弗留利要塞城市帕尔马诺瓦航拍图，意大利 Aerial view of Palmanova, a fortress city in Friuli, Italy (© Riccardo Saponi/Getty Images)

星形城市的几何之美 Geometry of a star city

弗留利要塞城市帕尔马诺瓦航拍图，意大利

从空中俯瞰，帕尔马诺瓦与其说是一座城镇，不如说是一颗精心绘制、嵌入意大利弗留利-威尼斯朱利亚平原的星。威尼斯共和国于1593年建立这座要塞城市，其设计兼顾防御、秩序与宏伟观感。街道从中央广场向外辐射，城墙则构成精确的九角星形。这种几何形态绝非偶然。帕尔马诺瓦成为近代早期军事建筑最具影响力的典范之一。其同心式防御工事最初由威尼斯修建，后来在拿破仑时期得到加固和扩建。

如今，这座城市属于联合国教科文组织世界遗产“16至17世纪威尼斯共和国防御工事”。航拍视角让其理念一目了然：美感与战略融于同一设计。穿过城门和棱堡，星形便不再只是形状，而是化为一座为从空中阅读而建的城市。

Aerial view of Palmanova, a fortress city in Friuli, Italy

From above, Palmanova looks less like a town and more like a carefully drawn star set into the plains of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. Founded by the Republic of Venice in 1593, this fortress city was designed for defense, order, and spectacle. Its streets radiate from a central square, while its walls are shaped into a precise nine-pointed pattern. That geometry was no accident. Palmanova became one of the most influential models of early modern military architecture. It was protected by concentric fortifications built first under Venice and later strengthened and expanded during the Napoleonic period.

Today, the city is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries.' Its aerial view reveals the concept at a glance: beauty and strategy combined in a single design. Walk through its gates and bastions, and the star becomes more than a shape—it becomes a city meant to be read from the sky.

戈尔韦郡罗斯埃里利方济各会修道院遗址，康诺特省，爱尔兰 Ruins of Ross Errilly Friary, County Galway, Ireland (© Maria Janus/Shutterstock)

天鹅开启传奇之处 Where swans started a legend

罗斯·埃里利修道院遗址，戈尔韦郡，爱尔兰

天鹅、秘密藏身处和中世纪养鱼池有什么共同之处？它们都是罗斯埃里利方济各会修道院遗址故事的一部分。这座保存完好的爱尔兰方济各会修道院建于约1351年，常被称为罗斯修道院（俗称）；不过它从未设过院长，因为它本就不是隐修院。

当地传说称，一位主教跟随三只嘴衔亚麻籽的天鹅来到这里，随后选定了院址。修道院日渐兴盛，最终增建了少见的第二座回廊，以容纳不断壮大的社群。中世纪厨房里甚至设有巧妙的活水石池，可让刚捕获的鱼一直存活到用餐时。

罗斯埃里利也熬过了数百年的宗教迫害。修士们在修道院屡次关闭后仍不断返回；克伦威尔时期，这里后来还庇护过天主教神职人员。修道院废弃后，墓葬活动仍持续很久，如今有些墓碑已成为步道的一部分。这里证明，历史确实会留下长久的足迹——有时还是字面意义上的足迹。

Ross Errilly Friary, County Galway, Ireland

What do swans, secret hideaways, and a medieval fish tank have in common? They're all part of the story of Ross Errilly Friary. Founded around 1351, this well-preserved Franciscan friary in Ireland is often called Ross Abbey, though it never had an abbot because it was never an abbey.

Local legend says a bishop chose the site after following three swans carrying flax seed in their beaks. The friary flourished, eventually adding a rare second cloister to accommodate its growing community. Its medieval kitchen even featured a clever running-water stone tank that kept freshly caught fish alive until mealtime.

Ross Errilly also weathered centuries of religious persecution. Friars returned despite repeated closures, and the site later sheltered Catholic clergy during the Cromwellian period. Burials continued long after the monastery was abandoned, with some tombstones now forming parts of its walkways. This site proves history can leave lasting footprints—sometimes quite literally.

