Collection of My Favourite Images from the web.

Bryce Canyon

2009-10-25T09:49:00.000+05:30

Bryce Canyon in the U.S. state of Utah, seen here from Bryce Point. Despite its name, this is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheater. Bryce is distinctive due to its unique geological structures, called "hoodoos", formed from wind, water, and ice erosion of the river and lakebed sedimentary rocks.

Sparrenburg Castle

2009-10-25T09:41:00.001+05:30

Sparrenburg Castle, located in Bielefeld, Germany, as seen from the western lawn. The castle was constructed between 1240 and 1250 by the Counts of Ravensberg. The castle has been rebuilt many times. Although often under siege, it was never stormed. After extensive restoration work, the castle now presents itself as an imposing historic site.

Royal College of Music

2009-10-25T09:02:00.001+05:30

The front facade of the Royal College of Music in Kensington, London. This prestigious music school was founded in 1882 as a successor to the National Training School for Music by the then-Prince of Wales (later Edward VII). The college building was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield.

United States Capitol

2009-10-25T07:53:00.001+05:30

The western (front) side of the United States Capitol. The U.S. Capitol serves as the location for Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is located in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall. The building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda and two wings. It is an exemplar of the Neoclassical architecture style.

Broadway Tower

2009-10-25T07:49:00.000+05:30

Broadway Tower is a folly located near the village of Broadway, Worcestershire, England, at one of the highest points of the Cotswolds. Its base is 1,024 feet (312 metres) above sea level, the tower itself standing 55 feet (17 metres) tall. On a clear day, thirteen counties of England can be seen from its top.

Mont Saint-Michel

2009-10-25T07:29:00.000+05:30

Mont Saint-Michel and its abbey at night. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a rocky tidal island roughly one kilometre from the north coast of Normandy, France at the mouth of the Couesnon River, near Avranches. Mont Saint-Michel was previously connected to the mainland via a thin natural land bridge, which before modernization was covered at high tide and revealed at low tide.

Cleveland Tower

2009-10-24T22:29:00.001+05:30

This watercolor painting shows Cleveland Tower on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey as seen from just outside Procter Hall at the Old Graduate College in the noon autumn sun. The tower was built in 1913 as a memorial to former United States President Grover Cleveland, who also served as a university trustee. One of the largest carillons in the world, the class of 1892 bells, was installed in 1927. The Chapel Music program plays the bells Sunday afternoons during each semester, except during exam periods.

Las Vegas Strip

2009-10-24T22:26:00.000+05:30

A panorama of a portion of the Las Vegas Strip at night (facing east), as seen from the Bellagio. Despite the name, the majority of The Strip is not actually within the city limits of Las Vegas, Nevada. Visible in the image are (left to right) Bally's, Paris, Aladdin (now Planet Hollywood), MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, the Project CityCenter construction site, as well as a number of other smaller hotels and casinos.

Sather Tower

2009-10-24T22:16:00.001+05:30

Sather Tower on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, as seen from California Memorial Stadium at sunset. The campanile (bell and clock tower), home of a full concert 61-bell carillon, serves as the school's most recognizable symbol and has been a major point of orientation in almost every campus master plan. The tower has thirteen floors, with the observation deck on the eighth.

Earth's atmosphere

2009-10-24T22:14:00.001+05:30

An image of the top layers of Earth's atmosphere leading to outer space. Atmospheric gases scatter blue wavelengths of visible light more than other wavelengths, giving the Earth’s visible edge a blue halo. At higher and higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes so thin that it essentially ceases to exist. Gradually, the atmospheric halo fades into the blackness of space

Vernal Fall

2009-10-24T22:11:00.001+05:30

Vernal Fall is a 317 ft (97 m) tall waterfall on the Merced River just downstream of Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park, California, USA. It is accessible via the Mist Trail, which climbs close enough to the fall so that hikers must travel through the fall's mist. The waterfall runs all year long, although by the end of summer, it is substantially reduced in volume and can split into multiple strands, rather than a single curtain, of water.

Second Severn Crossing

2009-10-24T22:10:00.001+05:30

A view of the Second Severn Crossing, as seen from Severn Beach, England. This bridge carries the M4 motorway across the River Severn between Severn Beach and Caldicot in south Wales. It has a total span of 5.1 km and includes a cable-stayed section called the Shoots Bridge which spans the shipping channel between the two towers. The River Severn has a vast tidal range—the point from which this photograph was taken is covered at high tide.

