally witnessed the Earth rising over the lunar surface: the crews of Apollos 8 to 17. Those 24 astronauts are also the only humans to leave low-Earth orbit and see the 'dark' side of the moon. And only 12 of them walked on its surface. Today, 20 July, is the anniversary of Apollo 11’s Eagle lander touching down on the Moon and the momentous first steps taken there by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969. Today’s picture of our big blue marble hanging above Mare Smythii was taken by the one of crew on that mission, 51 years ago. However Armstrong, Aldrin and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins couldn’t remember which of them snapped the iconic shot.
Earthrise from Apollo 8 (annotated). Credit: NASA/IAU
The Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union has today officially approved the naming of two craters on the Moon to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission. The names are Anders’ Earthrise and 8 Homeward.
The newly named craters are visible in the foreground of the iconic Earthrise colour photograph taken by astronaut William Anders. It depicts the moment that our shiny blue Earth came back into view as the spacecraft emerged out of the dark from behind the grey and barren Moon. This is arguably the most famous picture taken by Apollo 8. It became iconic and has been credited with starting the environmental movement.
Kelimutu crater lakes on the island of Flores, Indonesia
Indonesia's volcanoes are legendary for their power and fury: the names Tambora, Toba and Krakatoa echo through the ages for causing some of the most violent eruptions in history. Kelimutu reveals a more peaceful, and sublimely beautiful, side of the story. This volcano's peak is the highest spot on Flores, and features three crater lakes in close proximity within its caldera. Better still, the lakes are different colours, and the shades frequently change independently of each other. Scientists believe that the waters turn shades of indigo, mint and dark red because of the differing and variable levels of volcanic gases, rainfall and groundwater elements present in the lakes.
Sailing on thick ice
This photograph was taken in the winter of 2014 on the Hudson River in the US state of New York. That year, temperatures were so cold for so long that antique wooden ice yachts were taken out of storage and onto the river to sail down a 20-mile stretch of thick ice. It had been years since the Hudson River had frozen sufficiently for safe ice sailing, due to global warming.
But back in the 1850s, right up to the early 20th century, average winter temperatures were cooler and the Hudson River was the ice sailing capital of the world. Supported by metal blades (runners), like skates, an ice yacht encounters little forward resistance, gliding over the ice at thrilling speeds. In iceboating's heyday, wealthy yachtsmen raced over the frozen Hudson in front of thousands of spectators. In 1885, John Aspinwall Roosevelt, uncle to future US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, founded the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club, which still exists today. It maintains these beautiful antique wooden iceboats, and if the area is lucky enough to have another long, cold winter, they'll take to the ice again.
This photograph was taken in the winter of 2014 on the Hudson River in the US state of New York. That year, temperatures were so cold for so long that antique wooden ice yachts were taken out of storage and onto the river to sail down a 20-mile stretch of thick ice. It had been years since the Hudson River had frozen sufficiently for safe ice sailing, due to global warming.
But back in the 1850s, right up to the early 20th century, average winter temperatures were cooler and the Hudson River was the ice sailing capital of the world. Supported by metal blades (runners), like skates, an ice yacht encounters little forward resistance, gliding over the ice at thrilling speeds. In iceboating's heyday, wealthy yachtsmen raced over the frozen Hudson in front of thousands of spectators. In 1885, John Aspinwall Roosevelt, uncle to future US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, founded the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club, which still exists today. It maintains these beautiful antique wooden iceboats, and if the area is lucky enough to have another long, cold winter, they'll take to the ice again.
But back in the 1850s, right up to the early 20th century, average winter temperatures were cooler and the Hudson River was the ice sailing capital of the world. Supported by metal blades (runners), like skates, an ice yacht encounters little forward resistance, gliding over the ice at thrilling speeds. In iceboating's heyday, wealthy yachtsmen raced over the frozen Hudson in front of thousands of spectators. In 1885, John Aspinwall Roosevelt, uncle to future US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, founded the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club, which still exists today. It maintains these beautiful antique wooden iceboats, and if the area is lucky enough to have another long, cold winter, they'll take to the ice again.
Follow the rainbow
Welcome to Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, a great place to mark Find a Rainbow Day. Scottish explorer David Livingstone named the waterfall in honour of Queen Victoria, although it's also known by its indigenous Lozi name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means 'the smoke that thunders'. According to some records, local villagers described the waterfall to Livingstone as 'Seongo' or 'Chongwe', which means 'the place of the rainbow', because rainbows appear in its spray. Under a bright moon, you might also see a 'moonbow' here.
French philosopher and scientist René Descartes did some of the first studies of optics and rainbows around 1637 - but at that time, no-one understood where the colours came from. In 1666, Isaac Newton explained that sunlight is really a mixture of the colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
French philosopher and scientist René Descartes did some of the first studies of optics and rainbows around 1637 - but at that time, no-one understood where the colours came from. In 1666, Isaac Newton explained that sunlight is really a mixture of the colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Welcome to the Isle of Skye, where the lack of artificial light makes stargazing a spectacular event, with or without a telescope. Scotland has some of the largest expanses of dark sky in Europe, and Skye alone is home to nine Dark Sky discovery sites, from where the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye. Neist Point Lighthouse is perched right out there on the most westerly tip of Skye, offering unobstructed views not only of the stars, but of fabulous sunsets as well as whales, dolphins, sea birds and basking sharks. Walk down the steep path for a closer view of the high cliffs and lighthouse itself as well as some interesting basalt rock formations, similar to those of the Giant’s Causeway.
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