Fiona Cochran

Located on what Muslims call Noble Sanctuary and Jews call Temple Mount, the seventh-century A.D. Dome of the Rock is one of Jerusalem’s most recognizable landmarks. Muslims believe the shrine and adjacent mosque mark the spot where Muhammad ascended into heaven.

Sheldon Chalet, accessible only by helicopter, perches 5,818 feet above the Ruth Glacier Great Gorge—an abyss in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Reserve that’s deeper than the Grand Canyon. Larger than the state of New Jersey, the wilderness reserve offers opportunities for big adventure, from backcountry camping to mountaineering.

Taken at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in central Texas. This is a 20-second exposure at f/2.8 and ISO 1600. The moon was rising behind me from the east as I faced the northwest. The sky was beautiful! This was during my son's Boy Scout climbing merit badge weekend.

Lovers Esteban Armenta and Jessica Clark kiss while riding the Ferris wheel at the 60th annual Stock Show and Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas.

As I left Forestburg one evening and passed through Montague going south, the sun was setting behind a ranch museum, and I quickly snapped two shots with my wife's digital camera before the light changed. A Texas-ranch-country shot.

A male elephant grabs an evening snack in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. Most of the park’s elephants were killed for their ivory, used to buy weapons during the nation’s 15-year civil war, which ended in 1992. With poaching controlled, the population is recovering.

Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa” is believed to depict Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a Florentine silk merchant. Every year, millions of visitors jostle for a view at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The painting, protected by a thick layer of glass that must be cleaned regularly, has never been restored.

All clear? A rat peeks out from a stormwater catch basin.

A California sea lion hunts for fish on a kelp paddy at Cortes Bank, a seamount off the coast of San Diego. It's a trove of marine life that deserves protection, conservationists say.

Assateague Island National Seashore

Shenandoah National Park

Are they still looking? A curious owl peeks up from the ground.