Extreme Weather and Volcanoes by Astronomy Picture of the Day

Astronomy Picture of the Day (or APOD) has just released new 2015 calendars filled with breathtaking images of Earth and space. There are currently eight calendars available: Galaxies, General, Skyscapes, Moons and Planets, Star Clusters, Spaceflight, Sun, and Weather & Volcanoes. The calendars can be downloaded for free from the Friends of APOD website, though donations are welcome from anyone willing to help. Printed copies are also now available for a fee.

Weather & Volcanoes, in our opinion, is the best calendar. From beautiful iridescent clouds photographed in 2009 from the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal, behind the 6,600-meter peak named Thamserku, to lightning bolts illuminating the ash pouring out of the Eyjafjallajkull volcano, you’ll find it all here. Each photograph serves as a reminder of Mother Nature’s incredible power and beauty, as well as the world in which we live.