What's festivus?

The run-up to Christmas can be a bit stressful, as demonstrated by our two gentoo penguins in Antarctica, who appear to be getting things off their chests. Or perhaps they are simply participating in the tongue-in-cheek observance Festivus – popularised by the US comedy Seinfeld. Made up by American writer Daniel O’Keefe, it was rebranded as a rejection of Christmas-season commercialism in a 1997 episode of the sitcom, complete with alternative traditions such as the ‘Airing of Grievances’. Having said that, gentoo penguins mainly use their signature trumpeting call in mating rituals – so it’s perfectly possible these two lovebirds are on a date. Anyway, happy Festivus! Or Christmas Eve Eve, if you prefer.

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What's the hour of code?

If you’ve ever been the least bit curious about how computers work, this week is for you. School pupils and adults alike are invited to set aside 60 minutes to try out one of the many Hour of Code tutorials, offered in 45 languages, for a brief introduction to coding. The idea began in the US, where 9 December marks the start of Computer Science Education Week, but has spread to more than 180 countries including the UK where there are more than 1,000 events registered for 2019.

The idea is to inspire people to take an interest in computer science and to level the playing field in an industry that can seem intimidating to some. Organizers believe that every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science, as it nurtures creativity and encourages problem solving. We agree. And we highly recommend the Minecraft tutorials as a starting place. Happy coding!

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Is this one of a kind?

This close-up photograph of a snowflake shows the classic, six-sided structure associated with this tiny winter marvel. Until the advent of macro- and micro-photography in the late 1800s, it was impossible to study the structure of snowflakes as they melted too quickly to be accurately sketched under a microscope. Enter Wilson 'Snowflake' Bentley. An American farmer and self-trained scientist, Bentley was the first person to successfully photograph an individual snowflake.

Over his lifetime, he would produce more than 5,000 different images and he was the first person to observe that every snowflake is unique. He backed this up with some maths and meteorology as well. He understood that snowflakes form as they fall through the sky and their growth and appearance are shaped by hundreds of changing conditions such as altitude, temperature and humidity. This combination of factors means there are more snowflake design possibilities than molecules on Earth. So while some identical-looking snowflakes have been grown under lab conditions, in the wild you’ll never find two exactly alike.

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Where can you find these 'bells'?

Forget Black Friday shopping mayhem and find a treasure in a nearby park or a wilderness instead. This spectacular scene from the US state of Colorado is hard to beat. The Maroon Bells, near the famous Aspen ski resort, are a particularly photogenic pair of mountains in the White River National Forest. Gracing many a travel brochure and postcard, they are set in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area and are both ‘fourteeners’ – or over 14,000 feet tall.

Of the 96 fourteeners in the US, more than half can be found in mountainous Colorado, a popular winter destination boasting all sorts of snow sports. Here in the UK, Black Friday coincides with National Tree Week, so if you don’t have spectacular scenery to enjoy on your doorstep, maybe think about planting a tree instead.

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Where's this desert?

It might look like the movie set for a Western, but this desert is not in Arizona or New Mexico - this is the Bardenas Reales, in Navarre, northern Spain. These lunar landscapes surfaced millions of years ago, when the inland sea that occupied this territory withdrew, leaving behind sediment that erosion then sculpted into amazing geological formations. This photo shows the “cabezo”, or head, of Castildetierra, one of the most well-known rock formations of this UNESCO-recognised natural park. The highest part of the column is made of hard sandstone and limestone, barely supported by soft clays that are gradually being worn away by the elements. Eventually these lonely hills will collapse, due to their own geological nature.

The Bond movie The World is Not Enough and TV series Game of Thrones were partially shot in the Bardenas Reales - and they have their own real-life stories to tell. In the Middle Ages, a bandit called Sanchicorrota was known as "the king of the Bardenas". He terrified the region’s authorities, attacking their castles only to disappear afterwards in the desert, leading a band of 30 men said to be like ghosts. Legend says they put their horses’ shoes on backwards, so their tracks would send any pursuers in the opposite direction.

