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A graveyard of old VW slug bug cars covered in colorful grafitti sticking out of the ground in Panhandle, Texas.
Summer of Wonder logo

A Celebration of Exploration

We're heading outdoors to bring you stories about what happens after the sun goes down, the allure of the open road, the creatures we share it all with, and more.

  • summer

    Welcome to Atlas Obscura's Summer of Wonder!

    By Atlas Obscura · May 26, 2023

  • insects

    Photographing Fireflies, a Love Story

    By Emily Dieckman · May 24, 2023

  • cars

    The Coast-to-Coast American Road Trip Is 120 Years Old

    By Frank Jacobs, Big Think · May 26, 2023

  • beach

    Are You a Shoobie or a Benny?

    By Laura Kiniry · May 26, 2023

  • List

    9 Observatories Where Ancient Humans Looked to the Stars

    The mysteries of the night sky have captivated our species for millennia.

  • List

    14 Places to See a Transportation Transformation

    Where they're going, we don't need roads.

  • On Tuckernuck Island, the American giant millipede is in danger of losing its head. Scientists don't know what is responsible for the unprecedented number of decapitations.

    science

    The Mystery of the Headless Millipedes

    Every summer, hundreds of millipedes are murdered on one small Massachusetts island.

    By William von Herff
  • Summer essentials: water, sunscreen, and a good book.

    books

    A Reading List to Start Your Summer of Wonder Right

    Whether at the beach or in your backyard, these books will inspire and delight.

    By Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing
  • List

    9 Real-World Animal Crossings

    These bridges, tunnels, and viaducts help wildlife safely navigate the road.

  • Leon's of Milwaukee has been slinging frozen custard since 1942.

    roadside attractions

    The Retro Lover's Guide to Road-Tripping

    Inside one man's quest to visit the last vestiges of roadside Americana.

    By Sam O'Brien

Summer Nights

Let your eyes adjust ...

The 2018 Strawberry Moon rises behind St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, England. While increased humidity in the atmosphere may turn these early summer full moons pinkish, their name originates with the ripening time of strawberries in North America.

astronomy

The Strawberry Moon Marks a Sweet Start to Summer

Here's why you should welcome this most lovely of full moons—and how to experience it.

Read more
R
Written By
Rebecca Boyle
May 31, 2023

  • The newly described auroral dunes are visible on the left, next to the more common curtain-like forms.

    astronomy

    How Finnish Skywatchers Discovered a Strange New Aurora

    The mysterious phenomenon resembles green sand dunes in the sky.

    By Sabrina Imbler
  • At the Abrams Planetarium in Michigan, the black light gallery is still going strong.

    paintings

    When Trippy Black-Light Murals Brought the Cosmos Down to Earth

    The paintings once dazzled and enlightened mid-century planetarium-goers.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester
  • When it comes to meteorite hunting, Vargas says, “I love it. I love all this stuff.”

    meteorites

    Meet the Meteorite Hunters Who Rush In When Space Rocks Crash to Earth

    For this community of “space cowboys,” entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts, a fireball streaming across the sky offers big risks and bigger rewards—and new tech is heating up the competition.

    By Sarah Durn
  • European Southern Observatories in Chile.

    science

    Where on Earth Can You Put a Giant Telescope?

    Why astronomers keep putting them in the same places.

    By Sarah Laskow
  • John Young (left) and the corned beef sandwich he took into space (right).

    space exploration

    Remembering the Astronaut Who Smuggled a Sandwich Into Space

    He got into a lot of trouble.

    By Anne Ewbank
  • Robert Lawrence, Jr. was chosen to serve in the MOL, an Air Force space program.

    space exploration

    Remembering the Groundbreaking Life of the First Black Astronaut

    Robert Lawrence Jr.'s accomplishments are finally being recognized.

    By Ashawnta Jackson
  • The Milky Way above Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.

    astronomy

    Under New Zealand's Dark Skies, Insects Recover and Humans Reconnect with a Lost View

    The massive South Island stargazing reserve is a respite from light pollution for many species, including our own.

    By Petrina Darrah
  • A time-lapse photo of fireflies, aglow in the Great Smoky Mountains.

    nature

    Who Owns Appalachia's Greatest Natural Light Show?

    Many viewers want to bask in synchronous fireflies' glow. Ecologists want to ensure that the insects aren't hurt in the process.

