December 2025 Issue

The most unforgettable photos of 2025

2025: The Pictures of the Year

From the thousands of images made by our photographers all around the world this year, we present the ones that moved and inspired us most.

Behind the scenes: The making of 2025's Pictures of the Year

NewFrom setting up camera traps to piloting high-flying drones, National Geographic photographers go to great lengths to get the perfect shot.

Closer Look: 18 hours captured in a single photo

Sixteen years ago, photographer Stephen Wilkes created a concept called "Day to Night," which uses digital photo techniques to merge time into one image. He takes us through his creative process.

Rethinking how the Egyptians built the pyramids

Rethinking how the Egyptians built the pyramids

A lost diary and a hidden waterway are offering a surprising origin story for Giza's ancient wonders.
Your Memory, Rewired

A memory researcher on extreme amnesia cases and imagined futures

A memory researcher on extreme amnesia cases and imagined futures
A memory researcher on extreme amnesia cases and imagined futures

Are you better than AI at guessing what makes a photo memorable?

Are you better than AI at guessing what makes a photo memorable?
Are you better than AI at guessing what makes a photo memorable?

He remembers nothing. She remembers everything

The unexpected ways Ozempic-like drugs might fight dementia

The unexpected ways Ozempic-like drugs might fight dementia
The unexpected ways Ozempic-like drugs might fight dementia

How smelling roses could help you make stronger memories

How smelling roses could help you make stronger memories
How smelling roses could help you make stronger memories
Explore

Making sense of the pyramids’ enduring mysteries

Making sense of the pyramids’ enduring mysteries
Making sense of the pyramids’ enduring mysteries

The race to save secrets trapped in ice

The race to save secrets trapped in ice
The race to save secrets trapped in ice

The oldest known city map is startlingly precise

The oldest known city map is startlingly precise
The oldest known city map is startlingly precise

Tracking disease outbreaks to the ends of the Earth

Tracking disease outbreaks to the ends of the Earth
Tracking disease outbreaks to the ends of the Earth
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