圣胡安县阿什斯利帕荒野地的奇岩柱，新墨西哥州，美国 Hoodoos in Ah Shi Sle Pah Wilderness in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA (© Westend61/Getty Images)

绝妙的平衡术 The great balancing act

新墨西哥州阿什斯利帕荒野地

大自然善于平衡看似不可能之物。在新墨西哥州阿什斯利帕荒野地，高耸的石林以纤细石柱托起厚重岩帽。约7,500万年来，风、水和冰将这片偏远的恶地雕刻成一座露天展馆，景象更像异星，而非地球。

这里最常被拍摄的地貌之一，是绰号恰如其分的“外星王座”。这座引人注目的石林已成为当地非官方的明星。纳瓦霍语名称Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah源自“áshiih libá”，意为灰盐。这片荒野曾是沼泽海岸平原，遍布晚白垩世化石，包括恐龙、史前鳄鱼、龟和鱼。1921年，化石猎人查尔斯·哈泽利厄斯·斯腾伯格在这里发现了已知首批窗盾五角龙遗骸——这是北美体型最大的有角恐龙之一。石化木也散布于景观之中。这里没有官方步道或设施，游客须具备扎实的导航技能。沉醉景色很容易；迷失方向则可以避免。

Ah Shi Sle Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Nature has a knack for balancing the impossible. In New Mexico's Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, towering hoodoos perch hefty rock caps on slender stems. Wind, water, and ice have spent roughly 75 million years sculpting these remote badlands into an open-air gallery that feels more alien than terrestrial.

Among its most photographed formations is the aptly nicknamed 'Alien Throne,' a striking hoodoo that has become the area's unofficial celebrity. The Navajo name Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah, derived from 'áshįįh łibá,' means gray salt. Once a swampy coastal plain, the wilderness is packed with Late Cretaceous fossils, including dinosaurs, prehistoric crocodiles, turtles, and fish. In 1921, fossil hunter Charles Hazelius Sternberg discovered the first known remains of Pentaceratops fenestratus—one of North America's largest horned dinosaurs—here. Petrified wood also dots the landscape. There are no official trails or facilities, so visitors need solid navigation skills. Getting lost in the scenery is easy; losing your way is optional.

扎克舒夫附近的野生动物通道，波兰 Aerial view of a wildlife crossing near Zakrzów, Poland (© bbsferrari/Getty Images)

为动物脚掌而建，而非行人 Built for paws, not people

波兰扎克舒夫附近的野生动物通道

道路解决了一个问题，却悄然制造了另一个问题。人类出行速度前所未有地提高，野生动物世代沿用的迁徙路线却被公路切断，导致碰撞事故增加、栖息地破碎化，野生动物种群彼此隔绝。为应对这一挑战，人们建造了称为生态桥的野生动物通道：这些桥梁或隧道旨在重新连接栖息地，让动物安全穿越繁忙道路。最早的一些现代案例于20世纪50年代出现在法国，这一理念很快传遍欧洲。荷兰等国通过建造覆盖土壤及草本、灌木和乔木等本土植被的宽阔绿色桥梁，推动了生态桥设计的完善。

如今，世界各国都在使用这类通道。在美国，跨线桥和地下通道帮助加拿大马鹿、叉角羚、黑熊和佛罗里达美洲狮等物种安全穿过繁忙公路。有时，最聪明的桥就是那座你几乎注意不到的桥——因为野生动物把它视为森林的一部分，而非公路。

Wildlife crossing near Zakrzów, Poland

Roads solved one problem but quietly created another. People could travel faster than ever, while wildlife now faced highways cutting across routes they had followed for generations. The result was more collisions, fragmented habitats, and isolated wildlife populations. That challenge led to building wildlife crossings called ecoducts: bridges or tunnels designed to reconnect habitats and give animals a safe way across busy roads. Some of the earliest modern examples appeared in France during the 1950s, and the idea soon spread across Europe. Countries such as the Netherlands helped refine ecoduct design by building wide green bridges covered in soil and native vegetation, from grasses and shrubs to trees.

Today, countries around the world use these crossings. In the United States, overpasses and underpasses help species such as elk, pronghorn, black bears, and Florida panthers cross busy highways safely. Sometimes the smartest bridge is the one you barely notice—because wildlife sees it as part of the forest, not the highway.

