Photo by @juancristobalcobo / This is one of the many beautiful street corners in the town of Monguí, Boyacá, Colombia. Sitting in the middle of the Andes, this small town is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful and welcoming in the region. #monguí #colombia #juancristobalcobo

Photo by Muhammed Muheisen @mmuheisen / A cyclist crosses a canal bridge in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For more photos and videos from different parts of the world, follow me @mmuheisen and @mmuheisenpublic. #muhammedmuheisen #Amsterdam #Netherlands #Canals

Photo by @stephen_matera / Eroded ridges are seen on the lower flanks of South Caineville Mesa near Caineville, Utah. Nearby and just outside of the boundary of Capitol Reef National Park is an area of exposed bentonite, which is a colorful remnant of fine volcanic ash and silt. Follow me @stephen_matera for more images like this from Utah and around the world. #desert #erosion

Photo by Matt Borowick @mborowick / There’s something magical about flying above the beautiful mountainous landscape of British Columbia in southwestern Canada. I remember thinking that it looked like something out of a movie rather than a real place. Untamed wilderness as far as the eye can see. Follow @mborowick for more pictures like this. #nature #canada #adventure #wilderness #britishcolumbia

Video by @andrea_frazzetta / The Tonle Sap Lake supports a massive freshwater ecosystem, which in turn supports the people who live around it in floating villages like Chong Koh, seen here. Despite being built on the water, the floating villages operate similarly to villages on land. There are grocery stores, schools, barbers, and temples. Follow @andrea_frazzetta to know more about my next projects. #cambodia #floatingvillage #asia

Photo by @DavidDoubilet // Sponsored by @tourism_phl // Clouds of chromis rise and fall with the rhythm of the sea above a coral meadow near Black Rock on South Atoll in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Palawan, Philippines. This marine protected area is a UNESCO World Heritage site that includes two large atolls rising in the remote heart of the Sulu Sea. These ultrarich reefs are production centers that radiate and replenish surrounding seas. Their vigilant protection and patrol set a global example of successful marine conservation. The reefs are a true marine wilderness where every plunge is a voyage of discovery. // With 7,641 islands, the Philippines is a paradise made for all kinds of adventure. Health and safety measures are in place as it prepares to welcome visitors once again. #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines

Photo by @joshuacogan / Varanasi has never left me since my first visit there some 20 years ago. It has appeared in my dreams, renewed my faith in the human spirit, and revealed new things I could not see before. As a sacred gathering space for pilgrims and the performance of rituals, it holds the prayers and intentions for so much of our human family. For more images of India, pilgrimages, and sacred spaces, follow me @joshuacogan. #india #varanasi

Photo by @babaktafreshi / Seeing a truly dark sky can change someone's life forever. I have seen how the view of the Milky Way (although it's colorless to the eyes) deeply inspired people who joined some of my programs. I took this photo before morning twilight on a 2011 visit to Ilha Grande in Brazil. I was under these coconut palm trees on the beach when the howler monkeys began to roar in the jungle with the galaxy in its full glory overhead. The main challenge was to protect the camera from the falling coconuts! Explore more from Earth to the universe with me @babaktafreshi. #twanight #nightsky #astrophotography #brazil #earth

Photo by @michaelclarkphoto / Skyscrapers stand on either side of the rail line running through the financial district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. #uae #dubai #unitedarabemirates

Photo by @juancristobalcobo / A quiet sunset moment on the beach in Cartagena, Colombia. After a long period of strict lockdowns, the city is slowly returning to a certain degree of normalcy. Some restrictions have been lifted and limited national and international flights are available. #cartagena #colombia #juancristobalcobo

Photo by George Steinmetz @geosteinmetz / Expedition cars cross the flooded shore of the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. This is the biggest salt flat in the world, trapped between two branches of the Andes at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) and the bottom of the high valley of the Altiplano. Making a running takeoff at these altitudes with no wind at sunrise was challenging, but the surprises that awaited me aloft were sublime. To explore more of our world from above, follow @geosteinmetz. #paramotor

