2021-04-09
Square Tower Group in Hovenweep National Monument, Utah (© Brad McGinley Photography/Getty Images)
Hovenweep国家纪念碑的方塔，犹他州 (© Brad McGinley Photography/Getty Images)
The bright sweep of the Milky Way is especially vivid amid the mesas, canyons, and prehistoric towers of Hovenweep National Monument. Straddling the southern Colorado-Utah border, Hovenweep is so remote that almost no artificial light disturbs the view of star-filled skies. The dazzling nightscapes are little different from those seen by the Ancestral Puebloans who built these towers. They were a farming culture who first settled in the area roughly 1,100 years ago. By the late 1200s they numbered around 2,500 people and had built these and other structures in six different villages. Archaeologists offer several theories to explain the use of the buildings. Some may have been defensive fortifications, storage areas, homes, or any combination of these. But researchers suggest that the tower called Hovenweep Castle, seen here, was almost certainly used as a celestial observatory.
Square Tower Group in Hovenweep National Monument, Utah (© Brad McGinley Photography/Getty Images)
Hovenweep国家纪念碑的方塔，犹他州 (© Brad McGinley Photography/Getty Images)
The bright sweep of the Milky Way is especially vivid amid the mesas, canyons, and prehistoric towers of Hovenweep National Monument. Straddling the southern Colorado-Utah border, Hovenweep is so remote that almost no artificial light disturbs the view of star-filled skies. The dazzling nightscapes are little different from those seen by the Ancestral Puebloans who built these towers. They were a farming culture who first settled in the area roughly 1,100 years ago. By the late 1200s they numbered around 2,500 people and had built these and other structures in six different villages. Archaeologists offer several theories to explain the use of the buildings. Some may have been defensive fortifications, storage areas, homes, or any combination of these. But researchers suggest that the tower called Hovenweep Castle, seen here, was almost certainly used as a celestial observatory.
2021-04-10
Grizzly bear cub siblings playing in Denali National Park, Alaska (© Ron Niebrugge/Alamy)
在迪纳利国家公园中玩耍的灰熊幼崽，阿拉斯加 (© Ron Niebrugge/Alamy)
Let's celebrate Siblings Day by peaking at the antics of these playful grizzly bear cubs (while staying clear of their mother). Pregnant female grizzlies settle into their den in winter and give birth while hibernating, usually to two cubs. While their mother sleeps, the cubs nurse and grow quickly. When springtime arrives, the new family emerges from the den to search for food. These siblings will cohabitate with their mother for two to three years, after which they'll venture off on their own.
Grizzly bear cub siblings playing in Denali National Park, Alaska (© Ron Niebrugge/Alamy)
在迪纳利国家公园中玩耍的灰熊幼崽，阿拉斯加 (© Ron Niebrugge/Alamy)
Let's celebrate Siblings Day by peaking at the antics of these playful grizzly bear cubs (while staying clear of their mother). Pregnant female grizzlies settle into their den in winter and give birth while hibernating, usually to two cubs. While their mother sleeps, the cubs nurse and grow quickly. When springtime arrives, the new family emerges from the den to search for food. These siblings will cohabitate with their mother for two to three years, after which they'll venture off on their own.
2021-04-11
Mount Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, Japan (© Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
吉野山，日本奈良 (© Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Mount Yoshino ranks as one of the best places in Japan to immerse yourself in the spring cherry blossom season. Over 30,000 flowering Japanese cherry trees, or sakura, grow in four main groves on the hillside. Because the trees, some planted over 1,300 years ago, grow at different elevations, the cherry blossom front gradually moves up the mountain in a slow, fragrant wave as the season progresses. Peak bloom usually arrives between early and mid-April. Most years, crowds wander through the town of Yoshino, visiting its traditional temples and shires, before admiring the profusion of cherry blossoms, a custom known as hanami. Of course, we can practice hanami virtually with pictures. But if you're lucky enough to have a blooming cherry tree near you, we encourage you to pause and breathe the moment in.
Mount Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, Japan (© Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
吉野山，日本奈良 (© Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Mount Yoshino ranks as one of the best places in Japan to immerse yourself in the spring cherry blossom season. Over 30,000 flowering Japanese cherry trees, or sakura, grow in four main groves on the hillside. Because the trees, some planted over 1,300 years ago, grow at different elevations, the cherry blossom front gradually moves up the mountain in a slow, fragrant wave as the season progresses. Peak bloom usually arrives between early and mid-April. Most years, crowds wander through the town of Yoshino, visiting its traditional temples and shires, before admiring the profusion of cherry blossoms, a custom known as hanami. Of course, we can practice hanami virtually with pictures. But if you're lucky enough to have a blooming cherry tree near you, we encourage you to pause and breathe the moment in.