Magnificent Hummingbird

2009-10-24T22:08:00.001+05:30

The Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens, female shown here) is a large hummingbird that breeds in mountains from the southwestern United States to western Panama. The bird appears very dark unless the sun catches the iridescence of the plumage and the brilliant colours flash in the sunlight. It is generally about 13 cm long, with males weighing 10 g and females 8.5 g. The black bill is long and slightly curved.

Peugeot 206 Swedish Rally

2009-10-24T20:48:00.002+05:30

Juuso Pykälistö, driving a Peugeot 206 WRC at the 2003 Swedish Rally, lands a high-speed "yump" on two wheels in the snow. This rally competition is part of the World Rally Championship and was the first rally to be held on snow.

Toledo, Spain

2009-10-04T20:46:00.000+05:30

The skyline of Toledo, Spain, at sunset, with the Alcázar on the left and Cathedral on the right. The city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the capital of the province of Toledo and of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire and a place of coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures.

Montserrat

2009-10-04T20:44:00.000+05:30

A stitched panorama taken from St Jerome, the summit of Montserrat, a 1,236 m (4,055 ft) mountain near Barcelona, Spain. The mountain's name means "jagged mountain" and is used because of the peculiar aspect of the formation, which is visible from a great distance.

Alcatraz Island

2009-10-04T20:43:00.000+05:30

A stitched panorama of Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco Bay, California, as seen facing east. Alcatraz is most famous for its prison, which closed in 1963, but whose legacy lived on in films such as Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock. Today it is a National Recreation Area

Morteratsch glacier

2009-10-04T20:41:00.000+05:30

A stitched panorama of the Morteratsch Glacier, the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range, Switzerland. By volume, it is the largest glacier in the Eastern Alps. In spring, depending on the snow conditions, a 10 km (6.25 mi) long ski-run is marked on the glacier, which takes up to two hours to descend.

L'Hemisferic

2009-10-04T20:39:00.000+05:30

L'Hemisferic, an IMAX Cinema, planetarium and Laserium, on the grounds of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències ("City of Arts and Sciences"), in Valencia, Spain.

Striated Pardalote

2009-10-04T20:36:00.000+05:30

An Eastern Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus ornatus) with nesting material in its mouth. This subspecies of the Striated Pardalote, the least colourful and most common of the four pardalote species, is found in subtropical areas of Eastern Australia. They are more often heard than seen, foraging noisily for lerps and other small creatures in the treetops.

Male mallard in mid-flight

2009-10-02T17:55:00.000+05:30

A male Mallard in mid-flight. The fundamentals of bird flight are similar to those of aircraft. Lift force is produced by the action of air-flow on the wing, which is an airfoil. This occurs because the air has a lower air pressure just above the wing and higher pressure below. When a bird flaps its wings they continue to develop lift but they also create an additional forward and upward force, thrust, to counteract its weight and drag.

US Capitol Building

2009-10-02T17:53:00.000+05:30

The United States Capitol at night. The U.S. Capitol serves as the location for Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is located in Washington, D.C., on top of Capitol Hill at the east end of the National Mall. The building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda and two wings. It is an exemplar of the Neoclassical architecture style.

Konkan Railway --Connecting Goa with rest of India

2009-09-28T20:29:00.001+05:30

Cheetah

2009-09-28T20:06:00.000+05:30

The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family that hunts by speed rather than by stealth or pack tactics. It is the fastest of all land animals and can reach speeds of up to 70 mph (120 km/h) in short bursts up to 500 yards (500 m). The cheetah is well known for its amazing acceleration (0 to 100 km/h (~62 mph) in 3.5 seconds which is faster than the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the Lamborghini Murciélago and the F/A-18 Hornet).

Matterhorn

2009-09-28T20:05:00.000+05:30

The eastern face of the Matterhorn, reflected in the Riffelsee. Perhaps the most familiar mountain in the European Alps, the Matterhorn sits on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The peak has four faces, facing the four compass points, with the north and south faces meeting to form a short east-west summit ridge. Despite its prominence in a general sense, the Matterhorn is not among the top 100 mountains in the Alps measured by topographic prominence. Several of its close neighbors, including Monte Rosa, the Dom, Liskamm and the Weisshorn, have higher summits.

Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland

2009-09-28T20:04:00.000+05:30

Panoramic view of the Dingle Peninsula, the westernmost point of the Republic of Ireland. The peninsula is named after the town of Dingle and is the location of numerous prehistoric and early medieval remains, for example the Gallarus Oratory in the very west of the peninsula near the village of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh in Ard na Caithne.

Interior of the Panthéon, Paris

2009-09-28T20:01:00.000+05:30

Panoramic shot of the interior of the Panthéon, a church and burial place located in the Latin Quarter of Paris, France. Originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, the National Convention ordered it to be changed from a church to a mausoleum for the interment of great Frenchmen. Among those buried in its necropolis are Voltaire, Rousseau, Marat, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Marie Curie, and Louis Braille.

