西尔布利山的新石器时代遗址，蒂尔斯黑德，威尔特郡，英国 Neolithic site of Silbury Hill, Tilshead, Wiltshire, England (© dbstockphotoa/Getty Images)

那座铭记往昔的山丘 The hill that remembers

国际考古日

每年十月的第三个星期六是国际考古日，它鼓励我们“深入地表”，探索尘封的历史与文明的根源。该纪念日由美国考古学会（AIA）于2011年设立，如今世界各地通过举办活动、组织参观和亲身体验挖掘等方式来庆祝。

一些遗址，如图中所示，能与周围环境浑然天成地融为一体：乍看之下，英国威尔特郡的锡尔伯里山或许只是乡间一道普通的斜坡。然而它却隐藏着一个距今约4500年的新石器时代谜团。自公元前2400年左右起，当地人开采白垩岩，经世代人力层层搬运堆砌，最终建成这座欧洲最高的史前土丘——它完全依靠人力堆砌而成，高约129英尺。

它究竟是祭祀场所、宇宙标记，还是社群象征？这座山丘的原始用途至今仍是谜题，而对考古学而言，这些疑问往往比答案更珍贵。当文字记载缺失时，大地诉说着自己的故事。锡尔伯里山保存着这些沉默的记忆，提醒我们探究过往的意义何在——它重塑我们对历史的认知，放大被掩盖的声音，并昭示着历史永无终结。

Silbury Hill for International Archaeology Day

Each year, International Archaeology Day—observed on the third Saturday of October—invites us to literally look beneath the surface. Established in 2011 by the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), it's celebrated worldwide through events, tours, and hands-on excavations.

Each year, International Archaeology Day—observed on the third Saturday of October—invites us to literally look beneath the surface. Established in 2011 by the Archaeological Institute of America, it's celebrated worldwide through events, tours, and hands-on excavations.

Was it a ceremonial site, a cosmic marker, a symbol of community? Its original purpose remains elusive, and for archaeology, the questions can be as valuable as the answers. Where written records fail, the land tells its story. Silbury Hill preserves these tales, reminding us why studying our past matters: it rewrites what we thought we knew, amplifies silenced voices, and shows us that history is never finished.

罗克河瀑布，上半岛，密歇根州，美国 Rock River Falls, Upper Peninsula, Michigan (© Matt Anderson Photography/Getty Images)

爱上密歇根 Falling for Michigan

罗克河瀑布，上半岛，密歇根州

密歇根州罗克河峡谷深处，罗克河瀑布在冰川雕琢的景观中悄然显现，周遭密林环绕，层层历史沉淀。在上半岛这片土地上，人类足迹绵延数千年：原住民阿尔冈昆语族之后，法国与英国探险者接踵而至；19世纪采矿与伐木业繁荣时期，芬兰、瑞典及法裔加拿大移民在此定居。如今这片人烟稀少的区域仅容纳着密歇根州3%的居民，森林与瀑布依旧保留着近乎原始的宁静。

要抵达瀑布，需沿着蜿蜒小径徒步前行，途中松柏参天、枫树成荫，林荫下蕨类与野花尽情舒展。红松鼠穿梭其间，白尾鹿悄然移动，鸥鸟与啄木鸟的鸣叫在海瓦萨国家森林回荡。小径尽头，一道18英尺高的瀑布倾泻而下，汇入清澈水潭。随着季节更替，这里展现出不同的风貌：夏日阳光在水面流转跳跃，秋日将树冠染成绚烂火海，冬日则为岩石披上晶莹冰晶。在罗克河瀑布，每一次造访，都是一次感官与自然灵魂的全新邂逅。

Rock River Falls, Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Nestled within Michigan's Rock River Canyon Wilderness, Rock River Falls emerges amid a landscape shaped by glaciers, dense woods, and layers of history. In the Upper Peninsula, humans have left their traces for millennia: Indigenous Algonquian-speaking peoples were followed by French and British explorers, and waves of Finnish, Swedish, and French-Canadian immigrants settled there during the 19th-century mining and logging booms. Today, this sparsely populated region hosts barely 3% of Michigan's residents, cradling its forests and waterfalls in near-natural serenity.

