Dazzling HeavensWith Polaris as a hub, stars streak through the night in a time exposure of the House of the Magician at Uxmal. Sophisticated sky watchers, the Maya tracked the movements of the stars and planets closely and created an accurate solar-year calendar based on their observations.
Do not BlinkSet off by the touch of a prey insect against sensitive trigger hairs, the mandibles of the trap-jaw ant Odontomachus hastatus snap shut in the fastest reflex ever recorded in the animal kingdom. The ant's jaws accelerate from zero to 143 miles (230 kilometers) an hour in 0.13 milliseconds—2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye.
SwordplayPlayful as children, elegant as swordsmen, narwhals surface through a hole in melting ice as others do the same in the distance. This kind of movement, where several males converge and gently push against each other, is common in spring when narwhals migrate to coastal summering grounds. A large white patch, visible on the whale at right, is a scar left by a hunter's bullet.
Hanging Ten Down UnderHard at play less than five miles (eight kilometers) from central Sydney, surfers off Bondi Beach relish a perfect day: five-foot (1.5 meters) waves and no wind. The sport was introduced to Australia in 1915 by Hawaiian legend Duke Kahanamoku.
Storm FunnelThe Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (at right) merges with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway just east of New Orleans. After Katrina, investigators concluded that the levees along the channels funneled storm surge along MRGO straight into the city.
Portrait of a KingFashioned from 340 pieces of jade, a death mask immortalizes the face of Palenque's King Pakal.
Arctic UnicornPrized by medieval royalty, inspiration for unicorn myths, narwhal tusks have driven men to extremes for centuries. Today the quest for tusks and skin threatens some populations.
Carnival CreativityA glittering, feather-swathed dancer rides a huge hummingbird in Rio de Janeiro's Carnival parade competition. She is one of thousands of Beija-Flor samba school members who captured the 2007 championship.
