National Geographic | Your Weekly Escape

National Geographic

Your Weekly Escape

Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places

PHOTOGRAPH BY F. K. RICHTMYER, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE

The solar eclipse that sparked a WWII scandal

On June 8, 1937, with war looming, a tiny Pacific atoll was the best place in the world to view what reports at the time called the longest total solar eclipse in 1,238 years. That unique vantage point changed the course of the island's history.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

PHOTOGRAPH BY JASON EDWARDS, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The Himalaya 'breathes,' with mountains growing and shrinking in cycles

Deciphering these geologic respirations can help scientists untangle the earthquake risks that threaten hundreds of millions of people.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ZUMA/ALAMY

The largest ape that ever lived was doomed by its size

Fossils indicate it stood as high as 10 feet and weighed up to 1,100 pounds. But Gigantopithecus, which thrived in China for millions of years, is a vivid reminder that sometimes the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

FOOTAGE: MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Who's eating whom in the deep blue sea?

Thirty years' worth of video footage taken by remotely operated underwater vehicles is helping scientists piece together the mysterious deep-sea food web—and it's a lot more tangled than you might think.

WATCH THE VIDEOS

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAGLI ORTI/AURIMAGES

Who were the Aztec, really? It's complicated.

As modern archaeologists try to understand the events of 1521—the year the mighty empire fell to the Spanish—their focus is shifting from the European conquistador who defeated them to the Aztec themselves. What's emerging is more compelling than the story we thought we knew.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

PAID CONTENT CREATED WITH HYUNDAI

An icon of America's majestic natural beauty, California's Yosemite National Park is known to many as a crown jewel of the national parks. And now you can experience breathtaking 360° views and learn about what makes this park so unique by using our new Outside Academy augmented reality (AR) effect on Instagram. Try the Effect Now.

QUOTE

If we could put our planetary clock on fast forward, Earth's surface would writhe with activity. Continents would scurry across the globe, oceans would open and close, and new mountains would shoot up toward the sky.

Maya Wei-Haas

Writer

From: The Himalaya 'breathes,' with mountains growing and shrinking in cycles

PHOTOGRAPH BY OLIVIER MORIN, AFP/GETTY

Why Siberian huskies have those brilliant baby blues

In the largest study ever to compare dogs' complete genetic profiles, researchers found the genetic tweak that can cause this eye-catching trait.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE STEINMETZ, GETTY IMAGES

This ancient mud skyscraper city is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'

Yemen's Old Walled City of Shibam—once a significant caravan stop on the spice and incense route—remains the oldest metropolis in the world to use vertical construction. Built in the 16th century, every aspect of its design is strategic.

SEE MORE PHOTOS

MORE GREAT READS

The records that the Stasi wanted to bury (New York Times) ››

The secrets of the Alps' strange red snow (BBC) ››

Sign up here to receive Your Weekly Escape and/or our daily newsletters—covering History, Environment, Science, Animals, Travel, and Photography news.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

{We'd like to hear from you! Tell us what you think of our emails by sharing your feedback in this short survey.

TAKE THE SURVEY

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: [email protected]. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

© 2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.