Reaching the falls requires a moderately challenging hike along winding paths lined with towering pines and maples, their shade cooling the ferns and wildflowers below. Red squirrels dart, white-tailed deer move silently, and the calls of loons and pileated woodpeckers echo through the Hiawatha National Forest. At the trail's end, the 18-foot waterfall spills into a clear pool, transformed by seasonal shifts: summer light flickers across the water, autumn sets the canopy ablaze, and winter drapes ice over rocks in glistening formations. At Rock River Falls, each visit offers a fresh sensory journey through the wild soul of northern Michigan.

伊亚镇，圣托里尼岛，希腊 Village of Oia, Santorini, Greece (© f9photos/Getty Images)

蓝与白的梦境 Dreams painted in blue and white

伊亚镇，圣托里尼岛，希腊

你是否曾想过生活在电影布景中是什么感觉？在希腊圣托里尼群岛的伊亚村，这种体验几乎成真。这里曾出现在《牛仔裤的夏天》和《古墓丽影》等影片中。标志性的基克拉迪式建筑——立方体造型、平顶的白色房屋——与悬崖边的壮丽景色，仿佛不属于现实世界。它独特的建筑风格起源于19世纪末，当时的水手和商人直接在火山悬崖上凿建房屋，夏季清凉、冬季温暖。而蓝白相间的粉刷，也不仅仅是为了美观：石灰涂层能让雨水顺流而下并被收集利用。如今，游客可以漫步在鹅卵石铺就的小巷中，参观海军海事博物馆，或登上圣尼古拉斯城堡遗址，欣赏那令人难忘的落日。

伊亚素有“鹰巢”之称，俯瞰着帕利亚岛和尼亚·卡美尼岛这两座火山岛，以及曾在公元前1600年米诺斯火山喷发前与圣托里尼岛相连的特拉西亚岛。而圣托里尼本身，则宛如大海中的一顶岩石王冠——一座半沉入海底的巨大火山口，由公元前1600年的那场喷发塑造，那是人类历史上规模最大、最剧烈的火山爆发之一。

Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece

Ever wondered what it's like to live on a movie set? Oia is about as close as it gets, part of Greece's Santorini archipelago. This village has appeared in films like 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' and 'Tomb Raider,' thanks to its Cycladic houses—cube-shaped homes with flat roofs—and cliffside views that feel almost unreal. Its unique architecture has roots in the late 19th century. Sailors and merchants carved houses right into the volcanic cliffs—cool in summer and warm in winter. The white-and-blue theme is also more than just for show: houses were painted with lime wash so rainwater would run off and be collected. Today, visitors wander its cobbled lanes, explore the Naval Maritime Museum, or climb to the ruins of Agios Nikolaos Castle for unforgettable sunsets.

Nicknamed the 'Eagle's Nest,' Oia overlooks the volcanic islets of Palia and Nea Kameni, as well as Therasia, which was physically connected to Santorini before the Minoan eruption. And Santorini itself? Think of it as a crown of rock around the sea, a half-sunken caldera shaped by the eruption of 1600 BCE, one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history.

温巴赫峡谷瀑布，巴伐利亚州，德国 Waterfall in Hintersee, Bavaria, Germany (© EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty Images)

水声低语 Where water speaks

温巴赫峡谷瀑布，巴伐利亚州，德国

陡峭的岩石峡谷，湍急的水流，还有如画般的风景：位于贝希特斯加登国家公园拉姆绍附近的温巴赫峡谷，是巴伐利亚最壮观的峡谷之一。在今日图片中，温巴赫溪在约200米长的狭窄岩层间奔流而下，形成层层小瀑布，并在长年累月中于岩石上雕刻出令人惊叹的纹理。色彩斑斓的岩层揭示了数千年前的地质过程。

稳固的木质栈道紧贴悬崖修建，引领游客穿行于这条狭窄峡谷之中。走到尽头，壮阔的温巴赫山谷豁然展开，坐落在瓦茨曼山与霍赫卡尔特山之间，这里也是远足登山的热门起点。自1847年向公众开放以来，峡谷凭借其沉浸式的自然之美持续吸引着各个年龄层的游客。尤其在春季，随着雪水融化、溪流暴涨，峡谷景观更显震撼。在这里徒步，就像进行一场时光之旅，亲眼见证大自然原始而磅礴的力量。

萨拉纳克湖村，阿迪朗达克山脉，纽约州，美国 Village of Saranac Lake, Adirondack Mountains, New York (© DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images)