Souce: Bing

What gives this park a bad name?

Badlands National Park, located in the US state of South Dakota, was officially designated a national park on this day in 1940, ensuring 244,000 acres of picturesque landscape are protected, for all to enjoy. It first gained the nickname ‘badlands’ from the Lakota people, a nod to the extreme temperatures, lack of water and rocky terrain. But it’s not all rugged land here. The US national park includes grassland as well – home to bison, deer and the black-footed ferret, one of the most endangered mammals in North America.

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The cutty sark carried what cargo?

We're featuring the Cutty Sark in today's image to mark the 150th anniversary of her launch on 22 November 1869. Built for speed, she began her short career as a tea clipper racing across oceans 'at a clip' to deliver the season's first tea harvest to England. While at times the Cutty Sark was considered one of the fastest ships in the world, her practical use as a cargo ship was ending almost as soon as she was launched. Steamships using the much shorter route through the newly opened Suez Canal were able to deliver the tea harvest faster and cheaper. In 1883, the Cutty Sark began hauling wool from Australia, but within 10 years steamships also disrupted this business.

By 1922, she was the last clipper ship still in use when she was sold to Wilfred Dowman, who had her restored and turned into a cadet training ship. In 1954, the Cutty Sark was docked at Greenwich, restored again and opened to the public. She was closed again for the Cutty Sark Conservation Project in 2006 but was devastated by fire the following year. Fortunately her original masts and many planks were in storage at the time and she was able to reopen, fully restored, in 2012, with most of her original features still intact. Today, visitors to the Royal Museums Greenwich can explore all facets of this former pinnacle of sailing technology, which is part of Maritime Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Which mountain range ths?

These are the peaks of Mount Diablo, part of the Diablo mountain range in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. Mount Diablo serves up scenic views, hikes in the surrounding state park as well as compelling stories from American history. On this day in 1841, a group of about 70 people finally reached the West Coast after a gruelling journey of more than 2,000 miles from Missouri, on the newly established California Trail.

The wagons travelled at a painfully slow pace. Covering just 15 miles a day, they were pulled by oxen, horses or mules across difficult terrain including desert areas around Utah’s Great Salt Lake and the steep slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. After five months, the wagon train arrived at the ranch of John Marsh near Mount Diablo. The successful journey helped pave the way for expansion to the American West and marked the route for future wagon trains during the California Gold Rush.

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Where do manatees live?

Let’s join these friendly manatees on a swim through a clear river in the US state of Florida, where November is designated Manatee Awareness Month. Generally solitary animals, manatees are also known to be curious and will approach boats. That's why Florida enforces special speed zones for watercraft, particularly as the manatees are on the move to find warmer waters in which to spend the winter. While manatees have no known natural predators, they remain a vulnerable species due to loss of habitat and collisions with boats.

Most Florida manatees live in shallow and marshy coastal areas where they feed on sea grass, mangrove leaves and algae. The ocean’s largest herbivore, these “sea cows” can gorge themselves on greenery for almost half the day. And what could be better than a nap after all that food? Manatees will often sleep underwater for the other half of the day, surfacing for air every 20 minutes or so and grazing for food again in shallow waters. Manatees are pretty smart. They've been known to learn basic tasks, recognise people and differentiate colours.

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Which famous museum is this?

Today we're featuring an image of the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre to highlight the Paris Photo art fair, which is on until Sunday at the historic Grand Palais. Without its iconic pyramid in the frame, the Louvre can be difficult for the casual observer to identify. But this view of the world's largest art museum shows the architectural elegance that has defined the Louvre for centuries.

Paris Photo is the world's largest art fair dedicated to photography. Since 1997, the mission of the fair has been 'to promote and nurture photographic creation and the galleries, publishers and artists at its source'. Starting today, around 200 exhibitors, leading galleries and speciality publishers, along with Parisian cultural institutions, will give visitors a unique look at both historical and contemporary photographic works of art.

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Where are we stargazing?