泰德天文台上空的英仙座流星，加那利群岛，西班牙 Perseid meteors over Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Spain (© Westend61/Getty Images)

许个愿吧 Make a wish

西班牙特内里费上空的英仙座流星雨

并非所有夏日传统都发生在地面。有些在数百英里高空上演，每次划过一颗流星。英仙座流星雨每年从7月中旬持续至8月下旬，并在8月12日至13日前后达到峰值。世界大部分地区都能看到它；在黑暗天空下，每小时往往会出现数十颗流星。想象自己抬头仰望，一道接一道亮光划过。数到多少颗时，你会忘记数目？每道亮光都来自斯威夫特-塔特尔彗星散落的碎屑，地球穿过其尘埃带时便形成流星。它们看起来像是从英仙座辐射而出。

今天的图片展示了流星雨掠过西班牙特内里费泰德天文台上空的景象。这处高海拔观测点坐落在约7,840英尺高处。海拔高、空气稀薄且光污染程度低，使这里成为观测夜空的绝佳地点。有些英仙座流星会留下持续数秒的发光尾迹，让观星者有足够时间欣赏这场奇观。那么，今年你准备去哪里观看英仙座流星雨？

Perseid meteor shower over Tenerife, Spain

Not every summer tradition happens on the ground. Some take place hundreds of miles overhead, one meteor at a time. The Perseids return every year from mid-July through late August, reaching their peak around August 12-13. Visible across much of the world, they often produce dozens of meteors per hour under dark skies. Picture yourself looking up. One streak appears after another. How many can you spot before you lose count? Each streak comes from debris shed by Comet Swift-Tuttle as Earth moves through its dust trail. The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus.

Today's image shows the shower above Teide Observatory in Tenerife, Spain. This high-altitude site sits about 7,840 feet above sea level. Its high elevation, thin air, and low levels of light pollution make it an excellent place to observe the night sky. Some Perseid meteors leave glowing trails that linger for several seconds, giving skywatchers just enough time to appreciate the spectacle. So, where will you watch the Perseids this year?

哥本哈根新港运河沿岸的彩色房屋，首都大区，丹麦 Colorful homes line Nyhavn Canal, Copenhagen, Denmark (© emicristea/Getty Images)

绚丽多彩的哥本哈根 Copenhagen in full color

丹麦哥本哈根新港运河

哥本哈根新港运河是一条标志性水道，鲜艳色彩与深厚历史在此交融。它于17世纪70年代在克里斯蒂安五世统治时期挖建，曾是重要门户，货船可由此将货物直接卸入城市中心。远在成为今天明信片般完美的地标之前，这座港口曾以粗犷闻名：水手云集、酒馆喧闹，与色彩明快的山墙联排屋并立。

如今，运河滨水区已变成活力十足的步行中心。传统历史建筑内开设了热闹的咖啡馆和餐厅，谈笑声、音乐声与丹麦经典美食的香气弥漫码头。游客可以欣赏永久停泊在岸边的历史木船，也可以登上游船，从最佳视角观赏城市如画的滨水风光。

除了美景，新港还承载着丰厚的文化遗产。汉斯·克里斯蒂安·安徒生曾居住于此，并从这座不断变化的港口汲取童话灵感。运河虽仅约1,500英尺长，却给人开阔之感。历史、色彩与港口生活在这里汇聚成充满活力的空间，自然而然地邀人驻足流连。

Nyhavn Canal, Copenhagen, Denmark

In Copenhagen, Nyhavn Canal is a burst of color and history. In Denmark's capital, bright, gabled houses lean toward the water, their reflections rippling beside old wooden ships.

Carved out in the 1670s under King Christian V, this 17th-century canal once served as a busy gateway where cargo vessels unloaded goods straight into the city's heart. Sailors crowded its taverns, and the harbor gained a rough reputation long before it became the postcard-perfect place seen today. Now, those same traditional buildings house lively cafés and restaurants, filling the quay with chatter, music, and the scent of Danish classics. Canal boats glide past, offering a front-row view of the city, while historic ships remain moored as reminders of its seafaring past.

Hans Christian Andersen once called Nyhavn home, writing stories inspired by this ever-changing waterfront. Though it's only about 1,500 feet long, the canal feels expansive—an energetic stretch where history, color, and harbor life come together in a scene that invites you to linger.