Photos by @jessicasample / We discovered this quaint waterfall while driving from Reykjavík to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and we were lucky enough to experience it all by ourselves. #iceland

Photo by @Sofia_Jaramillo5 / Hot water trickles down Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. The area consists of about a hundred hot springs that are scattered on a hillside with stepped travertine terraces. Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs. This is one of my favorite places to explore in the park because of the incredible views of the brightly colored pools. #yellowstone #findyourpark #nationalparks

Photo by @Justin.Jin / A cloud floats over Corsica, the French Island of Beauty in the Mediterranean Sea. With stunning geographical diversity, the island resembles a continent. From pristine beaches to sawtooth mountain ridges and verdant valleys, Corsica has it all. Follow @justin.jin for images from around the world. #corsica #justinjin #france #corse #cloud

Photo by @andrea_frazzetta / An aerial view of the famous ghost town of Craco, Italy. The town has been chosen as a location for many historical movies. Abandoned in 1963 after a disastrous landslide, this village in the province of Matera, Italy, attracts thousands of tourists every year. To see more photos from my travels, follow me @andrea_frazzetta. #italy #basilicata

Photo by @joshuacogan / Light streams through old-growth forest of the Tongass in the McKenzie Inlet on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The Tongass is the largest remaining old-growth forest in the United States at just over 17 million acres of protected wild lands. Over the past few years, the Trump Administration has sought to remove protections against logging in the Tongass, opening up wide swaths of this temperate rainforest to clear-cut logging. The administration and the USDA recently completed plans that would allow nine million of the 17 million acres to be opened for old-growth logging, which will not only harm the ecology of the region, but also potentially release enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. For more images of the Tongass and the communities that depend on it, follow me @joshuacogan. #Tongass #ourpubliclands #logging

Photo by @babaktafreshi / Venus in ocean twilight glows before sunrise over the Atlantic coastline of Maine, New England. The cone-shaped glow of zodiacal light appears too, only visible far from light pollution in natural night sky. It's the sunlight reflecting from asteroid dust in the solar system. Astronomers recently revealed a possible sign of life in the high clouds of Venus. The hostile planet with a surface temperature of 465°C (about 900°F) and crushing atmospheric pressure of 93 bar doesn't sound like a good place for life, but its high clouds can be home to aerial microbes. A rare molecule known as phosphine is found in the new radio observations of Venus clouds. On Earth it is produced by microbes in oxygen-free environments. Sample return missions are needed to confirm this, but it's certainly an exciting time for astronomy and space explorations. Follow me @babaktafreshi for more Earth and sky wonders. #twanight #venus #life #maine

Photo by @deeptiasthana / Spiti, the land between India and Tibet, is fringed by the Himalaya. The unexplored monasteries have been unchanged here for centuries. I met maroon-robed lamas and was awestruck by the region's stupendous beauty. The "land of lamas" has stories of struggles, dreams, and age-old practices that haven’t been changed due to limited accessibility to the region.

Photo by @amivitale / Anita, 9, and Sri Devi, 10, stand in a rice field in their village of Seethyatkanda in Andhra Pradesh, India. Worldwide, women and girls are the primary providers of water, and they often spend much of their day hauling water from distant sources. In drought, they must walk for hours to find water for their families. Some regions of the world face devastating drought conditions, while other regions face rising seas and flooding. Addressing climate change will have a direct impact on the futures of all girls. Follow @amivitale for more photos celebrating the hope and beauty in the world. @thephotosociety @rippleeffectimages #girls #climatechange #india #empathyiseverything

Photo by Keith Ladzinski @ladzinski / A curtain of rain showers the carved valley of the French Alps at sunset. These evening summer storms bring life to the valley, filling the air with a fresh aroma. To see more photos of the Alps, please visit @ladzinski.