Amur Tiger

2009-09-28T19:58:00.000+05:30

The Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Siberian, Korean, Manchurian, or North China Tiger, is a critically endangered subspecies of tiger (P. tigris). About 500 individuals are left in the wild, mostly in the regions of Primorye and Khabarovsk of eastern Russia.

Tower Bridge, Sacramento, California, USA

2009-09-28T19:35:00.000+05:30

An HDR image of Tower Bridge at twilight crossing the Sacramento River in Sacramento, California. Completed in 1935, this was the first vertical lift bridge in the California Highway System. It is 52 feet (15.8 m) wide, 737 feet (223.3 m) long, and 160 feet (48.5 m) tall. There are four lanes for cars, and one large center lane for a railroad.

Cave paintings, Ajanta Caves, India

2009-09-28T19:31:00.000+05:30

Sixth century mural from the wall of the Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra, India, painted during the Gupta Empire. These paintings, like many produced in this time period, freely depict nudity, romantic themes or sexual situations, reflecting the lack of taboos against sex in a society that also produced the Kama Sutra and the Tantric school of Indian philosophy.

2006 Tambo Valley Races, Swifts Creek, Victoria, Australia

2009-09-28T19:27:00.000+05:30

Horses race on grass at the 2006 Tambo Valley Races in Swifts Creek, Victoria, Australia. Horseracing is the third most popular spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian rules football and rugby league, with almost 2 million admissions to the 379 racecourses throughout Australia in 2002–03.

Hacha Grande, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

2009-09-28T19:21:00.000+05:30

Hacha Grande (562m), in the south of the Canary Island of Lanzarote, viewed from the road to the Monumento Natural de los Ajaches (Punta de Papagayo). Lanzarote is a volcanic island with very low rainfall; much of the south of the island is desert and a barren expanse of lava flows.

The Eden Gardens

2009-09-28T17:07:00.001+05:30

The Eden Gardens is one of only two 100,000-seat cricket stadiums in the world

Chapel, Palace of Versailles

2009-09-28T17:01:00.000+05:30

The chapel of the Palace of Versailles, one of the palace's grandest interiors. Located in Versailles, France, Versailles is famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy which Louis XIV espoused. Originally the royal hunting lodge when he decided to move there in 1660, the building was expanded over the next few decades to become the largest palace in Europe. Louis XIV officially moved in 1682 and the Court of Versailles was the centre of power in Ancien Régime France until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789.

Porto, Portugal

2009-09-28T16:48:00.000+05:30

Panoramic photo of the historical part of the city of Porto, Portugal, and the Douro river. Historic references to Portugal's second city date back to the 4th century, although Celtic and pre-Celtic remnants of ancient citadels were found in the heart of where Porto now lies.

Cumulonimbus capillatus incus cloud floating over Swifts Creek, Victoria in Australia

2009-09-28T16:45:00.000+05:30

Cumulonimbus cloud floating over Swifts Creek, Victoria in Australia. Cumulonimbus are tall, dense, and involved in thunderstorms and other bad weather. They are characterized by a flat, anvil-like top and can be tall enough to occupy middle as well as low altitudes.

Salzburg, Austria

2009-09-28T16:43:00.000+05:30

Panoramic view of the old town of Salzburg, Austria over the River Salzach as viewed from the Festung or Hohensalzburg Fortress. The birthplace of Mozart, Salzburg lies at the northern boundary of the Alps and was the setting for the film The Sound of Music, which was based on the life of Salzburg resident Maria von Trapp. The city has a long history, with traces of human settlements dating back to the Neolithic Age. Today, it is a popular tourist spot, especially for skiers in the winter.

Melbourne Docklands, Australia

2009-09-28T16:38:00.001+05:30

A panorama of the Melbourne skyline and parts of the Melbourne Docklands from Yarra's Edge at twilight. The Docklands is an urban redevelopment project which will nearly double the size of the city's central business district when completed in 2015. The suburb is expected to become home to 20,000 people by completion, as well as a workplace for 25,000. The estimated number of visitors per day will be 55,000 (over 20 million a year).

Interior of Old Saint Paul's, Wellington, New Zealand

2009-09-28T14:28:00.000+05:30

Old Saint Paul's in Wellington, New Zealand, is an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture adapted to colonial conditions and materials. It is constructed entirely from New Zealand native timbers. While no longer a parish church, it remains consecrated, and is a popular venue for weddings, funerals and other services. This photo of the nave is an example of high dynamic range imaging.