Here on the North Shore of Lake Superior in the United States, under a canopy of stars, it seems fitting that the official state motto for Minnesota is L’Étoile du Nord, or ‘Star of the North’. Minnesota is also known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", although there are 11,842 lakes that are at least 10 acres in size to be exact, but who’s counting? It was on this day, May 11, in 1858 that Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd US state.

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What kind of mammal is a lemur?

What better place to see in World Lemur Day than Madagascar? The world’s fourth largest island, off the southeast coast of Africa, is home to more than 100 species and subspecies of the animals. Most are small, with a pointed nose, large eyes and a tail. They mainly live in trees and can be highly social, like the ring-tailed lemurs on our homepage, or live a solitary existence like the elusive aye-aye. Lemurs have opposable thumbs and five fingers with fingernails on each hand, marking them out as members of the primate order of mammals. About 65 million years ago, scientists believe, lemurs drifted on rafts of vegetation from the African continent to the shores of Madagascar. Safe from competition and most predators, lemurs evolved into many highly specialised varieties and now can be found in almost all habitats on the island.

But lemurs are under increasing threat from hunting and forest destruction - a threat so great they're considered to be the most endangered group of primates in the world. World Lemur Day, held on the last Friday in October, aims to raise awareness and encourage conservation to protect these extraordinary creatures from extinction.

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Can you guess where we are?

The County Bridge has offered a picturesque passage over the Contoocook River in the US state of New Hampshire since 1937. Why build a covered bridge? In a word, longevity. The roof and walls help protect the timber supports from rot. By comparison, an uncovered wooden bridge lasts an average of 20 years, while the covered variety can reach 100 years or more.

But even their durable reputation couldn't withstand the drive toward faster travel - trains, cars, lorries and the heavier loads that came with them. As iron and then steel replaced timber as the bridge-building material of choice, covered bridges gradually went the way of the horse and cart that used to cross them. Out of about 12,000 covered bridges that were built in the US, only 750 remain today - a quarter of which can be found in the state of Pennsylvania.

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Where's this mountain range?

The Cuillin mountains on the beautiful Isle of Skye are separated into two dramatic ranges which dominate the island's landscape: the Black Cuillin and the Red Cuillin. The iconic ridge of the Black Cuillin, seen in the background of our photo, was formed some 60 million years ago from the remains of the magma chambers which fed volcanic eruptions. About seven miles long, it's considered the UK's most challenging and spectacular mountain range, containing 11 Munros (a mountain in Scotland with a height over 3,000 feet) and 16 other summits. The rugged peaks of the Black Cuillin are mainly composed of gabbro, a coarse-grained rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.

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Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, Spain

After exploring the sprawling 177 square miles of protected desert landscape, a dip in the Mediterranean might be just the thing to revive a weary traveller. Welcome to Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, the largest protected coastal wilderness in Andalusia, in southern Spain. A few small villages lie within Cabo de Gata, offering visitors a chance to get a brief glimpse of civilisation before venturing off into the park’s various protected natural regions. And once you’ve exhausted all the terrestrial treasures here, the Mediterranean coastal reefs offer new levels of wild exploration.

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Meet the slowest flirt in the animal world

We hate to break it to you, but the affable grin on this pale-throated sloth is probably not evidence of its laid-back lifestyle. Our adorable tree hugger looks content thanks to its facial mask and the natural shape of its mouth. Spotting one of these slow-moving solitary animals takes a little skill. The thick outer layer of a sloth's coat is an ideal place for green algae to grow, forming a natural camouflage in the canopy of tropical forests here in northern South America.

If you do spot a pale-throated sloth, it is likely it will be enjoying a simple meal of leaves, tree limbs and buds. Because sloths don't have incisors, they spend most of their waking hours smacking their lips together to 'chew' their food. This would drive most animals to starvation (if not culinary madness), but the sloth's metabolism is so slow that it has evolved to survive on less food.

Let's take a cue from the sloth and slow down our own hectic lives during International Sloth Day on 20 October. Who knows, we might find smiles creeping across our own faces.

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Where's this desert?

It might look like the movie set for a Western, but this desert is not in Arizona or New Mexico - this is the Bardenas Reales, in Navarre, northern Spain. These lunar landscapes surfaced millions of years ago, when the inland sea that occupied this territory withdrew, leaving behind sediment that erosion then sculpted into amazing geological formations. This photo shows the “cabezo”, or head, of Castildetierra, one of the most well-known rock formations of this UNESCO-recognised natural park. The highest part of the column is made of hard sandstone and limestone, barely supported by soft clays that are gradually being worn away by the elements. Eventually these lonely hills will collapse, due to their own geological nature.

The Bond movie The World is Not Enough and TV series Game of Thrones were partially shot in the Bardenas Reales - and they have their own real-life stories to tell. In the Middle Ages, a bandit called Sanchicorrota was known as "the king of the Bardenas". He terrified the region’s authorities, attacking their castles only to disappear afterwards in the desert, leading a band of 30 men said to be like ghosts. Legend says they put their horses’ shoes on backwards, so their tracks would send any pursuers in the opposite direction.

Source: Bing

What's below those clouds?

If we could dip down below those happy little clouds, we’d be on the bright blue waters of the Caribbean. And if we could dip down further below the surf, we’d be greeted by the Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest barrier reef on Earth (after the Great Barrier Reef). This Caribbean reef system covers 620 miles of the seabed and is home to one of the world’s largest manatee populations and a fair amount of the world’s largest fish: the whale shark.

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What is stellar wind?

This giant space bubble is being blown by a massive star visible at the 10 o'clock position inside it. Already over seven light-years across and expanding at a rate of over four million mph, the ’bubble’ is actually the shock wave created when expanding hot gas (or stellar wind) hits the cold, interstellar gas that surrounds it. The Bubble nebula was discovered in 1787 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel. The star inside is living fast and will die young (for a star) - it will likely detonate as a supernova in 10 to 20 million years.

This image was taken in 2016 by the Hubble Space Telescope to mark the 26th anniversary of Hubble’s launch into Earth orbit by the STS-31 space shuttle crew. We’re showing it to mark the last day of World Space Week, an annual ‘international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition’.

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What kind of songbird is this?

The Cape May warbler was named after Cape May in the US state of New Jersey, where it was first observed by ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1811. After that, these birds weren't seen again in the area for more than a century. In spring, this warbler migrates almost 3,000 miles – from the West Indies to the coniferous forests in Canada and the northern US to breed. As this fist-sized songbird flies north, its diet adapts to the environment. During winter among palm trees, the Cape May drinks nectar thanks to its unusual semi-tubular tongue. But in summer in the boreal forests, it eats insects – especially the spruce budworm – with a special gusto.

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Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago

We're looking at Marlborough Sounds, a network of ancient sunken river valleys at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island. It was 250 years ago that New Zealand was spotted by British explorer Captain James Cook from the HMS Endeavour. The main purpose of Cook’s voyage to the Pacific was to sail to Tahiti and observe the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun. Only after completing this task did Cook unseal the rest of his orders and learn he was to search the South Pacific for signs of a fabled great southern continent, Terra Australis Incognito.

This was a hypothetical southern landmass that European Renaissance geographers thought must exist in order to counterbalance the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Of course, Cook never found Terra Australis, but with the help of a Tahitian named Tupaia, who had extensive knowledge of Pacific geography, and armed with the previous findings of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman from 1642, Cook sailed on to New Zealand. There, he and his crew built upon Tasman’s work, becoming the first to circumnavigate and chart New Zealand's North and South Islands.

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Where does this blue fungus grow?

This distinctive all-blue mushroom is home to New Zealand, although fungus enthusiasts can also find Entoloma hochstetteri in India. It’s bountiful enough on western parts of both the North and South Islands of New Zealand that it features in the artwork on the latest iteration of the $50 note, alongside the kōkako, a bird with a blue wattle that inspired the Māori name for this mushroom: werewere-kokako.

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What are shooting stars?