Photo by @Sofia_Jaramillo5 / People hike on the Proctor Loop trail outside of Ketchum, Idaho. Sun Valley ski resort's Bald Mountain is shown in the background. Sun Valley was the first ski resort to build a chairlift in the United States. The first lift was inspired by a system used to haul bananas onto ships in Panama. The first lift still stands, and it can be seen on the ridge on the far left of the image. #idaho #skihistory #hiking

Photo by @Justin.Jin / My wife and son look out toward the Gulf of St. Florent in Corsica, the French Island of Beauty in the Mediterranean Sea. With stunning geographical diversity, the island resembles a continent. From pristine beaches to sawtooth mountain ridges and verdant valleys, Corsica has it all. Follow @justin.jin for images from around the world. #corsica #justinjin #france #corse

Photo by @renan_ozturk / Locals says it's one of the best fall seasons for the vibrancy of the aspens here in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Follow @renan_ozturk for more images of the changing of the seasons in this region. #colorado #fall

Photo by Muhammed Muheisen @mmuheisen / On August 2 I photographed the moon while it rose above the columns of the ancient marble temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, Greece. For more photos and videos from different parts of the world, follow me @mmuheisen and @mmuheisenpublic. #muhammedmuheisen #Moon #Greece #Athens

Photo by @michaelclarkphoto / Daniel Bleicher and Rich Cezelski walk on the beach at sunset to catch that one last wave before packing it in at Ventura Point in Ventura, California. #surfing #california #ventura

Photo by Matt Borowick @mborowick / It’s hard to tell what a certain place will look like from above, especially one as mountainous as this. Looking down onto a small piece of the Clayoquot Arm Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada, we are given that remarkable moment. Please follow @mborowick for more pictures like this. #nature #canada #adventure #wilderness #britishcolumbia

Photo by Robbie Shone @shonephoto / The Ivano Dibona via ferrata in the heart of the Italian Dolomites is a restored historical route. It was used by Italian troops during World War I.

Photo by @deeptiasthana / Spiti, the land between India and Tibet, is fringed by the Himalaya. One of the most beautiful villages in Spiti is Dhankar, which looks like a bowl-shaped structure in the hills. The mud houses emerging from the brown bowl create a view to embrace. The unexplored monasteries and forts have been unchanged here for centuries.

Photo by George Steinmetz @geosteinmetz / Sunrise at Beaver Meadow in Green Mountain National Forest, near Middlebury, Vermont. Most of New England was clear-cut over a hundred years ago for farming and grazing, but it has grown back vigorously with a mixture of hardwoods (predominantly maples) and evergreens. To view more of our world from above, follow @geosteinmetz.

Photo by @babaktafreshi and video by @mtwilsonobservatory / The U.S. West Coast fires have caused damage to many structures, but a lot have been rescued too. One of the world’s most iconic observatories, standing 5,700 feet (1,750 meters) above Los Angeles, is on Mount Wilson. When the wildfire approached the telescopes, there were serious concerns. As shown on the observatory webcam time-lapse video (second slide), suddenly the fire appeared just 500 feet (150 meters) away. But it was a controlled backfire created by firefighters as the last strategic technique to make a barrier to the massive Bobcat wildfire and it worked! The observatory was saved. I have been there several times. It has two of the world’s largest publicly accessible telescopes, where people come to observe the night sky and to host events. The view of the deep sky through these giant, historic telescopes is unbelievable! The 100-inch was the world's largest telescope from its first light in 1917 for three decades. It contributed to science immensely. It is where Edwin Hubble proved the existence of other galaxies beyond the Milky Way and also the expansion of the universe. Explore more @babaktafreshi. #twanight #mtwilsonobservatory #losangeles #stargazing #wildfire

Photos by @juancristobalcobo / The hot springs in Nuquí, Colombia, can be enjoyed right in the middle of a rainforest and next to the Pacific Ocean. #nuqui #rainforest #juancristobalcobo

Photo by @andrea_frazzetta / This popular beach in Maratea has black sand, stones, and rocks, evidence of the volcanic origin of this part of the Mediterranean coast. Maratea is the only village in the Basilicata region that overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea. To see more photos from my travels, follow me @andrea_frazzetta. #italy #basilicata

Photo by @joshuacogan / Timber Pesterfield pilots a floatplane from Ketchikan to Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. This area receives some of the highest annual rainfall amounts in the United States, and pilots here have to be some of the best in the world to navigate the rapidly shifting weather patterns and mountainous landscapes. To see more travels in Alaska and throughout the world, follow me @joshuacogan. #alaska

Photo by @paoloverzone / This Mantellisaurus, unearthed in 1914 and displayed in the U.K.’s Natural History Museum @natural_history_museum, was named an Iguanodon before scientists recognized it as its own genus in 2007. Roughly 125 million years old, the skeleton is one of the most complete dinosaur fossils ever found in the U.K. Follow @paoloverzone for more photos and stories.