Lower Manhattan skyline

2009-09-28T14:25:00.000+05:30

Lower Manhattan (seen here from the Staten Island Ferry) is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York. Lower Manhattan includes City Hall, the Municipal Building, the Financial District and the site of the World Trade Center. This area is also the earliest settled (by Europeans) area, and is one of the few areas of Manhattan that does not have its streets arranged in a strict grid pattern.

Abbey spire, Mont Saint Michel, France

2009-09-28T14:16:00.000+05:30

Mont Saint Michel, a small rocky tidal island in Normandy, is famous for its Benedictine abbey (spire pictured here) and steepled church (built between the 11th and 16th centuries) which occupy most of the island. The abbey was constructed in the 11th century, but by the time of the French Revolution its popularity had waned to the point where there were scarcely any monks in residence and it was converted to a prison. However, in 1874 it was declared a national monument and is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Prothonotary Warbler

2009-09-28T13:34:00.000+05:30

The Prothonotary Warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. It breeds in hardwood swamps in southern Canada and the eastern United States, nesting in a cavity. The male often builds several incomplete unused nests in his territory; the female builds the real nest. It winters in the West Indies, Central America and northern South America. This bird was named after officials in the Roman Catholic Church known as the protonotarii, who wore golden robes.

Nilov Monastery on Stolobnyi Island in Lake Seliger in Tver Province, Russia

2009-09-28T13:25:00.000+05:30

This photo of the Nilov Monastery on Stolbnyi Island in Tver Oblast, Russia, was taken by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii in 1910 before the advent of colour photography. His process used a camera that took a series of monochrome pictures in rapid sequence, each through a different coloured filter. By projecting all three monochrome pictures using correctly-coloured light, it was possible to reconstruct the original colour scene.

Tulips

2009-09-28T10:54:00.000+05:30

There about 100 species of tulip, native to southern Europe, north Africa, and Asia. They are perennial bulbous plants growing to 10-70 cm tall with large flowers with six tepals. Besides being the national flower of Iran and Turkey, tulips are closely associated with the Netherlands, so much so that the term "Dutch tulips" is often used for the cultivated forms.

Salad platter

2009-09-28T10:35:00.000+05:30

A salad platter, consisting of bread, lettuce, spring onions, cucumber, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, olives, and dressing. "Salad" is actually a broad term applied to many food preparations that are a mixture of chopped or sliced ingredients. A salad can be served cold or at room temperature, though it also can form the filling for a hot sandwich. While it can be made with meat or eggs, it usually includes at least one raw vegetable or fruit.

Château de Chambord, France

2009-09-28T10:34:00.000+05:30

With its very distinct Renaissance architecture, the Château de Chambord in Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world. The massive castle, originally built as a hunting lodge for King François I, features 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and 84 staircases. The château was never intended to provide any form of defence from imagined enemies. As such, the walls, towers and partial moat are purely decorative.

Fortified city of Carcassonne, France

2009-09-28T10:32:00.000+05:30

Fortified city of Carcassonne, France, and the Pont Vieux crossing the Aude river
Panorama of the fortified city of Carcassonne (Aude, France) and the Pont Vieux crossing the Aude River. The fortress of Carcassonne was considered impregnable and never conquered. It was begun by the Romans and built up through the years. It fell into disrepair was restored in the 19th century. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Graz, Austria, City Hall

2009-09-28T10:30:00.000+05:30

The Rathaus or City Hall of Graz, the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna, at dusk. Graz was the 2003 European Capital of Culture and its "Old Town" is included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. Occupying a strategic location, Graz began as Roman fort and survived numerous assaults over the centuries.

Great Dividing Range, Australia

2009-09-28T10:29:00.000+05:30

A panorama of Australia's most substantial mountain range, the Great Dividing Range, which stretches from the northeastern tip of Queensland to the Grampians in western Victoria and divides the watersheds of streams and rivers which flow directly into the Pacific Ocean on the eastern coast of Australia, from those of the Murray-Darling Basin which flow away from the coast into the interior plains.

Millenium Wheel or the London Eye, viewed from the rear

2009-09-28T10:25:00.001+05:30

Seen here from the rear at twilight, the London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the largest observation wheel (a type of Ferris wheel) in the world at 135 m (443 ft) high. The wheel carries 32 sealed passenger capsules and rotates at a rate of 0.26 m/s (about 0.9 km/h or 0.6 mph) so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Machu Picchu

2009-09-28T10:23:00.000+05:30

A panorama of Machu Picchu Sanctuary, showing the prominent peak of Huayna Picchu. Machu Picchu, probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire, is a well-preserved pre-Columbian Inca ruin located above the Urubamba Valley in Peru at about 2,350 m (7,710 ft). Since 1983 the site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been the subject of concern about damage caused by tourism.