We can’t all gather on the southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria to watch the Perseid meteor shower tonight, but perhaps this amazing photo from that location will inspire you to head outside for a look at your own skies. Every August, debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle enters the Earth’s atmosphere, creating the ‘shooting stars’ of the Perseids. If you can, get away from city lights, find a safe spot outside, and let your eyes adjust to the dark for about 30 minutes. Look to the northern portion of the sky, or find the Perseus constellation, and you’ll start seeing streaks of light zipping across above you.

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Which children's book is set here?

If this misty wilderness looks a little familiar, it might be because it was the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood - the home of Winnie-the-Pooh. On this day 93 years ago, the first Pooh book was published and the beloved “bear of very little brain” went on to become a favourite with children across the world. It was here in Ashdown Forest, in East Sussex, that author A A Milne was inspired by his son Christopher Robin’s own adventures with his soft toys. The forest, which sits on the highest ridge of the beautiful High Weald landscape, includes a real-life Five Hundred Acre Wood as well as other spots that fans will recognise from the books.

In real life there is more heathland than woodland in Ashdown Forest, whose name is thought to derive from its past as an ancient royal hunting ground. Heathland, characterised by heather, gorse and scattered trees, is a rare and important habitat for wildlife including the silver-studded butterfly, adders and birds like the nightjar and the Dartford warbler. So whether you want to try your hand at Pooh sticks and heffalump hunting or simply enjoy unspoilt views of wide open skies, rolling hills and ancient forest – there are plenty of adventures yet to be had in this corner of south-east England.

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Where is this mountain?

While it didn't become a Unesco World Heritage site until 2018, Mount Fanjing (also known as Fanjingshan) has been a sacred and tranquil site for Buddhists for centuries. At 8,430 feet, Mount Fanjing is the highest peak of the Wuling mountain range in south-west China's Guizhou province. The mountain is believed to be a place in which one can reach their spiritual enlightenment. While many of the Buddhist temples built here have been destroyed, several remain, including the Temple of the Buddha and the Temple of Maitreya. Those two temples, linked by a small bridge, are located on top of Red Cloud Golden Peak, the rocky 'thumb' we're looking at here. In addition to the area's history, the mix of cloud, fog and light create a calming atmosphere and an air of mystery.

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An infrared image of the Orion Nebula

If you can get away from the light pollution of cities and roads, it’s possible to see the Orion Nebula with the naked eye. Find Orion’s Belt in the constellation named for the mythic Greek hunter and you can see the fuzzy reddish and blue nebula. Your glimpse won’t be quite as detailed as this infrared image taken by the HAWK-I camera used by NASA, but at least now you know what to look for.

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Mother Nature showing off

Sea caves, also known as littoral caves, are found along coasts all over the world. They are formed primarily by the erosion of rock from wind and waves that attack weak spots in cliffs lining the shores of oceans and lakes. The sea cave on our homepage was photographed on the Isle of Skye. The scenic island in the Inner Hebrides is renowned for its natural beauty and home to some of Scotland's most dramatic landscapes.

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What's lighting up this waterfall?

Visit California’s Yosemite National Park in February and you may be shoulder-to-shoulder with photographers hoping to get a shot of Horsetail Fall in the evening. When conditions are right, rays of the setting Sun align with the falling water to set the cascade ablaze with light – a natural display called the ‘firefall’. And in a bit of added mystique, Horsetail Fall itself is an ephemeral waterfall – it flows only for a short time in the winter and early spring.

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How many steps to the top?

On Take the Stairs Day, take some inspiration from this mountain path in the Ninh Bình province of Vietnam. Or, just be glad you don’t have to climb it. The stone path at the Mau Caves includes 486 steps that were designed in the style of the Great Wall of China. At the top, you’ll find a small altar and panoramic views of the countryside. Plus, a feeling of achievement. We hope all this talk of stairs inspires you to skip the lift and take the stairs today – as that’s the goal of this annual observance.

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When do this cranes dance?

