Editor's Picks

Flamingo flock, Ras al Khor Sanctuary, Dubai

Ras Al Khor wildlife Sanctuary. Rakws is located at the head of the 14Km long watercourse known as Dubai Creek, and covers an area of 620 hectares featuring sabkhas saline flats, intertidal mudflats and mangroves, small lagoons and pools, and a few tiny islands which lies at the interface between the Persian gulf and the Al Awir Desert. During winter, RAKWS supports more than 20, 000 water birds of 67 species and acts as a critical staging ground for the wintering birds of the East African-West Asian Flyway. The site hosts more than 500 species of flora and fauna and is one of the best-managed arid zone wetlands in the region. Located within Dubai city, it is an important eco-tourism destination and receives increasing numbers of local and international visitors

© 2014 Frans Sellies

Coniston water sunrise. Lake District National park. UK

A Jetty leads out into Coniston water. This Monochrome image brings out the contrast of the inky water and white clouds for a dramatic effect. Lake District, Cumbria. UK

© John Finney Photography

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North America, night-day satellite image

Africa, night-day satellite image. This composite image of the Earth is set against a background of stars, and is centred on the continent of Africa. North is at top. The left-hand half of the globe is at night, and city lights (yellow) show areas of dense population. The right-hand half of the globe is lit by sunlight and shows clouds (white), seas and oceans (blue), and land cover: vegetation (green) and arid areas (brown). This day-night line is the dawn terminator. This image, from 2001, combines data from a variety of satellite sensors (AVHRR, SeaWiFS, MODIS) for the sunlit areas. The night-time data is from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). For the separate images, see E074/080 and E050/678

© NASA/NOAA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY