THE BAHAMAS FROM SPACE Photograph by NASA In this breathtaking photograph we see the Bahamas from orbit on January 13, 2013. The photo was taken by a member of Expedition 34 aboard the International Space Station. Expedition 34 consisted of six crew members who were on the ISS from 18 November 2012…
THE BLACK ICEBERG Photograph via Rundboll on Reddit In this rare sighting we see a black iceberg. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia: Most icebergs are white except along freshly calved ice cliffs, which tend to appear blue. Others may appear green, brown or black, or combinations of these colours. These icebergs have…
ARTISTIC SNOWDRIFT Photograph by Greien218 on Reddit In this beautiful photograph by Greien218 on Reddit, we see snowdrift against his fence taking on an artistic form, reminiscent of Gaudi’s organic architecture. This was what his fence looked like in the morning after a snowy night in Terschelling, the Netherlands. For a larger…
At the end of every quarter the Sifter will highlight the top 25 ‘Pictures of the Day‘, culminating in an epic Top 100 at the end of the year (check out the ‘Top 100 POTDs for 2012‘). It’s hard to believe we’re already a 1/4 of the way through 2013. Below you will find…
AHE ATOLL, FRENCH POLYNESIA Photograph via Pierre Lesage This breathtaking aerial photograph by Pierre Lesage was taken from a kite soaring high above Ahe, an almost entirely-enclosed coral atoll located in the northern Tuamotu Archipelago, just 14 km to the west of Manihi, in French Polynesia. Ahe Atoll’s ring shape is broken…
The Crochet Coral Reef (CCR) is a project by the Institute For Figuring, a non-profit Los-Angeles based organization that pioneers creative new methods for engaging the public about scientific and environmental issues by putting people and communities at the core. The CCR is a project that resides at the intersection of mathematics, marine biology,…
ERAWAN FALLS, THAILAND Photograph by Fat Tony | Prints available In this serene capture by my friend Fat Tony, we see the stunning Erawan Falls, located in Erawan National Park, Thailand. To get the shot, Fat Tony snuck into the park before sunrise to catch the first light of the day and…
A Horizon Rainbow in Paris Photograph by Bertrand Kulik Have you ever seen a horizon rainbow before? This fascinating phenomenon was recently captured by photographer Bertrand Kulik in Paris, France. According to Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell of NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD): “What is pictured above is actually just…
ORCAS IN ALASKA Photograph by Rennett Stowe In this beautiful capture by Rennett Stowe we see two Orcas surfacing as they make their way through a fjord in Alaska. In the distance a massive glacier can be seen. The killer whale (Orcinus orca), also referred to as the orca whale or orca,…
KAMCHATKA ICE CAVE, RUSSIA Photograph by Marc Szeglat @ vulkane.net In the incredible photo by Marc Szeglat (taken Sept. 12, 2012), we see a surreal-looking ice cave on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. It was formed by a stream flowing from the hot springs associated with the Mutnovsky Volcano. This stream flows…