Photo by @jessicasample / Climbing the craggy cliffs on the island of Kalsoy in the Faroe Islands, where the winds and fog roll in quick. This sweet, small island with a lighthouse is accessible by a limited ferry from the town of Klaksvík. It's best to pack a lunch and line up in your car an hour before departure time. #faroeislands

Photo by @Sofia_Jaramillo5 / Aspen trees glimmer in the morning light near Proctor Loop trail outside of Ketchum, Idaho. September and October are great months to visit Ketchum as the trees start to change color and there are cooler temperatures. Ketchum provides abundant recreational activities such as hiking, biking, camping, and hot springs. #fallcolors #autumn #natureseekers

Photo by @jodymacdonaldphoto / There is no better way to explore the Aegean Sea than to travel to Turkey's southwestern coast and board a traditional wooden sailing vessel called a gulet. Historically they were used for sponge fishing and carrying wine and cargo between islands, but in modern times they have been converted into spacious cruising vessels that are perfect for exploring the clear turquoise waters and untouched beaches of the beautiful Aegean coastline. Follow me @jodymacdonaldphoto to see more images from my travels around the world. #travel #turkey

Photo by Muhammed Muheisen @mmuheisen / People enjoy a boat ride in a canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For more photos and videos from different parts of the world, follow me @mmuheisen and @mmuheisenpublic. #muhammedmuheisen #Amsterdam #Netherlands #canal

Photo by @daisygilardini / The Vancouver skyline reflects in low tide pools, taken from Spanish Banks Beach. At low tide the water retreats up to one kilometer and allows for a totally different view of the city’s skyline. Even though I spend most of my life in remote wildernesses, I’ve always been fascinated by the sparkling of city lights at night. #Vancouver #citylights #skyline #Canada #BritishColumbia

Photo by @babaktafreshi / The massive wildfire in the far distance was glowing like a city in the air on this summer night in the Sierra Nevada, California, two years ago. At over 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) of elevation, I was high enough to clearly see the Milky Way through a thin layer of smoke. Explore more from Earth to the universe with me @babaktafreshi. #twanight #wildfire #earth #california

Photo by @joshuacogan / I followed a friendly stranger's advice to spend a few days and nights in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness at the Montana-Wyoming border this past month. Its beauty and ruggedness were beyond what I had imagined. After the West Coast wildfire smoke cleared, I saw the beautiful show of stars that this valley offers. My jaw dropped a bit when I looked at the back of the camera after this image though, as I hadn't noticed this shooting star during the long exposure. For more images of our inspiring public lands, follow me @joshuacogan. #montana #ourpubliclands

Photo by Robbie Shone @shonephoto / The Via Ferrata Delle Scalette (graded 3B) climbs to the summit of Torre Toblino, which was an important Austrian observation post in the Italian Dolomites during World War I.

Photo by @hannahreyesmorales // Sponsored by @tourism_phl // The Philippines is part of the Coral Triangle, the center of the world’s marine biodiversity. While our seas are the habitat of hundreds of species of fish, they also represent home to millions of people who live near the water. Here, in a little town overlooking Cadlao Island in El Nido, sea vessels called bangka wait to take islanders and visitors to neighboring islands. For those living on the coast, the ocean isn’t just a body of water. It represents thoroughfare and livelihood; it’s both a playground and a workplace. // With 7,641 islands, the Philippines is a paradise made for all kinds of adventure. Health and safety measures are in place as it prepares to welcome visitors once again. #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines

Photo by @emilypolar / A mother and her baby enjoy the open space of their rooftop at sunset in Boudha. There are many rooftops in Kathmandu, providing a sanctuary with views from the narrow urban streets below. To see more of Nepal and beyond, follow me @emilypolar.

