The 26th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest is now accepting submissions. Official categories include: “Travel Portraits”, “Outdoor Scenes”, “Sense of Place” and “Spontaneous Moments”. The contest is accepting entries until June 30. Photo: “Forest lights”. Aurora Borealis over the forest of the Pyhae Luosto National Park, Finland. (Photo and caption by Nicholas Roemmelt/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, glow in the sky over St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay on the North East coast, UK on Friday, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Gorgeous galaxies and stunning stars make up this selection of pictures from the shortlisted entries for this year’s Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The winners will be announced on 15 September, and an exhibition of the winning images will be will be displayed in a free exhibition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Centre from 17 September. Here: “Seven Magic Points”. The rusty red swirls of the circular, iron sculpture Seven Magic Points in Brattebergan, Norway mirror the rippling aurora above. (Photo by Rune Engebø/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum)

People take pictures as an Airbus Beluga XL transport plane lands during its first flight event in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, July 19, 2018. The Beluga XL, the new cargo plane of the Airbus family has taken off from Blagnac, in the south of France, for its first test flight. The launch of the aircraft triggered thunderous applause in an audience of more than 10,000 people, mostly employees and subcontractors of the European aircraft manufacturer. (Photo by Regis Duvignau/Reuters)

Two men help each other cross a street covered in deep mud in Copiapo, Chile, Thursday, March 26, 2015. Unusually heavy thunder storms and torrential rains that began on Tuesday have blocked roads, caused power outages and affected some 600 people on this normally dry region. (Photo by Aton Chile/Marcelo Hernandez/AP Photo)

These stunning images look to highlight the amazing natural beauty that can be found across the United States. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) recently released their Best of 2015 list, featuring a variety of animals, weather conditions and landmarks. Included in the list are gleaming auroras, adorable groups of otters and owls, and breath-taking shots across the likes of the Grand Canyon and national parks. Each of the spectacular shots, all of which were taken during 2015, featured on the Department of the Interiors Instagram account throughout the year, taken by both members of staff and members of the public. Here: Arches, National Park. (Photo by Caters News)

A man poses standing on a rock looking at the aurora borealis, or northern lights, illuminating the night sky at Embleton Bay in Northumberland, England, on February 27, 2014. The northern lights is a fantastical natural light display with fast moving light effects caused by particles charged by the sun colliding with particles in Earth's upper atmosphere. (Photo by Tom White/PA Wire)

Picture made available by “All About Lapland” on March 24, 2023 and taken on on late March 23, 2023 shows colourful northern lights (Aurora borealis) appearing around the Arctic Circle near Rovaniemi, Finland. The northern lights appeared right after dawn, and they continued all the way through the night. (Photo by Alexander Kuznetsov/All About Lapland/AFP Photo)