Mount Hood, Oregon

2009-09-28T09:09:00.000+05:30

Mount Hood, a dormant stratovolcano, reflected in the waters of Trillium Lake, Oregon, United States. At 11,249 feet (3,429 metres), Mount Hood is the highest mountain in Oregon and the fourth-highest in the Cascade Range. It is considered an active volcano, but no major eruptive events have been catalogued since systematic record keeping began in the 1820s.

Mount Hotham, Victoria, Australia

2009-09-28T09:08:00.000+05:30

A panoramic image of the scenery from Mount Hotham during the summer. Located in Victoria, Australia, Mount Hotham is the highest ski resort village in the country. Its summit rises to an altitude of 1,861 metres above sea level, while Mount Hotham village stands at 1,750 metres. Most of the skiing is based on one side of a large valley and the area connects to the Bogong High Plains.

Loch Ard Gorge, Victoria, Australia

2009-09-28T09:07:00.000+05:30

The Loch Ard Gorge, found in Port Campbell National Park, Victoria, Australia, is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1 June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne.

Shown here is a panorama of 4 segments taken from the cliffs looking down towards Loch Ard Gorge.

Malé, capital of the Maldives

2009-09-28T09:06:00.001+05:30

An aerial photo of Malé, the capital of the Republic of Maldives. Malé is located on Malé Island in the Kaafu Atoll, but administratively it is not considered part of Kaafu. The island is heavily urbanised, with the city, one of the most densely populated in the world, taking up essentially its entire landmass. The tsunami resulting from the Indian Ocean earthquake in December 2004 flooded two-thirds of the city.

Leadenhall Market, London, England

2009-09-28T09:04:00.000+05:30

Leadenhall Market is a covered market that dates back to the 14th century in the City of London, located in Gracechurch Street. The ornate roof structure of the current building, designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones, and painted green, maroon, and cream, makes the building a tourist attraction.

Shown here is a spherical panorama of 3 images of the market's interior taken in portrait format.

Dinner Plain, Victoria, Australia

2009-09-28T08:47:00.000+05:30

A panoramic image of a neighbourhood in Dinner Plain, a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Great Alpine Road, 10 kilometres from Mount Hotham Alpine Resort, and 375 kilometres from Melbourne. It has a permanent population of approximately 50, yet has over 200 lodges and chalets for tourist accommodation. It is the only freehold village in the Australian Alps.

Great Wall of China, 1907

2009-09-28T08:45:00.000+05:30

The Great Wall of China is a 6,352 km (3,948 miles) long Chinese fortification built over a span of nearly 2,000 years, in order to protect the various dynasties from raids coming from areas in modern-day Mongolia and Manchuria. Along most of its arc, it roughly delineates the border between North China and Inner Mongolia. Although it is commonly said that the wall is visible to the naked eye from space, it is more accurate to say that it is visible under favorable viewing conditions, if one knows exactly where to look.

New York City

2009-09-28T08:42:00.000+05:30

New York City, nicknamed the "Big Apple", is the most populous city in the United States (8.1 million in 2005) and the most densely populated major city in North America. The city is a center for international finance, fashion, entertainment, and culture, and is widely considered to be one of the world's major global cities. The city proper consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city is also distinguished for having the lowest crime rate among the 25 largest American cities.

Carrots of many colours

2009-09-27T22:17:00.000+05:30

Carrots are a root vegetable that can be eaten raw, whole, chopped or shaved into salads for color, and are also often chopped and cooked in soups and stews. β-carotene, a dimer of Vitamin A, is abundant in the carrot and gives this vegetable its characteristic orange colour. Furthermore, carrots are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. However, as seen here, carrots can be selectively bred to come in many colours. A common urban legend is that carrots aid a human being's night vision. Lack of Vitamin A can, however, cause poor vision and can be restored by adding Vitamin A back into the diet.

Reading Room, British Museum

2009-09-27T22:16:00.000+05:30

The Reading Room of the British Museum is situated in the centre of the Great Court. It used to be the main reading room of the British Library, but that relocated to the new British Library building at St Pancras, London. The old Reading Room was opened to the public in 2000, following a renovation by noted architect Sir Norman Foster. It contains a collection of books on history, art, travel, and other subjects relevant to the British Museum's collections, on open shelves.