    By Joanna Thompson
  • An official pin for proud members of the Sigma Firefly Scientists Club. (The tail glows in the dark.)

    insects

    For Decades, the Ultimate Midwestern Summer Job Was Headhunting Fireflies

    The good old days of firefly hunting featured branded merch, 10-year-old kingpins, and a certain disregard for ecology.

    By Cara Giaimo
  • Idea dell'Universo Vincenzo Coronelli, Italy, 1683.

    maps

    An Illustrated Guide to Space Maps

    Thousands of years of attempts to understand our place in the cosmos.

    By Jeremy Berke and Cara Giaimo

Make the most of the darkness

  • Margherita Gagnoni, the winner of the competition, drew inspiration from the possibility of life-bearing conditions on Jupiter's moon Europa.

    science

    Make the Official Mocktail of the European Space Agency

    Inspired by a mission to Jupiter, this bright blue drink bested 69 other 'space juices'.

    By Sam Lin-Sommer
  • If you think you've got a chondrite, you're looking for chondrules and metal grains.

    meteorites

    How to Find a Meteorite

    It's a long shot—but if you're keen to look, here's how to start.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester
  • There's plenty to see, even when you're not on a perfectly dark mountain.

    how to

    How to Find the Best Stuff in the Night Sky From Absolutely Anywhere

    A beginner's guide to admiring stars, planets, and satellites—no mountaintop or fancy gear required.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester

On the Road

It's not the destination ...

The Cannonball Run, a box-office hit in 1981, was inspired by the last cross-country race Yates hosted. Director Hal Needham drove a Dodge van with Yates in that competition.

automotive history

Is This the End of the Cannonball Run?

For a century, a “fraternity of lunatics”—inspired by a driving pioneer and a 1980s movie—has raced across the United States. Is the newest, pandemic-era record unbreakable?

Read more
Avatar image for Vince Guerrieri
Written By
Vince Guerrieri
February 8, 2022

  • Bombay Beach, California, 2018.

    roadside attractions

    Seeing America Through Its Roadside Signs

    A photographer captured the handmade, the unusual, the downright puzzling.

    By Pearse Anderson
  • Private businesses along Route 66 saw their share of littering.

    national parks

    Along the Remains of Route 66, Road Trip Trash Has Become Treasure

    Welcome to the "throw zone."

    By Jessica Leigh Hester
  • A sign for the town of No Name, Colorado.

    roads

    Where Do the Streets Have No Name? Everywhere, in America

    A road by any other name.

    By Ernie Smith
  • A cream-colored accent lets visitors to Arizona's Coconino National Forest know they have reached the Red Rock Ranger Station.

    forests

    The Unsung Ranger Behind the U.S. Forest Service's Iconic Signs

    Career ranger Virgil "Bus" Carrell had no design training, but "really gave a damn," say experts, about his lasting legacy.

    By Greg Christensen
  • At the height of the advertising campaign in the 1930s, there were  900 barns in 19 states—from Michigan to Texas—announcing the wonders of Rock City. Today there are about 70.

    roadside attractions

    Is This Your Last Chance to 'See Rock City'?

    The Southern roadside attraction is thriving, but its iconic barn-top billboards are fading away.

    By Caroline Eubanks
  • Butterfly milkweed (at 70 mph).

    roadside attractions

    How to Identify Wildflowers Without Bothering to Get Off the Highway

    According to a scientist's satirical guide, flowers are even more beautiful when you can only kind of see them.

    By Sabrina Imbler
  • Bena, Minnesota's Big Fish Supper Club took its name quite literally.

    roadside attractions

    Revisiting a Classic Photo Compendium of Giant Roadside Curios

    John Margolies played an outsize role in memorializing America’s outsize attractions.

    By Isaac Schultz
  • The service station in Ukiah, California, photographed in 1991, is made from the trunks of giant redwoods.

    roadside attractions

    Fuel Your Imagination With Glorious Photos of Odd Gas Stations

    This isn't a good time for cross-country car rides. Good thing John Margolies took a camera on his many road trips.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester

Make the most of the journey

  • Itinerary

    Eat Across Route 66

  • roadside attractions

    Podcast: Atlas Obscura Presents How To!

    Setting up a roadside attraction with How To! host Amanda Ripley.

    By The Podcast Team
  • Itinerary

    A Feminist Road Trip Across the U.S.

  • Itinerary

    Eat Across the Blue Ridge Parkway

Going Wild

Nature misses you ...

science

In the World of Animal Courtship, These Males Go to Extremes

For some species, mating season means detachable penises, urine-based perfumes, and ear-splitting declarations of love.