爱上萨拉纳克 Falling for Saranac

萨拉纳克湖村，纽约州

有些地方只是地图上的一个点，但萨拉纳克湖却是一年四季都吸引游客的热门目的地。尽管名字里带“湖”，这个小镇并不直接坐落在萨拉纳克湖群边，而是位于萨拉纳克河的一段宽阔水域——弗劳尔湖畔。几个世纪以来，这片被称为“阿迪朗达克之都”的地方，一直是原住民狩猎和迁徙的要地。到19世纪末，这里因成为疗养胜地而声名鹊起，爱德华·李文斯顿·特鲁多医生在此开创了肺结核的新鲜空气疗法。那一时期的“疗养小屋”至今依然保存完好。

如今，萨拉纳克湖早已从治病救人转变为治愈无聊的好去处。游客们可以在水道上划桨，攀登高峰，冬天则能体验滑雪和冰钓的乐趣。村子里也同样充满艺术气息，画廊、音乐和社区节庆让文化与户外活动同样重要。本地的商店和餐馆更为旅程增添滋味，从新鲜鳟鱼到精酿啤酒应有尽有。每年举办的冬季嘉年华是最大亮点，其中的冰宫仿佛出自冰雪童话，足以证明这个小镇很懂得如何留下“酷”的印象——不论是氛围，还是温度。

Village of Saranac Lake, New York

Some places are just stops on the map, but Saranac Lake in New York's Adirondack Mountains is a destination that keeps people hooked year-round. Despite its name, this village isn't directly on the Saranac Lakes themselves but rather on Lake Flower, a wide section of the Saranac River. For centuries, the area—nicknamed 'The Capital of the Adirondacks'—was used by Indigenous peoples for hunting and travel. By the late 19th century, it gained fame as a health retreat, where Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau pioneered fresh-air treatment for tuberculosis. The cure cottages from that era still stand today.

Today, Saranac Lake has shifted from curing patients to curing boredom. Visitors paddle the waterways, hike the High Peaks, and enjoy winter activities like skiing and ice fishing. The village also boasts a lively arts scene, with galleries, music, and community festivals making culture as central as the outdoors. Local shops and restaurants add flavor, serving everything from trout to craft beer. The annual Winter Carnival is a highlight, complete with an ice palace that looks like something out of a frosty fairy tale, proving this village knows how to make a cool impression—literally.

莫努里基岛周边的珊瑚礁，玛玛努卡群岛，斐济 Coral reef surrounding the island of Monuriki, Mamanuca Islands, Fiji (© David Wall/SuperStock)

思绪之礁 A reef of reflection

莫努里基岛，玛玛努卡群岛，斐济

有些日子只标志着一个里程碑，而斐济的10月10日却见证了两个。1874年的这一天，斐济群岛正式成为英国殖民地。近一个世纪后的1970年，同一天，斐济升起了自己的国旗，宣布独立。斐济日是一个独特的全国性节日——既是反思的时刻，也是庆祝的日子。庆典从庄重的仪式开始，国旗冉冉升起，领导人发表演讲。学校和社区团体常常会举行历史重现或表演活动。街道上挤满了游行队伍，村庄里上演着传统舞蹈“梅克”，橄榄球场上热火朝天。家家户户则准备传统菜肴，比如将肉和根茎类作物埋在地下烤制的“洛沃”，以及用柑橘汁腌制的鱼“科科达”。

如今，自由的精神从繁华的城镇延伸到像莫努里基岛这样的偏远瑰宝，如今日图片所示。这座岛因《荒岛余生》的拍摄而名声大噪，虽无人居住，却绝非死寂。环绕小岛的珊瑚礁宛如天然的堡垒，既能抵御风暴侵袭，又庇护着无数鱼类。斐济的珊瑚礁恰如其分地成为了一个隐喻：坚固、多样且与国家的福祉紧密相连。

Visiting the Mamanuca Islands for Fiji Day

Some dates mark a single milestone—Fiji's October 10 marks two. On that day in 1874, the islands officially became a British colony. Almost a century later, in 1970, the same date saw Fiji raise its own flag and declare independence. Fiji Day is a unique national holiday—part reflection, part celebration. The day begins with formal ceremonies, where the Fijian flag is hoisted and leaders deliver speeches. Schools and community groups often stage reenactments and performances. Streets fill with parades, villages host cultural dances like the meke, and rugby pitches come alive with matches. Families prepare traditional dishes like lovo, where meat and root crops are cooked underground, and kokoda, a citrus-marinated fish dish.