Happy Valentine’s Day to all you lovebirds out there! Our featured birds today are grey crowned cranes that live in the savannahs and marshlands of eastern and southern Africa. While both males and females of this species will dance to attract a mate, they can be seen bopping at any time of the year, with young birds also joining the adults. Even two males may pose like this, while they size each other up as competition.

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What cathedral is this?

The cathedral shown here dates back to 1181, but it is thought to be the fourth to stand on the site of St David's original monastery, founded by the patron saint of Wales in the sixth century. The shrine to St David was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages and deemed so important by Pope Callixtus II that two pilgrimages to St Davids were seen as equivalent to one to Rome and three were equivalent to one to Jerusalem.

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How many trees in this pic?

All is not as it appears to be here at the Pando, in Fishlake National Forest, in the US state of Utah. At first glance, visitors may think they are seeing a massive grove of quaking aspen trees, their leaves dancing in the wind. But the Pando is not many trees; instead, it's a single organism. Like many aspen groves, each of the 40,000 trees in the Pando are genetically identical stems that sprout from the same root system. First discovered in 1968, the Pando made waves in the scientific world. It's recognised as one of the heaviest known organisms - believed to weigh 6,000 tonnes - and one of the oldest known living organisms.

Scientists estimate it is more than 80,000 years old, having endured the last ice age and countless forest fires. It has lasted this long partly because most of the organism is protected underground. So, while an individual stem can die, the organism as a whole survives. It's only recently that human activity has threatened the Pando’s health, with drought, grazing and fire suppression interfering with its growth. Pando translates as 'I spread out' in Latin, a reference to the way it extends itself through cloning. But its delicate, fluttering leaves - which turn golden at this time of year - have lent it another moniker: the Trembling Giant.

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Why this abbey fall into ruin?

The Gothic ruins of Tintern Abbey, in the picturesque Wye Valley at the Welsh border with England, have been captivating visitors for hundreds of years. Open to the elements, its towering walls and ornate windows have drawn tourists since the 18th Century – but it has been around a lot longer than that.

The first Cistercian monks arrived here in 1131 but had to make do with more modest surrounds until 1269 when building work began on the abbey church itself. However, the magnificent building fell victim to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, when King Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church in Rome and took over hundreds of monasteries and abbeys. Tintern Abbey was surrendered, its roof lead was sold off and it was left to fall into ruin. Two centuries later it got a second lease of life during the Romanticism movement, when its ivy-covered picturesque ruins proved a popular attraction for sightseers, poets and artists, including a young JMW Turner. Tintern Abbey is now a Grade I listed building and a Welsh national icon on the banks of the River Wye – still drawing visitors with an eye for majestic ruins in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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What was hidden in the castle?

Tucked away on the north-east coast of Scotland lies a ruined medieval fortress steeped in history. Dunnottar Castle was the home of the Earls Marischal, once one of the most powerful families in Scotland, and is perhaps best known as where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish Crown Jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading English army in the 17th century. Surrounded by sheer cliffs 160ft above the North Sea, the surviving buildings are largely from the 15th-16th centuries, but the site is thought to have been originally fortified in the Early Middle Ages.

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What's this flower called?

The chrysanthemum, or kiku in Japanese, is considered the flower of autumn in Japan, with many festivals and shows taking place at this time of year when the flowers bloom. First cultivated in China as a flowering herb, it is a prominent icon in Japanese culture, where it even has its own holiday, celebrated on 9 September. The Imperial Seal of Japan – one of the national seals and a crest used by the Emperor of Japan and members of the Imperial Family – is a yellow or orange 16-petal chrysanthemum, which is also inscribed on the front cover of Japanese passports.

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How old this Peak District?

Sixty-eight years ago today, on 17 April 1951, the Peak District became the UK’s first national park. The aim was to ensure public access to the open countryside and protect it from inappropriate development. Stretching into five counties but located mainly within Derbyshire, the park covers 555 square miles and has a mix of private and public lands. Within the park boundaries, you'll find towns, villages, historical sites and herds of cattle and sheep grazing in the lush hills. About 1,600 miles of hiking trails in the park traverse rolling hills, pastures and moors. Bonus for the thirsty hiker: the trails also pass by some of the best pubs in England. One popular trail is called the Pennine Way, a 267-mile route from Edale, in Derbyshire, to just inside the Scottish border.