Photo by @andrea_frazzetta / Grottole is a small village in Basilicata in the south of Italy. Its name comes from the grotticelle, small rooms still visible along the walls of the hill on which the town stands. In these rooms the craftsmen of the village used to mold beautiful clay vases. Today they house another precious treasure: the wine that the families of the village produce in the surrounding countryside. To see more photos from my travels, follow me @andrea_frazzetta. #italy #basilicata

Photo by Muhammed Muheisen @mmuheisen / Cats rest on chairs at a restaurant in the coastal suburbs of Athens, Greece. For more photos and videos from different parts of the world, follow me @mmuheisen and @mmuheisenpublic. #muhammedmuheisen #Athens #Greece #Cat

Photo by @JeffMauritzen / Kylemore Castle was built in County Galway, Ireland, in 1868 by Mitchell Henry. Now known as Kylemore Abbey, for the last century it has been home to the Benedictine nuns. Nowadays it’s also a very popular tourist attraction for those traveling Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. As photographers, we’re often rewarded for seeking out obscure vantage points for our subjects. In this instance, it was hard to beat the scene that greeted me right from the parking lot! For more images from Ireland and beyond, follow @jeffmauritzen. #Ireland #Connemara #CountyGalway #Kylemore

Photos by Michael Yamashita @yamashitaphoto / Mountains in the mist in Wulingyuan National Park, Hunan, China. This UNESCO World Heritage site is noted for having more than 3,000 sandstone pillars and peaks, many over 200 meters (660 feet) in height. It was the inspiration for the floating Hallelujah Mountains of Pandora in the blockbuster film "Avatar." The trick to photographing these pillars is to capture them during or after a rain, when the supermoist air creates foggy conditions. I photographed these mountains four times in four different seasons and only saw the fog twice, for less than an hour. Without fog, in my opinion, there is no picture. #wulingyuannationalpark #wulingyuan #zhangjiajie #avatar #hallelujahmountains

Photo and video by @juancristobalcobo / Sunrise on the empty streets of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Magic awaits at every corner if you watch and listen carefully. Follow me @juancristobalcobo for more photos and stories. #cartagena #colombia #juancristobalcobo

Photo by @daisygilardini / Every year in February and March, harp seals give birth to their pups on the pack ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec. They are the most common seal species in the Northern Hemisphere, with a global population of almost nine million individuals. Harp seals rarely spend time on land. They’re incredible swimmers and can dive deeper than 300 meters (984 feet) while holding their breath for 15 minutes at a time. Harp seals are sociable animals and at times gather in large groups. They have a wide range of vocalizations for communication, both above and below the water. #seal #harpseal #whitecoat #magdalenislands #quebec

Photo by @MartinEdstrom / Driving through the vast and empty forests of Hälsingland in Sweden this summer, I couldn't help but feel a deepened sense of appreciation for the nature and wilderness that is close to home. While we're so often caught up in finding new places to explore on other parts of the planet, it's easy to miss what's left to explore at home, often just an hour or two away. For those of you who have been in lockdown but are still able to move about a bit, what have you been able to discover throughout this very challenging year? Follow @MartinEdstrom for more images from Sweden and the Nordics. #exploringhome #sweden #forest #wilderness #wanderlust

Photo by @francescolastrucci / The multifunctional structure of the Heydar Aliyev Center was completed in 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. It’s among the most surprising and incisive works of iconic architect Zaha Hadid. She designed its fluid shape in contrast to the rigid architecture of the Soviet era, and it was inspired by Islamic calligraphy and forms of traditional Azeri architecture. The center includes a museum, an auditorium, and several workshop and exhibition spaces. Follow me @francescolastrucci for more places, daily life, and stories around the world. #baku #azerbaijan #architecture