约书亚树国家公园，加利福尼亚州，美国 Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA (© JJ Landscapes/Getty Images)

两片沙漠交汇之地 Where two deserts collide

加利福尼亚州约书亚树国家公园

两片大沙漠交汇之处，约书亚树国家公园展现出由风、时间和极端环境塑造的冷峻迷人景观。在南加利福尼亚州，海拔较高的莫哈韦沙漠与更炎热、地势更低的科罗拉多沙漠相融，形成独特的生态系统组合与非凡的生物多样性。

在近80万英亩的土地上，满身尖刺的约书亚树——其实是一种丝兰——从沙质平原拔地而起，扭曲的轮廓点缀着遍布风化花岗岩巨石的旷野。巨大的岩层在数百万年间开裂、受蚀成形，吸引攀岩者和徒步者在崎岖地形中寻找路线。

生命以非凡方式在这里延续。沙漠大角羊、爬行动物和数百种鸟类在水源稀少、烈日炙烤的环境中繁衍。春天可能带来野花盛放，澄澈夜空则展现出全美最幽暗的星空之一，是观星佳地。1936年的今天，这片广袤景观被指定为国家纪念地，1994年成为国家公园。它邀人探索，令人难忘地领略美国沙漠原始的美与坚韧。

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Where two great deserts meet, Joshua Tree National Park reveals a stark, mesmerizing landscape shaped by wind, time, and extremes. In Southern California, the higher Mojave Desert merges with the hotter, lower Colorado Desert, creating a unique blend of ecosystems and remarkable biodiversity.

Across nearly 800,000 acres, spiky Joshua trees—actually a species of yucca—rise from sandy plains, their twisting silhouettes punctuating fields of weathered granite boulders. Massive rock formations, cracked and sculpted over millions of years, attract climbers and hikers seeking routes through this rugged terrain. Life persists here in remarkable ways. Desert bighorn sheep, reptiles, and hundreds of bird species thrive in an environment defined by scarce water and intense sun. Spring may bring bursts of wildflowers, while crystal-clear nights reveal some of the darkest skies in the country—ideal for stargazing.

Designated as a national monument on this day in 1936, the vast landscape became a national park in 1994. It invites exploration, offering an unforgettable encounter with the raw beauty and resilience of the American desert.

让-马里·吉巴乌文化中心，新喀里多尼亚 Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia (© Fabien Astre/Alamy)

身份认同的建筑表达 Architecture of identity

世界土著人民国际日

今天，世界土著人民国际日邀请我们更深入地了解那些历史远早于文字记载的社群。联合国于1994年设立这一纪念日，并于1995年首次举行活动；日期所纪念的是1982年一次致力于保护全球土著人民权利的重要会议。如今，约90个国家生活着超过4.76亿土著人民，他们延续着数千种文化，也传承着全球约7,000种语言中的大多数。

在新喀里多尼亚蒂纳半岛，吉巴乌文化中心生动展现了这种鲜活遗产。该中心由伦佐·皮亚诺设计，于1998年开放。高耸的弧形建筑以现代材料和技术呼应卡纳克传统茅屋；蜿蜒小径连接艺术、研究与表演空间，体现文化、土地和社群之间的联系。

这个纪念日不仅为了认可土著人民，也提醒我们：在迅速变化的世界中，土著知识仍在影响人类保护生态系统、传承语言和定义身份的方式。

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

Today, the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples invites a closer look at communities whose stories stretch far beyond recorded history. Proclaimed by the United Nations in 1994 and first observed in 1995, the date marks a landmark 1982 meeting focused on protecting Indigenous rights worldwide. More than 476 million Indigenous people now live across about 90 countries, sustaining thousands of cultures and the majority of the world's roughly 7,000 languages.

On New Caledonia's Tina Peninsula, the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre offers a vivid expression of that living heritage. Designed by Renzo Piano and opened in 1998, its tall, curved structures echo traditional Kanak huts while using modern materials and techniques. Winding paths link spaces for art, research, and performance, reflecting the connection between culture, land, and community.