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Where is this starry night?

Stay in Canyonlands National Park until after sunset so you can appreciate one of the park's most distinct features – a night sky so free of human-generated light that it’s been designated a "gold tier" International Dark Sky Park. When you’re in the city you may see up to 500 stars in a moonless night sky, but here in Canyonlands, in the US state of Utah, you can see more than 15,000. Many of the stars (and planets) sparkle in the Milky Way, our galactic home in the universe. It’s a big reason why astrotourists and photographers visit at night, to see the light show above. But for those who follow the Sun, daytime is perfect for hiking and camping, wildlife viewing and discovering rock drawings and markings left behind by prehistoric people.

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What's happening near here?

Greetings from Glastonbury Tor and St Michael's Tower in Somerset. The tor (a Celtic word for an isolated hill) is often mentioned in Celtic mythology, and some believe it to be the site of Avalon, a mythical island central to legends of King Arthur. Glastonbury Tor has other enduring spiritual associations as well, particularly to various pagan beliefs. Archaeological evidence suggests that several buildings have been constructed at the top of the hill over many centuries, but all that remains today is the roofless tower of St Michael’s Church, built in the 1300s.

Glastonbury Tor may dominate the surrounding coastal plain, but it isn't visible from the nearby Glastonbury Festival, which kicks off today. Since 1970, music fans have turned the Glastonbury area into an outdoor bacchanalian summer retreat as they converge on the area to watch some of the world's most popular pop and rock musicians perform live at the festival. Most summers, the farmland around the village of Pilton – including festival-creator Michael Eavis' Worthy Farm – is transformed into the largest greenfield festival in the world, with more than 100,000 people attending and camping in the area. In homage to the area’s most enduring feature, the festival's official artwork this year is a representation of Glastonbury Tor and its tower under a full moon, surrounded by red clouds.

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Who claims this fortress today?

This photo offers an uncommon view of Castillo San Felipe del Morro on the coast of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico - it’s often shown in the bright Caribbean sunlight. In September 2017, Puerto Rico was devastated by the landfall of Hurricane Maria, which wreaked havoc on the landscape, people, and livelihoods of this US territory.

While Puerto Rico continues to repair, rebuild, and return to normal two years after the landfall of Maria, other parts of the Caribbean have been damaged by subsequent storms. Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas particularly hard. That island nation sits north west of Puerto Rico, much closer to Florida.

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Where this colourful peak?

More than 5,000 metres above sea level in the Peruvian Andes rises the mountain peak of Vinicunca. Until recently, when a road was built through this remote region of southeastern Peru, it took hikers six days to reach the mountain. Plenty made the trek despite the effort, and we can see the draw: Vinicunca is also known as 'Rainbow Mountain' for good reason. Weathered minerals of varying hues stripe the hillsides in wide brushstrokes. The slopes are painted in tones of red, yellow, green and bright blue, with the colours changing intensity depending on the time of day or pattern of cloud cover.

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Know this Jacaranda's origin?

Although Australia enjoys a wide variety of plant life, the Jacaranda is without question one of the most beloved. Commonly mistaken as a local species by Australians, the Jacaranda’s roots actually lie in Brazil. In around 1818, samples of the Jacaranda mimosifolia species were collected and sent to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew by British collector Allan Cunningham. He was then sent on from Rio de Janeiro to New South Wales, where he would eventually serve as a colonial botanist.

Known to start flowering in early-mid October, the trees can reach a height of around 10 to 15 metres and typically produce beautiful purple flowers. The stunning Jacaranda you see in today’s image can be found in sunny Brisbane, but travel 186 miles south to the city of Grafton and you’ll be able to join an annual nine-day festival dedicated to the tree - complete with street parades, dragon boat racing and music. Grafton’s love of Jacarandas is so deep that locals even get a half-day public holiday in the middle of the festivities. We can get on board with that!

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