Today, the spirit of freedom stretches from bustling towns to remote gems like the island of Monuriki, pictured here. Known worldwide as the filming site of 'Cast Away,' the island is uninhabited—but far from lifeless. Its surrounding coral reef acts as a natural fortress, protecting the island from storms while sheltering countless species of fish. The reefs of Fiji are a fitting metaphor: strong, diverse, and deeply connected to the well-being of the nation.

‌詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜观测的创生之柱 The Pillars of Creation viewed by the James Webb Space Telescope (© NASA)

宇宙在绽放 Universe in bloom

太空周还没结束呢！

随着世界空间周接近尾声，宇宙依然不断给予我们仰望的理由。想象一下云朵——不是在天空中飘动，而是在浩瀚星海中延展，孕育着新星的诞生。这正是NASA的詹姆斯·韦布太空望远镜所捕捉到的“创生之柱”景象。如图所示，色彩与细节前所未见，令人震撼。

这些巨大的尖塔状结构，从左下角斜伸至右上角，几乎完全由尘埃和气体构成，这里正是恒星诞生的摇篮。在这些巍峨的结构内部，引力紧紧束缚着团块状的物质，逐步引发燃烧，从而孕育出新的恒星，它们已在柱体边缘闪烁生辉。令人惊叹的是，这一宇宙奇观正发生在距我们仅6500光年的鹰状星云中。这些柱体隐藏在遮蔽遥远宇宙的厚重星际云带之后，却依然绽放着璀璨的光芒，成为星云的焦点所在。

Space Week isn't over yet!

As World Space Week draws to a close, the cosmos continues to give us reasons to look up in awe. Picture clouds—not drifting across our skies, but stretching across space itself, cradling the birth of new stars. That's exactly what NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has revealed in its view of the Pillars of Creation—shown here—with colors and details unlike anything seen before.

These massive, spire-like structures—rising diagonally from bottom left to the top right—are composed almost entirely of dust and gas, the very seedbed of stars. Within these towering formations, gravity tightens its grip on knots of material, sparking gradual ignition and birthing new stars that already shimmer along the pillars' edges. Remarkably, this celestial performance is taking place just 6,500 light-years away, within the Eagle Nebula. Hidden behind thick lanes of interstellar clouds that mask the distant universe, the pillars emerge in full glory, shining front and center.

里奇韦附近斯内弗尔斯山脚下的秋色, 科罗拉多州, 美国 Fall colors below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado (© Grant Ordelheide/TANDEM Stills + Motion)

金色的秋日余晖 Golden fall glow

斯内弗尔斯山脚下的秋色, 科罗拉多州, 美国

又到了一年之中，山峦褪去夏日青翠，披上绚烂秋色的时节。变色通常始于九月初至十月初，高处山坡率先染上秋意，随后低处山谷渐次跟进。白杨树堪称这场视觉盛宴的主角，其叶片在阳光下闪烁，宛如金币般熠熠生辉。然而白杨的绚烂并非年年如约而至。它们的色彩取决于多重因素——树木健康状况、局部气候变化、土壤湿度，以及生长海拔与纬度。健康的白杨林才是真正的季节主角：枝繁叶茂的林群色彩更明亮，落叶也更晚；而受压或衰弱的树木往往迅速褪色，只留下一抹短暂的辉煌。去年令人惊艳的景致，今年或许黯淡无光。今日镜头捕捉到斯内弗尔斯山麓的绚烂盛景——这座科罗拉多州斯内弗尔斯山脉的最高峰，从里奇韦镇拔地而起，海拔拔高逾7000英尺。

Fall colors below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado

It's that time of year when the hills shed their summer greens, unveiling a blaze of colors that lights up the season. The change usually begins in September and early October, with higher slopes turning first, followed by the lower valleys. Among the stars of this display are the aspens, whose leaves shimmer like gold coins in the sunlight. The magic of aspen colors, however, isn't guaranteed year after year. Their golden glow depends on many factors—tree health, local weather shifts, soil moisture, and where they grow in terms of elevation and latitude. Healthy aspens are the true stars of the season: strong, thriving groves burst with brighter colors and hold onto their leaves longer, while stressed or weakened trees often fade quickly, offering only a glimpse of their usual brilliance. Today's image captures their full glow at the base of Mount Sneffels, the highest peak in Colorado's Sneffels Range, rising more than 7,000 feet above the town of Ridgway.

