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Alien Glow Step into White Pocket, in northern Arizona’s Paria Canyon, and it may feel as if you’ve been transported to another planet. The rocky landscape—so named for its white stone set in red sand—is only reachable by four-wheel-drive vehicles due to deep sand. And that green tint in the pool of water? It’s not extraterrestrial life; the pool is just teeming with algae.

Photograph by Garret Suhrie, National Geographic Your Shot

Photo of the Day: Best of November

Every day we feature an image chosen from thousands submitted to our photo community, Your Shot. Here are eight favorites from November.

ByJeanne Modderman

December 1, 2016

Photographers chase the light in pursuit of a glow that will elevate their images from a snapshot to a work of art. This month’s showstoppers, planned and executed with confidence, give powerful first impressions. Acting as inspiration to fellow photographers, these images illuminate a world beyond what we thought we knew.

Jeanne M. Modderman is the editor of Photo of the Day , a curated look at photography from National Geographic’s photo community, Your Shot . Liane DiStefano and Brett Weisband write the captions and titles. Submit your photos and you could be published in our magazines and online.

See which pictures were featured in our last roundup, Photo of the Day: Best of October