A house in the middle of the Drina River near the town of Bajina Basta, Serbia. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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Kitaibaraki City, Japan (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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A leaf-covered road entering the deep aspen forests of Colorado. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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El Circuito Mágico del Agua in Lima, Peru, South America, is a beautiful water park that comes alive at night with young women celebrating quinceañeras, children playing in the water, and even adults partaking in the excitement. The nights are magical in Lima but my most fond memory was the night I spent at El Circuito Mágico del Agua. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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"Be sincere: it never crossed your mind to want to see yourself live? You pay attention to living for yourselves, and rightly, with no thought of what in the meanwhile you might be for the others; not because you care nothing about the opinion of others: on the contrary, you care a great deal; but because you live in the blissful illusion that the others, outside, must picture you to themselves as you pictures yourself." —Luigi Pirandello (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. Have a great shot? Send it to us for possible publication in National Geographic magazine.)

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Two girls wear little going home regardless of the freezing temperature. But it's quite common in the U.K. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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The dream of the night of summer. Many Japanese visualize the dead's soul, seeing the light of a firefly. It is charmed by the light of a firefly as if it was seeing the momentary dream. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. Have a great shot? Send it to us for possible publication in National Geographic magazine.)

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Ice caves are melting; that's a fact. In an ice cave on the mountain of Stojna near Koƒcevje, Slovenia, the situation has been very dramatic for years. Since 1991 almost four meters of ice have disappeared in the entrance chamber, but at the bottom of the cave emerges a new one. The entrance of this cave faces toward the southeast, which is not common for ice caves. Because of that, the whole area around the entrance is important, and even one cut-down tree can cause huge losses of ice in the cave. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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On this night northern lights had been predicted, so I decided to find a nice spot on the Reykjanes peninsula. However, the sky wasn't very cooperative, especially in the far distance, so on my way over I stopped near an abandoned house, where it was less cloudy. In some ways the outcome was really not so bad because the clouds, the blue spots in the sky, the green northern lights, and the orange reflection of the Reykjavik city lights all mixed together in a multicolor light show. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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Used burning steel wool combined with a moon-filled night to create this amazing effect over a long exposure. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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A house in the middle of the Drina River near the town of Bajina Basta, Serbia. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

River House, Serbia

A house in the middle of the Drina River near the town of Bajina Basta, Serbia. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

Photograph by Irene Becker, My Shot

Photography
Best of Photo of the Day

Photo of the Day: Best of August 2012

View the most popular Photo of the Day images from August 2012, from National Geographic.

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Animals

This deep-sea shark is one of the world’s largest glowing animals
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This deep-sea shark is one of the world’s largest glowing animals
450 butterfly species rapidly declining due to warmer autumns in the western U.S.
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450 butterfly species rapidly declining due to warmer autumns in the western U.S.
Tree of heaven is a hellish invasive species. Could a fungus save the day?
- Animals
Tree of heaven is a hellish invasive species. Could a fungus save the day?
First great apes at U.S. zoo receive COVID-19 vaccine made for animals
- Animals
- Coronavirus Coverage
First great apes at U.S. zoo receive COVID-19 vaccine made for animals
Many exotic pets suffer or die in transit, and beyond—and the U.S. government is failing to act
- Animals
- Wildlife Watch
Many exotic pets suffer or die in transit, and beyond—and the U.S. government is failing to act
A year into the pandemic, Nat Geo photographers turn their lenses on pets
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A year into the pandemic, Nat Geo photographers turn their lenses on pets
The world’s oldest known wild bird just turned 70—why she’s so special
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The world’s oldest known wild bird just turned 70—why she’s so special
What the mink COVID-19 outbreaks taught us about pandemics
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What the mink COVID-19 outbreaks taught us about pandemics
Yellow penguin spotted in Antarctica—here's why it's so rare
- Animals
Yellow penguin spotted in Antarctica—here's why it's so rare
A lemur died from tuberculosis—a likely victim of the illegal pet trade
- Animals
- Wildlife Watch
A lemur died from tuberculosis—a likely victim of the illegal pet trade
Nearly 5,000 sea turtles rescued from freezing waters on Texas island
- Animals
Nearly 5,000 sea turtles rescued from freezing waters on Texas island
Selfie-taking tourists risk giving wild gorillas COVID-19, other diseases
- Animals
Selfie-taking tourists risk giving wild gorillas COVID-19, other diseases

Environment

New way to measure Antarctic snowfall helps predict the ice sheet’s survival
- Environment
New way to measure Antarctic snowfall helps predict the ice sheet’s survival
Planting trees helps fight climate change—but we need billions more seedlings
- Environment
Planting trees helps fight climate change—but we need billions more seedlings
Rivers and lakes are the most degraded ecosystems in the world. Can we save them?
- Environment
- News
Rivers and lakes are the most degraded ecosystems in the world. Can we save them?
Solar panels and batteries on your home could help prevent the next grid disaster
- Environment
Solar panels and batteries on your home could help prevent the next grid disaster
The origins of environmental justice—and why it’s finally getting the attention it deserves
- Environment
The origins of environmental justice—and why it’s finally getting the attention it deserves
The unintended environmental benefit of Cuba's isolation
- Environment
The unintended environmental benefit of Cuba's isolation
Same force behind Texas deep freeze could drive prolonged heat waves
- Environment
Same force behind Texas deep freeze could drive prolonged heat waves
The Keystone XL pipeline is dead. Now what?
- Environment
The Keystone XL pipeline is dead. Now what?
This in-demand plant is evolving to hide from its predator—humans
- Environment
This in-demand plant is evolving to hide from its predator—humans
These widely used insecticides may be a threat to mammals too
- Environment
These widely used insecticides may be a threat to mammals too
Oil drilling on sensitive New Mexico public lands puts drinking water, rare caves at risk
- Environment
Oil drilling on sensitive New Mexico public lands puts drinking water, rare caves at risk
The world’s wetlands are slipping away. This vibrant sanctuary underscores the stakes.
- Environment
The world’s wetlands are slipping away. This vibrant sanctuary underscores the stakes.

