If you ever needed a sign to start stargazing, 2026's lineup of celestial events is it. With multiple eclipses throughout the year, planetary alignments, and above-average auroras, each season offers the chance to see something awe-inspiring in the sky. Discover the 12 best night-sky events you can see in the new year at the link in bio. Photograph by Miguel Claro

Captured by @chantalpinzi.photography in Hawassa, Ethiopia, 18-year-old Shurube Warito attempts a flyout. She is often the only female skater on the concrete. “During the three days I spent there, she never let go of her skateboard. Before landing this, she had fallen several times, but she never gave up. It was incredibly inspiring to watch her skate.”

Limiting your sugar intake can have a pretty sweet and surprising impact on your life, according to new research. Reducing sugar, even just for a few days, comes with a number of benefits—better skin, improved stress levels, and more. But not all sugars are made equal. Head to the link in bio to learn more about which sugars to pay attention to and expert tips to identify them. Photograph by Tendo23, Getty Images

Can't decide on a New Year's resolution? We have some suggestions. #PoleToPole with Will Smith premieres January 13 at 9/8c on @natgeotv. Streaming on @DisneyPlus and @hulu.

Aging doesn’t look the same for everyone but luckily it’s not all guesswork. Clinicians have simple, validated ways to measure how well someone is aging physically. Head to the link in bio to find out five simple tests that assess strength, balance, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness and how to try them yourself. Photograph by Silke Wernet, laif/Redux

Photo by @javier_aznar_photography | An ant feeds from an extrafloral nectary in Ecuador’s rainforest—a tiny drop of sugar with a big ecological role. These nectar sources aren’t for pollinators, but for bodyguards: ants. In exchange for the sweet reward, ants patrol the plant and defend it from herbivores. This mutualism is widespread in tropical ecosystems and plays a crucial role in plant survival, especially in biodiversity hot spots like Ecuador. Studies show that extrafloral nectaries enhance plant fitness by attracting aggressive ant species that deter leaf-eating insects. In some cases, the ants reduce damage more effectively than chemical defenses. But this alliance isn’t without trade-offs. Because ants can also interfere with pollinators, some plants use EFNs to lure ants away from flowers: a strategy known as the “distraction hypothesis.”

Research shows that January is an ideal time to make positive changes, whether that's trying to drink less alcohol or rethink your diet. Yet, each year, millions fail in their New Year's resolutions, not due to a lack of motivation, but because the habits were unsustainable to begin with. Discover the science-backed habits worth aiming for this new year, and the ones to avoid, at the link in bio. Photograph by Bryan Anselm, Redux

Galápagos penguins are all about working smarter, not harder. For generations, they've taught their young to watch pelicans diving for food, so they can sweep in at the last second for an easy meal. #SecretsOfThePenguins is now streaming on @DisneyPlus and @hulu.

The Ark of the Covenant is said to contain the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were first written—but no one knows for sure where it is. It's believed that the Ark first went missing as early as the late 7th Century B.C., and despite a centuries-long search, its whereabouts remain elusive. Layers of history, theology, and politics have continued to obscure the Ark’s location, leaving it difficult to separate fact from fiction. Learn more about the Ark and the competing theories about where it might be at the link in bio. Image courtesy of World History Archive/Album

The Mediterranean diet is lauded as one of the healthiest in the world, but its colder-climate counterpart, the Nordic diet, is gaining attention for many of the same health benefits through foods native to northern Europe. This easily adaptable diet emphasizes locally sourced, nutrient-rich staples, which researchers have linked to reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and more. Find out how to make the Nordic diet work for you at the link in bio. Photograph by David Maupile, LAIF/Redux

Captured by photographer @nadjawohlleben, young nuns practice martial arts in Nepal. "All the young nuns do Kung Fu. It’s not aggressive. It’s graceful and fast, and every now and then, they stop and hold for a moment, almost perfectly in sync.” In addition to meditating and chanting prayers, the so-called kung fu nuns of Kathmandu practice martial arts daily at the Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery, outside Nepal’s capital.

Bunions have plagued human toes since ancient times. The foot deformity may affect up to a quarter of the modern adult population. But why do we get them in the first place—and why haven’t we figured out how they’re caused or cured without surgery? Head to the link in bio for how our feet developed one of their most common woes—and what you can do to ease the pain. Photograph by Zephyr/Science Photo Library

Captured in a flower field outside the Dutch village of Speuld by photographer @theobosboom, tension mounts as this stealthy crab spider stalks an unsuspecting fly on an oxeye daisy. “It felt like a scene you might see in a documentary about the Serengeti but on a small scale and photographed in a flower field along a busy road in densely populated Holland.”

Nearly 70 percent of Americans consume caffeine every day, often without thinking twice about how much—or how late. ☕ Yet inside the body, caffeine sets off a cascade of effects that can help or hinder sleep, heart health, anxiety, and even brain development. Understanding how caffeine works, and when it works against you, can make all the difference. Learn what doctors want caffeine drinkers to know at the link in bio. Photograph by Eric Helgas, The New York Times/Redux

What can we learn from seeing the world up close? Life at even the smallest size can reveal the breathtaking complexity of the natural world. Each year, Nikon's Small World in Motion competition showcases the microscopic world on a grand scale and the hidden beauty that often goes unnoticed. Swipe to view some of this year's winners, like volvox algae bouncing around a droplet of water, the self-pollination of a thymeleaf speedwell, and the growth of cornflower root hairs. See this year's winners and runners-up, and discover some of the stories behind the videos, at the link in bio. Video 1 by Benedikt Pleyer, video 2 by Jay McClellan, video 3 by Wim van Egmond; Nikon Small World

What has transparent hair, black skin, and built-in swimming goggles? That's right, it's a polar bear—and it has five facts to share with you. Find out more about polar bears at the link in bio.

Video by @joelsartore | This Florida barred owl was just 23 days old when I filmed it at the St. Francis Wildlife Association. A nonmigratory species, these owls are found in mature forests with a relatively open understory. Large trees provide ideal places for nesting and perching, while the open understory gives owls space to fly—and to spot and catch prey. Without access to this vital habitat, the barred owl would be unable to maintain a stable population, which is the reason that conservation of older trees in upland woods and wetland areas is so important. To see more species featured in the Photo Ark, follow me, @joelsartore. #PhotoArk

New studies show that the volume or thickness of certain brain regions expand during monthly periods. “Through these studies, we now have this picture emerging of how potent these hormones are for shaping, not just brain morphology but also the functional architecture,” says Emily Jacobs, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Head to the link in bio to learn what we do—and don’t—know about how the menstrual cycle changes the brain. Photograph by Dr P. Marazzi, Science Photo Library

As more and more people move to the cities and lose touch with their cultural roots, some Mongolians are pushing back by learning traditional skills like horseback riding and archery. Watch #Superskilled with Eva zu Beck, a National Geographic YouTube Original, on the Nat Geo YouTube channel at the link in bio.

All we want for the holidays is to be as snug and cozy as this little wolf. #KingdomOfTheWhiteWolf is now streaming on @DisneyPlus.