Volume84

In 2025, marine biologists in Indonesia photographed the legendary “living fossil” swimming in the Maluku Archipelago — marking the first-ever wild image of this species. Once believed to have gone extinct 70 million years ago, the coelacanth is still alive in the deep, dark waters of our planet.

In the western Sahara Desert lies a natural wonder that has intrigued scientists and adventurers for centuries. Known as the Richat Structure — or, more commonly, the Eye of the Sahara — this massive geological formation resembles a giant eye.

Consisting of a series of rings on the Adrar Plateau, a prominent feature in northwestern Mauritania, the structure measures 31 miles (50 km) in diameter, making it highly visible even from high above Earth. In the local dialect of Arabic, the people refer to it as "Guelb er Richât," meaning "the eye of the Richat."

Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) is an orb-weaver spider that produces the largest known orb webs, ranging from 0.09 to 2.8 square metres (0.97 to 30.14 sq ft),with bridge lines spanning up to 25 metres (82 ft). The spider was discovered in Madagascar in the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in 2009.[4] Its silk is the toughest biological material ever studied. Its tensile strength is 1.6 GPa. The species was named in honour of the naturalist Charles Darwin on November 24, 2009—precisely 150 years after the publication of The Origin of Species.

The Fukang meteorite is a renowned 1,003 kg (2,211 lb) pallasite discovered in China in 2000, estimated to be 4.5 billion years old. It is characterized by its large, gem-quality olivine (peridot) crystals embedded in a iron-nickel matrix, creating a "stained glass" appearance. It is considered one of the most valuable and visually stunning meteorites ever found.

Value: In 2008, a 925-pound (about 420 kg) slice of the Fukang meteorite was put up for auction by Bonhams in New York, with an estimated value of around $2 million. Though it didn't sell at that auction, smaller pieces and slices have been sold for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per kilogram.

Eternal Flame Falls is a 30-foot waterfall in Chestnut Ridge Park, Western New York, known for a natural, 3–9 inch, methane-fueled flame burning in a grotto behind the cascading water. The, typically, 1.2-mile, moderately-rated hiking trail is a popular attraction, especially during the rainy season.