Most Viewed Photo Galleries of 2009
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1. Eight Apollo Moon-Landing Myths--Busted
Forty years have passed since humans first walked on the moon, but many conspiracy theorists still insist that it was all an elaborate hoax. Examine the evidence, and find out why experts say some of the most common claims simply don't hold water.
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2. First Photos: Weird Fish With Transparent Head
With a head like a fighter-plane cockpit, a Pacific barreleye fish shows off its transparent head and barrel-like eyes in the first specimen ever found alive.
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3. Giant Squid Eaten by Sperm Whale
"Absolutely sensational" new pictures are rare proof that the world's largest toothed whales feed on elusive giant squid. And if researchers are right, the photos may also show a baby whale's hunting lessons.
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4. Glowing Animals: Beasts Shining for Science
Dogs, cats, monkeys, worms, fish: all now glow in the dark, thanks to one jellyfish and a whole lot of research. In this photo round-up of glowing animals (and the odd plant), see the gamut of what science has done with a few fluorescent proteins.
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5. Seven Wonders of the Natural World: Finalists Named
From the limestone caves to the world's tallest waterfall--"the eyes of the planet" are on the finalists from which the seven natural wonders of the world will be chosen.
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6. Seven Major "Missing Links" Since Darwin
For the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, National Geographic News asked leading scientist for their picks of the most important fossil evidence for evolution.
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7. New Cloud Type Discovered?
Nicknamed "Jacques Cousteau" clouds, these "turbulent" seas in the sky could be examples of the first official new cloud type since 1951.
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8. Oldest "Human" Skeleton Refutes "Missing Link"
See images of Ardi, the new human ancestor that could rewrite evolutionary theory.
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9. Apocalypse Pictures: Ten Failed Doomsday Prophecies
Just as some people today believe a Maya calendar pinpoints 2012 as the end of the world as we know it, people through centuries and across cultures have long forecast our collective doom.
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10. Rare Animals Photographed: Giant Armadillo, Short-Eared Dog, More
In a remote region of the Amazon rain forest, camera traps have captured new images of elusive animals, including ocelots, armadillos, and the extremely rare and little studied bush dog.
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Kobi the Chimp Retires
After life with Jane Goodall in Africa and then in a breeding colony for medical research in the U.S., a "tame" chimp finds new hope.
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Q&A: How Autopilot Works
Pilot Patrick Smith explains why human pilots are still in control of airplanes, even when they turn on autopilot.
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Top 10: Sex Selection, Iceberg Sounds
On our radar today: Mammals may be able to "choose" the sex of their offspring, melting icebergs create disruptive ocean sounds, and ...
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Mexico Volcano Pictures
Popocatepetl, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has rumbled to life again, coating nearby regions with ash.
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Moths Shake Genitals to Avoid Bats
Moths vibrate their genitals to jam bat sonar, making them invisible to the predators, a new study says.
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Coal-Burning Shortens Lives in China
A new study shows the deadly toll of air pollution from an energy policy that created a lingering north-south disparity in life expectancy.
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Roswell Celebrates Anniversary
A Google doodle commemorates the legendary alien encounter, which believers say happened 66 years ago today.
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4 Sky Events This Week
This week skywatchers can spy a cosmic doughnut, among other sky treasures.
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Canada Tragedy Spotlights Oil Trains
An explosive train derailment killed at least five people and left dozens missing, focusing attention the skyrocketing use of rail to move oil.
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Migrants Leave Traces in the Desert
An anthropologist documents the things that migrants leave behind as they walk into the U.S. through the Sonoran Desert.
From Our Blogs
More news and perspective from National Geographic.
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Mystery of Deadly Volcanic Eruption Solved?
Using ice cores, geochemistry, tree rings, and ancient texts, scientists discover which volcano erupted in the 13th century with worldwide effects.
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First Cloud Map of Exoplanet
For the first time, astronomers can forecast cloudy skies on a distant exoplanet.
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First Face Found—On a Fish
The extinct animal's face structure could help explain how vertebrates, including people, evolved our distinctive look.
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Using Lightning to Charge a Smartphone
Simulating the conditions of a lightning bolt, researchers ran 200,000 volts through a transformer, charging a Nokia Lumia 925 phone within seconds.
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Jellyfish Invasion Shuts Down Nuclear Reactor
Sweden's Oskarshamn unit 3 is powered down after an influx of jellyfish interrupted operations. It's not a common snafu, but it has happened before, there and in the U.S.
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A Separate Congressional Impasse: Energy Efficiency
As the government shuts down, another symptom of Congressional dysfunction deserves attention.
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