安顺桥中秋灯展，成都，中国 Anshun Bridge illuminated for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chengdu, China (© Philippe LEJEANVRE/Getty Images)

千里共婵娟 To the moon and back

安顺桥，成都，中国

当秋月当空，空气中已透出冬日的气息，那份战栗感总会在记忆中久久萦绕。中秋节——亦称月节——作为中国最珍视的节日之一，为丰收时节的尾声增添了又一抹神话色彩。它在农历八月十五日庆祝，今年恰逢10月6日。相传此夜，月神嫦娥正俯瞰人间。

家人团聚共享月饼——这种圆形糕点内馅或甜或咸，滋味美妙。与亲朋相聚欣赏灯笼、赏月，享受真挚的团圆时光。中秋时节的安顺桥被灯笼点亮，它沐浴在光芒中，为节日增添华彩。今夜，让我们举杯庆祝，一起享受这个美好的节日吧！祝愿大家，花好月圆，喜乐平安！

Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China

The shiver felt under a full autumn moon, when the air hints at winter's arrival, has a way of lingering in memory. One of China's most cherished holidays, the Mid-Autumn Festival—also known as the Moon Festival—adds another touch of magic to the end of the harvest season. It's celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar—this year, on October 6. According to legend, it's also the night when the moon goddess Chang'e watches over the world.

Families gather to share mooncakes—round pastries filled with sweet or savory goodness—and enjoy lanterns, moon gazing, and heartfelt reunions. One of the most enchanting sights is the Anshun Bridge in Chengdu, China—seen in today's image—glowing in golden light to honor the festival. Its arches reflect in the Jin River, creating a dreamy scene. In the United States, communities with Asian heritage celebrate with lantern parades, mooncake tastings, and cultural gatherings in cities like San Francisco, New York, and Dallas. Tonight, let the light guide you to the moon and back.

从SpaceX载人龙飞船“奋进号”视角看到的国际空间站主太阳能电池阵列 ISS main solar arrays seen from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour (© NASA)

使命必达 Mission: Possible

世界空间周

10月4日至10日，世界空间周邀我们一同超越地球的界限，追逐星辰。这一盛事源于1957年苏联发射的"斯普特尼克1号"卫星，以及1967年签署的《外层空间条约》——这份开创性的国际承诺标志着人类和平探索宇宙的崭新篇章。在这一周里，教室里充满实验的热闹，天文馆里惊叹声不绝于耳，望远镜将人类与遥远星系相连。这些瞬间共同编织出科学探索的宇宙篇章，见证人类不断突破边界的执着追求。本年度主题明确：点燃新一代探索者、工程师和梦想家的热情，让他们准备好改写宇宙的篇章。

今天这张照片展示了国际空间站（ISS）的壮观景象，这座由16个国家共同建造的巨型实验室，正环绕地球约250英里的轨道运行。其太阳能电池板持续吸收阳光，为微重力环境研究、前沿科技探索以及人类在地球之外的生存实验提供动力。这张照片由SpaceX载人龙飞船“奋进号”拍摄——这艘可重复使用的航天器自2020年以来已完成六次任务，负责运送宇航员和货物。这一场景生动诠释了人类选择合作而非竞争时所能取得的成就。每一块闪闪发光的太阳能板都在昭示：最后的疆域触手可及，而探索它的无畏气魄，正是人类的本质。

World Space Week

From October 4 to 10, World Space Week invites us to transcend our earthly bounds and chase the stars. It was born from the launch of Sputnik 1 by the USSR in 1957 and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, a pioneering international commitment to peaceful cosmic exploration. During this week, classrooms buzz with experiments, planetariums echo with wonder, and telescopes bridge the gap to distant galaxies. Together, these moments weave a universal story of science, discovery, and humanity's relentless drive to push boundaries. The week's mission is clear: to ignite the next generation of explorers, engineers, and dreamers ready to rewrite the cosmos.

Today's image captures the International Space Station, a vast laboratory built by 15 nations, orbiting about 260 miles above Earth. Its solar arrays soak up sunlight to power groundbreaking research on microgravity, technology, and human survival beyond our planet. Shot from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour—a reusable spacecraft that has completed six missions since 2020, ferrying astronauts and cargo—this scene embodies what humanity can achieve when it chooses cooperation over competition. Each gleaming panel makes it clear: the final frontier is within reach, and the audacity to explore it defines us.