Hanko, Finland

2009-09-27T22:15:00.000+05:30

Hanko is a small port city on the south coast of Finland, 130 km west of Helsinki. The city has a coastline of approximately 130 km (80 miles), of which 30 km (19 miles) are sandy beaches. There are also over 90 small islands and islets within the city limits. The skyline of Hanko is dominated by the church and the water tower (from which this photo was taken). Both of them received their current appearance after World War II, as their predecessors were either damaged or destroyed by the Soviet Army.

Main concourse, Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY, USA

2009-09-27T22:14:00.000+05:30

Grand Central Terminal (often still called Grand Central Station) is a train station in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is the largest train station in the world by number of platforms: 44, with 67 tracks along them. The four-faced clock on top of the information booth in the center of the Main Concourse (shown here) is perhaps the station's most recognizable icon.

Tower Bridge, London

2009-09-27T22:13:00.000+05:30

The Tower Bridge is a bascule bridge that crosses the River Thames in London, England. It was completed in 1894 and the original hydraulic machinery still opens the bridge, although it has been modernised. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The high-level walkways between the towers houses an exhibition on the bridge's history.

Loch Lomond

2009-09-27T22:08:00.001+05:30

Loch Lomond is a Scottish loch located in both the western lowlands of Central Scotland and the southern Highlands. Its surface area is the largest of the lochs, and is second biggest after Loch Ness in terms of water volume in Great Britain. The loch famously features in Andrew Lang's verse, The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond, published around 1876, the chorus of which is well known.

View from Connors Hill, near Swifts Creek, Victoria, Australia

2009-09-27T22:06:00.001+05:30

The bush is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in many places, such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Alaska. Because the geography varies greatly between these different places, what constitutes bush also widely differs. In Australia (as seen here), the term is quite specific: It can include agricultural areas and regional settlements, and does not include the even more remote areas that constitute the outback.

Vatnajökull

2009-09-27T22:05:00.000+05:30

Vatnajökull , the largest glacier in Iceland, is located in the southeast and covers more than 8% of the country. The lakes on the glacier known as Grímsvötn, pictured here, are caused by volcanic eruptions which melt enough ice to fill the Grímsvötn caldera with water.

Cumulus clouds

2009-09-27T22:04:00.000+05:30

Cumulus clouds are characterized by dense individual elements in the form of puffs, mounds or towers, with flat bases and tops that often resemble cauliflower. They are formed due to convection. Buoyant, upward air currents, known as thermals rise to a height at which the moisture in the air can condense. Because of this, they "grow" vertically instead of horizontally. Though most common in warm, summer weather, cumulus clouds can be formed at any time of year.

Castle Blankenhain, Crimmitschau, Germany

2009-09-27T22:02:00.000+05:30

Schloss Blankenhain is an open-air museum and castle near Crimmitschau, a large district town in the Saxon landkreis of Zwickauer Land, Germany.

Vaduz Castle

2009-09-27T21:59:00.000+05:30

Vaduz is the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein. It is the seat of the national parliament. The town has about 5,000 inhabitants, most of whom are Roman Catholic, and is located along the Rhine. It is thought to have been founded in the 13th century by the Counts of Werdenberg. In 1322 there is mention of the castle which was sacked by the Swiss in 1499.

San Francisco International Airport at night

2009-09-27T21:57:00.000+05:30

San Francisco International Airport (IATA: SFO) opened on May 7, 1927 on 150 acres (607,000 m²) of cow pasture leased from prominent local landowner Ogden L. Mills, and was named Mills Field Municipal Airport. During the economic boom of the 1990s and the dot com boom, SFO became the 6th busiest international airport in the world. However, since the boom times ended, it has fallen back out of the top twenty.

Castle in Germany

2009-09-27T21:55:00.000+05:30

Schloss Neuschwanstein ("new swan stone castle") in southwest Bavaria is one of Germany's most popular tourist destinations. Construction was started by King Ludwig II and took 17 years. After his death in 1886, the castle was opened to the public. During World War II, many valuable items (all stolen) were stored at the castle, destined for Adolf Hitler's personal collection.

Bird Hanging head down, legs up

2009-09-27T21:53:00.000+05:30

The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a small songbird found in North America. The adult birds are about 155 mm (6 in.) long. They forage on the trunk and large branches of trees, often descending head first. Their principal diet consists of insects and a few varieties of seeds. They often travel with small mixed flocks in winter.

Panoramic View of Montreal

2009-09-27T21:51:00.000+05:30

Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada. It sits in the south western corner of Quebec at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. As in most parts of Quebec, French is the most common spoken language in the city, but there is a substantial anglophone population and many of the residents are bilingual. In 2005, it won the distinction of being chosen UNESCO's "World Book Capital City 2005–2006" due to its vibrant literary scene.