Read more
Avatar image for ashleystimpson
Written By
Ashley Stimpson
February 9, 2023

  • The pink fairy armadillo has adapted to life underground and is so rarely spotted that scientists know very little about the species.

    science

    How the Enchanting, Elusive Pink Fairy Armadillo Became One Scientist's Obsession

    A conservation biologist in Argentina once hosted one of the animals in her living room, but finding them in the wild has proven far more difficult.

    By James Hall
  • Despite looking like it has borrowed parts from hedgehogs, anteaters, and porcupines, the echidna has followed its own fascinating evolutionary path.

    science

    Why the Echidna is Australia's Most Delightfully Different Mammal

    The evolutionary marvel mates in love trains, can swim in the ocean, and even uses jazz hands as a defensive tactic.

    By Jack Ashby
  • forests

    A Journey Into a Wondrous World Hidden Deep in the Congo Forest

    A remote wedge of wilderness is home to trailblazing elephants, epic trees, and the only chimps and gorillas known to share a meal.

    By John Reid and Thomas Lovejoy
  • The mushrooms typically appear on their own or in a very small cluster.

    forests

    Get to Know New Zealand's Hugely Popular, Thrillingly Blue Mushroom

    It is a key part of local culture, and looks like it was colored with a crayon.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester
  • Several adaptations make the wings of some butterflies, such as this Cithaerias esmeralda, clear.

    science

    Unlocking the Secrets of 'Invisible' Animals

    From glasswing butterflies to vanishing octopuses, evolution is a mad scientist.

    By Luna Shyr
  • A giant clam near Ligpo Island in the Philippines.

    animals

    The History, Myth, and Future of the Giant Clam

    Despite traditional and modern protections, Palau's massive mollusks are at risk.

    By Cynthia Barnett
  • This freshwater jellyfish, Craspedacusta sowerbyi, photographed in Walden in 2020, can be as small as a penny.

    science

    Walden Pond Is Full of Jellyfish, But Don't Panic

    Meet the generally harmless translucent residents of Thoreau's favorite giant puddle.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester
  • The buffy-tufted-ear marmoset isn't as beloved as its cuter counterparts.

    monkeys

    Won't Someone Please Think of Brazil's Least-Adorable Marmoset?

    The wildly uncharismatic buffy-tufted-ear marmoset needs a boost.

    By Ashley Stimpson
  • Nocturnal and reclusive, the aye-aye lemur is considered a harbinger of evil by some communities on Madagascar, the only place the animal can be found in the wild.

    folklore

    Loved or Loathed: Can Madagascar's Aye-Aye Survive Superstition?

    Understanding how locals really view the world's weirdest primate may be key to protecting it.

    By Bridget Alex
  • Wrangling an eight-foot king cobra is all in a day's work for Ajay Giri, field director of the Agumbe Reserve Research Station in western India.

    snakes

    Meet the King Cobra Rescue Team That Saves Both People and Snakes

    A research station in India is on call 24/7 to aid wayward reptiles in need.

    By Mahima A. Jain
  • Lear's macaws are brightly colored and quite endangered.

    insects

    To Help a Rare Brazilian Parrot, Start With a Crossbow and Rappelling Beekeepers

    A conservation team wanted to know if removing killer bees would make life easier for Lear's macaw.

    By Greg Uyeno
  • Deep in a forest in western Poland, is an abandoned Soviet bunker with an unusual ant situation.

    bunkers

    The Saga of the Cannibal Ants in a Soviet Nuclear Bunker

    And how scientists tried to free this formic Donner Party.

    By Sabrina Imbler
  • Snailer and malacologist Norine Yeung in a field of trampled uluhe.

    islands

    In the Field With the Intrepid, Dedicated Snailers of Hawai‘i

    Tiny gastropods, huge undertaking.

    By Sabrina Imbler

Make the most of the encounters

  • Home by yourself? You may as well make friends.

    insects

    A Field Guide to the Miniature Menagerie Inside Your Own Home

    And on your face.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester
  • The water is full of wonders.

    beach

    How to Decode the Shells You Find Washed Up on the Beach

    A beginner's guide to identifying conchs, chitons, and more.

    By Jessica Leigh Hester
  • Wilderness guide and author Sicelo Mbatha observes elephants during one of the excursions he leads in South Africa.

    nature

    How to Connect With Nature Like a South African Wilderness Guide

    Tragedy set Sicelo Mbatha on a course to understand, and make peace with, the wild on its own terms.

    By Gemma Tarlach

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