Buddhist monks at Angkor Wat stroll before the ruins of an ancient Khmer kingdom in an image taken by then-National Geographic president and editor Gilbert Grosvenor for an annual message in the December 1959 issue. The image was taken for a story in the November 2003 issue on the rich biodiversity of the island nation. People clean and decorate their homes to welcome in Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, with entry ways of coloured sand, rice paste and flowers.

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This New Year is more a period of reflection and mourning — Muharram means ‘forbidden’, with fighting being prohibited during this month. The previously unpublished photo was taken for a story in the December 2014 issue about how to sustain fishing communities in Southern Africa. It’s a time for visiting neighbours and family in the lead up, with Diwali being celebrated by praying to Lakshmi, sitting down for a meal and ending with fireworks.One of the world's smallest frogs poses on a fingertip at the Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve in Cuba. The Beehive Cluster is a collection of about a thousand young stars positioned about 600 light-years from Earth, located in the constellation Cancer, the crab. From a dark, unobstructed location, away from light pollution, you should be able to spot the dazzling cluster—which actually includes some 3,000 stars—with unaided eyes. The marking of a New Year is an age-old tradition around the world — food, fireworks and reflection with friends and family are common threads, but ultimately this varies between different calendars, religions and cultures. As an added observing challenge on the same evening, sky-watchers can seek out the innermost planet in the solar system close to the western horizon about half an hour after sunset.

National Geographic: National Parks 2023 Wall Calendar National Geographic: National Parks 2023 Wall Calendar

The exact day of the Lunar New Year changes each year —the months of the year are marked by moon cycles, so New Year is celebrated on the date of the first new moon of the Lunar calendar. There are differing customs depending on where it’s being celebrated, with various gods prayed to, but the theme of light continues throughout.The image was taken on assignment for a story in the June 1998 issue highlighting the beauty of the large state park. Continue your journey online to discover the planet-positive actions you can take to safeguard the places and species you encounter. This year promises to offer particularly good viewing, since the shower’s peak on the night of August 12 and into the following predawn hours will coincide with a dim, waning crescent moon.