The day isn't only about recognition—it's a reminder that Indigenous knowledge continues to shape how people protect ecosystems, pass down languages, and define identity in a rapidly changing world.

蒂斯河畔斯托克顿无限桥，英格兰 Infinity Bridge in Stockton-on-Tees, England (© Bahadir Yeniceri/Shutterstock)

迈向无限 Crossing into infinity

国际无限日

8月8日，国际无限日让好奇心成为主角。这项庆祝活动的灵感来自横置的数字8——象征永无止境的无限符号。纽约哲学家让-皮埃尔·阿迪·费尼奥于1987年创立这一节日，邀请每个人通过科学、艺术和想象力探索宏大理念。它不只关乎数学，也关乎从浩瀚宇宙到人类创造力边界的种种可能。

英格兰蒂斯河畔斯托克顿的无限桥，将这种无边的惊奇化为现实。这座线条流畅的人行桥以两道醒目的钢拱横跨蒂斯河；拱形倒映水中时，便组成一个闪耀的无限环。夜幕降临，LED灯光沿步道流动，随着行人经过而变换色彩，增添灵动而近乎未来主义的氛围。

这座桥与国际无限日呼应着同一理念：有些事物没有终点，只有一条不断向前、邀你继续探索的道路。

International Infinity Day

On August 8, curiosity takes center stage on International Infinity Day—a celebration inspired by the sideways figure 8, a symbol of something without end. Founded in 1987 by New York–based philosopher Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo, the day invites everyone to explore big ideas through science, art, and imagination. It's not just about math—it's also about possibilities, from the vastness of space to the limits of human creativity.

That sense of boundless wonder comes to life at England's Infinity Bridge in Stockton-on-Tees. This sleek pedestrian bridge spans the River Tees using two striking steel arches, and when their curves reflect in the water, they form a glowing infinity loop. By night, LED lights ripple along the walkway, shifting colors as people cross and adding a dynamic, almost futuristic feel.

The bridge and International Infinity Day echo the same idea: some things have no end—just a continuous path forward, inviting you to keep exploring.

圣胡安岛石灰窑灯塔，华盛顿州，美国 Lime Kiln Lighthouse on San Juan Island, Washington State, USA (© Edmund Lowe Photography/Shutterstock)

指引船只穿越历史 Guiding ships through history

全国灯塔日

每年的8月7日是“全国灯塔日”，这一节日旨在颂扬那些数百年来指引船只安全航行于美国沿海的灯塔。这一日期是为了纪念乔治·华盛顿总统签署生效的《1789年灯塔法案》。

在华盛顿州的圣胡安岛（San Juan Island），石灰窑灯塔（Lime Kiln Lighthouse）生动地展现了那段历史。这座灯塔建于1919年，矗立在俯瞰哈罗海峡（Haro Strait）的岩石峭壁之上，其发出的白色闪光至今仍指引着船只安全航行。附近的石灰窑点州立公园（Lime Kiln Point State Park）则因更令人兴奋的景象而闻名——那就是虎鲸。游客常在岸边眺望海面，有时能看到这些强壮的鲸鱼从离岸不远处游过。

从灯塔看守人在漫长风暴之夜坚守岗位，到如今自动化系统的广泛应用，灯塔在不断演变的同时，始终保持着其核心作用。尽管许多灯塔已成为历史地标与观景胜地，但在导航技术高度发达的今天，它们依然是安全、坚韧与探险精神的永恒象征。

National Lighthouse Day

Every August 7, National Lighthouse Day shines a light on the beacons that have guided ships safely along America's coasts for centuries. The date commemorates the Lighthouse Act of 1789, signed into law by President George Washington.

On Washington's San Juan Island, Lime Kiln Lighthouse brings that history vividly to life. Built in 1919 on a rocky bluff overlooking Haro Strait, its white flash still guides vessels through these waters. Nearby, Lime Kiln Point State Park is famous for something even more thrilling: orcas. Visitors often scan the waves from shore and may spot these powerful whales passing close to land.

From keepers tending lamps through long, stormy nights to today's automated systems, lighthouses have evolved while preserving their essential role. Many now serve as historic landmarks and scenic viewpoints, yet even in the age of advanced navigation, they remain enduring symbols of safety, resilience, and adventure.