Photo by @babaktafreshi / "Hovering in the Boston twilight, the elegant new moon beguiles onlookers just hours after skygazers in Iran have admired its thin form. That same crisp crescent hangs gracefully above the Vatican’s domes, just as it inhabits the skies over Jerusalem’s Temple Mount … This single celestial element is a shared window for every one of us … Our moon connects us to distant cultures—to every poet, writer, and artist who has been inspired by its mesmerizing glow.” —Excerpt from my book, "The World at Night" Explore more @babaktafreshi. #twanight #boston #newmoon

Photo by @andrea_frazzetta / From their balconies, the inhabitants of Matera can admire the center of one of the oldest cities in the world. Also known as I Sassi (The Stones), the historical center of Matera has been inhabited without interruption since the Paleolithic period. To see more photos from my travels, follow me @andrea_frazzetta. #italy #matera #basilicata

Photo by @joshuacogan / As we wandered through some of the villages on the outskirts of Ubud, we began to see a different way of life that felt more connected to the older ways of being—before the rapid transformation that booming tourism brought to this area of the island. I was grateful to witness this beautiful procession to a ceremony. As dusk set in, the women's blouses danced in the last light of the day. For more images of rituals and celebrations throughout the world, follow me @joshuacogan. #bali #ubud

Photo by @taylorglenn / Sometimes you just need to look up. A deep blue sky creates lovely contrast with the warm foliage of aspen trees. Follow @taylorglenn for more images of #fall in #Wyoming.

Photo by Robbie Shone @shonephoto / The fact that a cold, dark tunnel can look welcoming toward the end of a freezing autumn day tells you everything about how hostile the Dolomites can be. In the height of summer, the prospect of temporarily living in these tunnels, as thousands of soldiers did, seems unappealing but conceivable. Come autumn, it is horrifying. As for winter …

Photo by @mridulaamin / A rugged bush walk reaches Belougery Spire, one of the magnificent volcanic plugs in Warrumbungle National Park, Australia. The name of the park comes from our First Peoples Indigenous Kamilaroi language and is believed to mean "crooked mountains." Follow @mridulaamin for photography from around the world. #Warrumbungles #Australia

Photo by @kevinfaingnaert / Hoi An in Vietnam is a charming town where you can immerse yourself in a mix of history, culture, and fine nearby beaches. You can stroll through the cozy and car-free city center, view ancient architecture, and cool off on a hot day at the beach. The hectic bustle of busy cities seems very far away here. #Vietnam

Photo by @daisygilardini / The first warm rays of daylight shine through the fog in the Great Bear Rainforest. This is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world and certainly one of the most pristine places I have ever visited. Its territory extends from the central to the north coast of British Columbia, Canada, and covers roughly an area of 32,000 square kilometers (12,400 square miles). The forest is home to grizzly, black, and Kermode bears, among many other species. #conservation #britishcolumbia #canada #greatbearrainforest #sunrise

Photo by @MartinEdstrom / People eat on a houseboat hidden on a lake in the deep forests of Värmland, Sweden. It's interesting to hear about the excitement for the growing trend of zero-impact travel—cooking by a fire, sleeping without heating in the room, and using locally sourced foods. This approach of going back to basics has been on the rise for several years. One nature hostel manager I met this summer put it quite bluntly: "Twenty years ago people said I was crazy for not having satellite TV installed. Now they get mad that there's even cell phone reception. They don't want it."⁠ It feels perfectly understandable that people need rest from the modern media and information society these days. At first glance, it feels a little bit like a facade. While you stay at a zero-impact lodge or hostel for a few days, your regular life back home still generates a lot of impact. But perhaps it can help us think about which parts of our lives we could do without, or how we could reduce impact at home. If that's the only result in the end, it's still something.⁠ Follow @MartinEdstrom for more travel tips from Sweden and the Nordics. #exploringhome #sweden #nordics #morninglight #lakeside

Photo by Muhammed Muheisen @mmuheisen / As the sun sets, people enjoy floating in the Dead Sea in Jordan. For more photos and videos from different parts of the world, follow me @mmuheisen and @mmuheisenpublic. #muhammedmuheisen #الاردن #deadsea