Random Windows Spotlight images

Drive a couple hours north from the high-rises of Phoenix and you'll discover a different sort of skyline. The town of Sedona, Arizona, is renowned for its rocks: both the countless crystals on display in its funky New Age shops and the myriad sandstone structures surrounding it. In addition to the pictured Cathedral Rock, the 'architecture' in Sedona includes Courthouse Rock, Capitol Butte, and Airport Mesa—home to the city's actual airport, and famous among Microsoft Flight Simulator fans as the 2020 edition's virtual training area.

About an hour’s drive northeast of Las Vegas is Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park. The park’s serrated ground was created by an unusual combination of geologic forces, where some sections of stone pushed up while others cleaved. And in spots such as the Fire Wave, the exposed multicolored stone adds brilliant color to the already fantastic landscape. Sunsets here really bring out the swirly striations in the rock, and some visitors have likened the molded outcrop to pulled taffy or an ice-cream cone. Maybe that was wishful thinking inspired by a blazing-hot Nevada day.

Tasman Lake in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park on New Zealand’s South Island didn’t exist until 1990. As Tasman Glacier began to melt, small glacial pools began to coalesce into a substantial body of water. The glacier retreats an average of 590 feet a year, so Tasman Lake grows ever wider and deeper. It won’t keep growing forever, though. Scientists estimate that the glacier that feeds Tasman Lake will disappear entirely within the next couple of decades.

If you think this blue water looks good enough to dive into, you're not alone–many share the sentiment. It’s a popular spot for scuba diving and snorkeling. A series of islands, sand cays, and patch reefs off the coast of ">If you think this blue water looks good enough to dive into, you're not alone–many share the sentiment. It’If you think this blue water looks good enough to dive into, you're not alone–many share the sentiment. It’s a popular spot for scuba diving and snorkeling. A series of islands, sand cays, and patch reefs off the coast of Malaysia, the area was established as a forest reserve in 1933. Many efforts were made in the following decades to provide further protection for this rare environment, and in 2004 it became an official state park. The world’s a better place for the conservation: Scientists say Tun Sakaran Marine Park is as diverse an ecosystem as the Great Barrier Reef.

Many photos of Vestrahorn, an ancient massif on Iceland's southeast coast, are taken from the ocean's edge where black sand dunes meet vertiginous cliffs. Just as stunning is our image's vantage point a little farther inland on the Stokksnes headland. Here, a wide lagoon reflects the jagged peaks and bright sky, while a carpet of low green shrubs and blue lupines color the scene. Stokksnes abounds in spectacular vistas like this and is similar to much of Iceland: What looks to be a vast uninhabited wilderness is actually not far from small villages and major roadways. The country's famed scenic route, the Ring Road, is only a few miles from here, and the charming fishing town of Höfn is about a half-hour's drive.