Make 2026 a year of travel and discovery 🌏 From South Korea’s new coast-to-coast hiking trail to Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, where you can surf and ski in the same day, our Best of the World guide features the most exciting, meaningful, and one-of-a-kind travel experiences for the new year. See the full list at the link in bio and get ready to explore. Photograph by @junmichaelpark

On the Isle of Eigg in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, photographer @fortunato.gatto used a polarizing filter on his camera lens to reduce glare from the water, helping capture the intricacies of this intertidal ecosystem. “I saw this pool and was surprised to see it so full of colors. And such a number of seaweeds in the same pool. It was quite incredible.”

If you’ve been hoping to spot a supermoon, January is your chance. 🌕 The full “wolf moon” on January 3 will appear larger and brighter than usual—especially near the horizon. It will also be the last supermoon visible until late 2026. Find out when to look, where to watch it rise and set, and what else to expect in the night sky at the link in bio. Photograph by Atilgan Ozdil, Anadolu/Getty Images

Photo by @joelsartore | Not much is known about the endangered Gee’s golden langur, a very rare and highly secretive animal. Unlike other species of langurs that appear unafraid of humans, this monkey works hard to avoid human interactions, making it extremely difficult to observe in the wild, researchers say. What we do know is that like other monkeys in the Colobinae subfamily, the golden langur has a stomach designed to break down hard-to-digest cellulose, reflecting its diet of leaf buds, fruits, flowers, seeds, and twigs. Photo taken @assamstatezoo, in Guwahati, India. To see more species featured in the Photo Ark, follow me @joelsartore. #PhotoArk

Thinking about taking part in Dry January? 🚫🍷 It might only be a month, but it can have a huge impact. According to researchers, within mere weeks of giving up alcohol, the liver begins to regenerate, mood improves, and participants notice healthier skin and better sleep, among other health benefits. Find out more about what happens to your mental and physical health when you give up alcohol at the link in bio. Photograph by Victoria Jones, PA Images/Getty Images

Never filmed using these specially adapted cameras before, this cheetah coalition proves why it's better to be a hunter than the hunted when a storm hits the Serengeti. #CheetahsUpClose with @bertiegregory premieres tonight at 9/8c on @natgeotv. Streaming on @DisneyPlus and @hulu.

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