Hereford cattle

2009-09-27T21:21:00.000+05:30

Hereford cattle are a widely-used breed in temperate areas, mainly for beef production. Originating from cool, moist Herefordshire, England, they have found great success, and indeed thrive, in a wide range of climates on nearly every continent. They are especially popular in the temperate parts of Australia and in the desert Southwestern United States.

Waterfalls

2009-09-27T21:10:00.001+05:30

A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water, often in the form of a stream flowing over an erosion-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation. Waterfalls may also be artificial, and they are sometimes used for garden and landscape ornaments. Some waterfalls form in mountain environments where erosion is rapid and stream courses may be subject to sudden and catastrophic change.

Looking at this pic gave me goosebump. How the Photographer clicked it..

2009-09-27T21:05:00.001+05:30

Zion National Park is a United States National Park located near Springdale, Utah in the southwestern United States. The principal feature in the 229 square mile (593 km²) park is the 15 mile (24 km) long and up to half a mile (1 km) deep Zion Canyon, which was cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area includes nine formations that together represent 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation. At various periods in that time, warm, shallow seas, streams, ponds and lakes, vast deserts and dry near-shore environments covered the area.

Monarch butterflies

2009-09-27T21:03:00.000+05:30

Monarch butterflies are especially noted for their massive southward migrations from August through October. Female Monarch butterflies deposit eggs for the next generation during these migrations. The population east of the Rocky Mountains overwinters in Michoacán, Mexico, and the western population overwinters in various sites in central coastal California. The length of these journeys far exceeds the lifetime of any given butterfly. How the species manages to return to the same overwintering spots over a gap of several generations is still subject of research.

Sunlight Filters through the clouds

2009-09-27T21:02:00.000+05:30

Crepuscular rays is a term used in atmospheric optics for rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky. The name comes from their frequent occurrences during twilight, where the contrasts between light and dark are the most obvious. Crepuscular rays are parallel, but appear to diverge because of linear perspective. They are often seen through sunlight shining through holes or breaks in cloud cover.

Los Angels-A Panoramic View.

2009-09-27T20:58:00.000+05:30

Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States, with an estimated population of 3.85 million people. Los Angeles is one of the cultural, economic, scientific and entertainment centers of the country. Due to the city's geography as well as the population's heavy reliance on automobiles as a major form of transportation, the city suffers from severe air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley hold in the fumes from automobiles, diesel trucks, shipping, and locomotive engines, as well as manufacturing and other sources.

View from the 5th Floor of The State Library of Victoria,Australia

2009-09-27T20:32:00.000+05:30

The State Library of Victoria is the central library of the state of Victoria, Australia, located in the city of Melbourne. The Library's combined collections contain over 1.5 million books and 16,000 serials, including the diaries of the city's founders, John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, as well as the folios of Captain James Cook

Bangkok sunset with skytrain

2009-09-27T20:27:00.000+05:30

Bangkok sunset with skytrain

Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep, is the capital and largest city of Thailand, with an official 1990 population of 8,538,610. Bangkok is one of the fastest-growing, most economically dynamic cities in Southeast Asia, but it suffers from major infrastructure and social problems as a result of its rapid growth. Air pollution is a significant problem, blamed on the city's massive traffic jams. The recent construction of elevated second-level expressways and the BTS Skytrains have eased the problem a little.

Sunlight Filtering through the clouds

2009-09-27T20:24:00.002+05:30

Crepuscular rays is a term used in atmospheric optics for rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky. The name comes from their frequent occurrences during twilight, where the contrasts between light and dark are the most obvious. The rays are parallel, but appear to diverge because of linear perspective. They are often seen through sunlight shining through holes or breaks in cloud cover.

Melbourne's Yarra River at twilight

2009-09-27T20:22:00.000+05:30

Melbourne's Yarra River at twilight

Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia (after Sydney), with a population of approximately 3.8 million. The central business district (the original city) is laid out in the famous mile-by-half-a-mile Hoddle Grid, its southern edge fronting on to the Yarra River.

Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague

2009-09-27T20:17:00.000+05:30

Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague, Czech Republic, is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. It is located within Prague Castle and contains the tombs of many Bohemian kings. Although the current building was founded in 1344 by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV together with Arnost of Pardubice, it wasn't completed until 1929 — almost 600 years later.