History & Culture

The origins of Texas’s proud independent streak
- History & Culture
The origins of Texas’s proud independent streak
America's first investigative journalist got her start in an asylum
- History Magazine
America's first investigative journalist got her start in an asylum
The forgotten first emancipation proclamation
- History & Culture
The forgotten first emancipation proclamation
Buried for 4,000 years, this ancient culture could expand the 'Cradle of Civilization'
- History Magazine
Buried for 4,000 years, this ancient culture could expand the 'Cradle of Civilization'
The untold story of the world’s fiercest tank battle
- History & Culture
The untold story of the world’s fiercest tank battle
Oldest dog remains in Americas discovered in Alaska
- History & Culture
Oldest dog remains in Americas discovered in Alaska
Text messages capture heartbreaking goodbyes of COVID-19 victims
- History & Culture
- Coronavirus Coverage
Text messages capture heartbreaking goodbyes of COVID-19 victims
How do we know what ancient Greek warriors wore for battle? It's in 'The Iliad.'
- History Magazine
How do we know what ancient Greek warriors wore for battle? It's in 'The Iliad.'
Sentenced to death, but innocent: These are stories of justice gone wrong.
- Magazine
Sentenced to death, but innocent: These are stories of justice gone wrong.
3-ton parts of Stonehenge may have been carried from earlier monuments
- History & Culture
3-ton parts of Stonehenge may have been carried from earlier monuments
How ancient astronomy mixed science with mythology, Video Story
- History & Culture
- Nat Geo Explores
How ancient astronomy mixed science with mythology
This ivory relic reveals the colonial power dynamic between Benin and Portugal
- History Magazine
This ivory relic reveals the colonial power dynamic between Benin and Portugal

Science

A swarm of earthquakes shakes Iceland. Are volcanic eruptions next?
- Science
A swarm of earthquakes shakes Iceland. Are volcanic eruptions next?
India’s Bharat Biotech says its COVID-19 vaccine is 81-percent effective
- Science
- Coronavirus Coverage
India’s Bharat Biotech says its COVID-19 vaccine is 81-percent effective
Are you procrastinating more? Blame the pandemic.
- Science
- Coronavirus Coverage
Are you procrastinating more? Blame the pandemic.
The priceless primate fossils found in a garbage dump
- Science
The priceless primate fossils found in a garbage dump
The U.S. may soon have a third vaccine. Here's how it works
- Science
- Coronavirus Coverage
The U.S. may soon have a third vaccine. Here's how it works
Uncovering life’s operating code
- Partner Content
Uncovering life’s operating code
New drugs identified as possible tools to fight COVID-19
- Science
- Coronavirus Coverage
New drugs identified as possible tools to fight COVID-19
Six products that helped beat Day Zero
- Partner Content
Six products that helped beat Day Zero
Watch the first-ever video of a spacecraft landing on Mars
- Science
Watch the first-ever video of a spacecraft landing on Mars
The eccentric scientist behind the ‘gold standard’ COVID-19 test
- Science
- Coronavirus Coverage
The eccentric scientist behind the ‘gold standard’ COVID-19 test
Why kids need their own COVID-19 vaccine trials
- Science
- Coronavirus Coverage
Why kids need their own COVID-19 vaccine trials
From outbreak to immunity, Video Story
- Partner Content
From outbreak to immunity

Travel

Ancestry travel on pause? These books will inspire your next trip.
- Travel
- Book Club
Ancestry travel on pause? These books will inspire your next trip.
Where to see northern California’s most spectacular waterfalls
- Travel
Where to see northern California’s most spectacular waterfalls
Invasive grass is overwhelming U.S. deserts—providing fuel for wildfires
- Travel
Invasive grass is overwhelming U.S. deserts—providing fuel for wildfires
Playing it cool: these artists make music with ice
- Travel
Playing it cool: these artists make music with ice
These 9 memorials trace the global impact of slavery
- Travel
These 9 memorials trace the global impact of slavery
America’s newest national park is a haven for hiking, climbing, and rafting
- Travel
America’s newest national park is a haven for hiking, climbing, and rafting
From ‘Herbie the Love Bug’ to punch buggy, the Beetle remains iconic in Mexico
- Travel
From ‘Herbie the Love Bug’ to punch buggy, the Beetle remains iconic in Mexico
‘It really is like flying.’ Explore wild skating on nature’s ice
- Travel
‘It really is like flying.’ Explore wild skating on nature’s ice
The legendary community that fought for its freedom in Jamaica
- Travel
The legendary community that fought for its freedom in Jamaica
Why this salty Massachusetts coastal town hooks artists
- Travel
Why this salty Massachusetts coastal town hooks artists
Families are leading a new wave for Black travelers
- Travel
- Race in America
Families are leading a new wave for Black travelers
Winter is prime time for watching bald eagles—here’s how
- Travel
Winter is prime time for watching bald eagles—here’s how

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Photo of the Day: Best of August 2012

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Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

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The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

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Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

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The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

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Playing it cool: these artists make music with ice

First great apes at U.S. zoo receive COVID-19 vaccine made for animals

The priceless primate fossils found in a garbage dump

Buried for 4,000 years, this ancient culture could expand the 'Cradle of Civilization'

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Environment

History & Culture

Science

Travel

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

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