Night view of the Yarra River

2009-09-27T20:15:00.000+05:30

Night view of the Yarra River as it flows through the centre of Melbourne, with the central business district on the left and Southbank on the right. The river's source is a series of swamps in the upper reaches of the Yarra Ranges National Park, and travels 242 kilometres through southern Victoria before entering Melbourne's suburbs at Chirnside Park.

visibility

2009-09-27T20:14:00.000+05:30

In meteorology, visibility is a measure of the distance that can be seen clearly at any given time. In extremely clean air in Arctic or mountainous areas, the visibility can be up to 70 to 100 km. However, visibility is often reduced somewhat by air pollution and high humidity. Various weather stations report this as haze (dry) or mist (moist). Fog and smoke can reduce visibility to near zero, making driving extremely dangerous.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge

2009-09-27T20:01:00.000+05:30

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the major landmarks of Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney central business district with the North Shore commercial and residential areas, both of which are located on Sydney Harbour. The dramatic water vista of the bridge together with the nearby Sydney Opera House (left) is an iconic image. The bridge is affectionately known as "the Coathanger" by many Sydneysiders on account of its arch-based design.

Taj Mahal

2009-09-27T19:58:00.001+05:30

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, was commissioned by the 17th century Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum for his Persian wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Built over a period of 23 years, it is a masterpiece of Mughal architecture, featuring the finest materials from all over India and Asia. Its gleaming facade is clad in white marble from Rajasthan and inlaid with 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be of "outstanding universal value".

The Golden Gate Bridge

2009-09-27T19:47:00.001+05:30

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening into the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The entire bridge including the approach spans is 1.7 miles (2727 m) long, whilst the main span between the towers is 4200 feet (1280 m). The two towers rise 746 feet (230 m) above the water. From its completion in 1937, the center span was the longest among suspension bridges until 1964 when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was erected.

Gothic Cathedral of Segovia

2009-09-27T19:43:00.000+05:30

Gothic Cathedral of Segovia

Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Segovia in Castile-Leon. It is situated about an hour north of Madrid. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in Europe. It is also noted for its 16th century Gothic cathedral (shown here), its Roman aqueduct and fairy-tale castle, or Alcázar.

Freeway or Highway

2009-09-27T19:41:00.001+05:30

A freeway is a multi-lane highway (road) designed for high-speed travel by large numbers of vehicles, and having no traffic lights, stop signs, nor other regulations requiring vehicles to stop for cross-traffic.

Interstate 80 is a major urban freeway through the East Bay, north of the Bay Bridge, in the San Francisco Bay Area (seen here in Berkeley, California).

Misty Morning

2009-09-27T19:32:00.000+05:30

Mist is a phenomenon of a liquid in small droplets floating through air. It can occur naturally as part of normal weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above hot water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters.

The Red-whiskered Bulbul

2009-09-27T19:31:00.001+05:30

The Red-whiskered Bulbul, Pycnonotus jocosus, is a member of the bulbul family. It is resident in tropical Asia from India through to southeast Asia and China. It has been introduced to New South Wales, Mauritius and Florida. These passerine birds feed on fruit, nectar and insects. The loud and evocative call is a sharp kink-a-joo, and the song is a scolding chatter.

Grapes

2009-09-27T19:15:00.002+05:30

It is commonly used for making grape juice, jelly, wine, Grape seed oil and raisins, or can be eaten raw.

World's southernmost capital city--Wellington

2009-09-27T16:57:00.002+05:30

Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand and the country's third-largest urban area. Wellington stands at the southern tip of the North Island in the geographical centre of the country. With a latitude of 41°S, it is the world's southernmost capital city.

What Price for Peace...?

2009-09-27T13:04:00.002+05:30

Peace and quiet is a quality often missing in the urban environment. Those who travel to remote, rural areas often notice the striking difference in the noise level between the cities and the countryside, although in practice the ambient noise level is still higher than the near absolute quiet found in an anechoic chamber.

This view of Lake Mapourika in New Zealand captures the essence of tranquillity.

The skyline of the City of Chicago

2009-09-27T12:41:00.001+05:30

The skyline of the City of Chicago seen from across Lake Michigan near the Adler Planetarium at dusk. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2.9 million.

Fort Jeffersons

2009-09-27T12:05:00.001+05:30

The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands, located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA. As seen easily in the photo, the clear waters in shallow areas surrounding Fort Jefferson are popular for snorkeling and scuba diving. Visible on the right side of the image is a breach of the sea wall caused by the direct strike of Hurricane Charley in August 2004.

Plums

2009-09-27T12:04:00.001+05:30

The plum is a stone-fruit tree in the genus Prunus. Its fruit is sweet, juicy and edible, and it can be eaten fresh, or dried, in which case they are known as prunes.

The plum blossom, along with the peony, are considered traditional floral emblems of China.