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Best Photos of 2022

From giant pandas playing in the snow in China to a stunning supermoon over San Francisco, these are the 24 photos from 2022 that caught our eye

spinner image A dog competes at Westminster, Ballerinas performing the Nutcracker, and a worker in colorful flower fields in Carlsbad, CA.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images; Katja Ogrin/Getty Images; Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Scroll down to see the best photos, or click on one of the bookmarks below to jump straight to a photo.  If you’re interested in seeing daily photos of the day, or photos of the week, visit our Members Only Access section here.

Panda-monium

spinner image A panda cub is on top of an adult panda as they play in the snow
Chen Xianlin/VCG via Getty Images

Giant pandas play in the snow in mid-January at the Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, in China’s Sichuan province.

Starlings Swoop & Swirl

spinner image Thousands of birds cluster and move in a pattern under a rising moon
Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty Images

Thousands of starlings twist, turn, swoop and swirl in intricately coordinated patterns on Jan. 17 above Rome, Italy. Scientists believe these breathtaking flock patterns, called murmurations, offer safety in numbers. 

Big Air

spinner image team usa skier megan nick soars into the night sky surrounded by lights while competing in the women’s freestyle skiing aerials event
Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images

USA's Megan Nick competes in the women’s freestyle skiing aerials final Feb. 14 during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Zhangjiakou, China.

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An Olympic Dream

spinner image Team USA figure skater Brandon Frazier looks up while partner Alexa Kneirim spins in the air on the ice
Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Team USA’s Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier compete Feb. 7 in the pair skating free skate during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Ravishing Ranunculus

spinner image A worker carries bundles of giant ranunculus March 16 at The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch in Carlsbad, California.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

A worker carries bundles of giant ranunculus March 16 at The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch in Carlsbad, California. The flower fields grow about 70 million ranunculus across 55 acres on the working flower farm during the flower’s season, from early March to early May. 

Cherry On Top

spinner image cherry blossoms erupt on branches with the washington monument in the background
STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Cherry blossoms bloom March 6 near the Washington Monument along the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Swim It To Win It

spinner image An aerial view of the swim start during the IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside on April 2, 2022 in Oceanside, California.
Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Triathletes swim April 2 during the Ironman 70.3 Oceanside race in Oceanside, California. Also known as a Half Ironman, the Ironman 70.3 is one of a series of long-distance races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles covered in the triathlon, which consists of a 1.2-mile swim in the Pacific Ocean, a 56-mile bike loop and a 13.1-mile run.

Rainbow of Blooms

spinner image This aerial view shows rows of tulips and hyacinths in fields at Lissee in the 'Bollenstreek' (Dutch flower region) on April 8, 2022.
Jeffrey Groeneweg/ANP/AFP/via Getty Images

Rows of tulips and hyacinths bloom in fields at Lisse, Netherlands. The town in the Bollenstreek (flower-bulb region), draws thousands of tourists each spring.

Walk of Fame

spinner image Ducklings walk along a makeshift duck ramp in the Capitol reflecting pool
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Ducklings walk along a makeshift duck ramp May 16 in the Capitol reflecting pool in Washington, D.C. The ramps help ducks and other wildlife get in and out of the water.

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Buffalo On the Move

spinner image This picture taken on April 13, 2022 shows an aerial view of a herd of buffaloes swimming together past a fishing boat in the Shatt al-Arab waterway north of Iraq's southern city of Basra.
Hussein Faleh/AFP via Getty Images

A herd of water buffalo swim past a fishing boat in the Shatt al-Arab river north of the southern Iraq city of Basra. The Shatt al-Arab, which flows from the presumed biblical site of the Garden of Eden to the Persian Gulf, also hosts the world’s largest date palm forest. Gazelles, antelopes and other species are also found in this region. 

Master of Agility

spinner image A dog competes in the 9th annual Masters Agility Championship during the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

A dog competes June 18 in the Masters Agility Championship during the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. More than 350 dogs competed in the competition, which had them climbing, balancing, jumping, weaving and sprinting through obstacle courses. 

Box ‘Til You Drop

spinner image Aerial view of people taking part in a massive boxing class at the Zocalo square in Mexico City
CLAUDIO CRUZ/AFP via Getty Images

Mexico City sets a world record June 18 for hosting the largest boxing class ever, with 14,299 people taking part in a massive lesson in the Zócalo, the capital’s central plaza, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced. The turnout surpassed the previous record, set in Moscow in 2017 when 3,250 people attended a boxing class. 

Supermoon Over San Francisco

spinner image The super moon rises over the Golden Gate Bridge on July 13, 2022 in San Francisco
Liu Guanguan/China News Service via Getty Images

A stunning supermoon hovers above the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on July 13. A supermoon is a full moon that appears larger than a typical full moon because it is closer to Earth. There are typically only three or four supermoons each year. 

Summertime Storm

spinner image Storm clouds roll in Tuesday, July 12, 2022 over the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis
Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via Getty Images

A wall of storm clouds roll over the Basilica of Saint Mary in mid-July in Minneapolis. 

Flying High

spinner image Hot air balloons pass by the sun
Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images

Hot air balloons fly over North Somerset, England, in early-morning sunlight on Aug. 14 during the mass ascent at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. The annual four-day event, started in 1979, attracts over 100 balloons and 500,000 visitors.  

Baby’s First Steps

spinner image Stanley, a five day old Rothschild giraffe
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Stanley, a 5-day-old Rothschild’s giraffe, takes his first steps outside the giraffe house Aug. 11 at the Chester Zoo in Chester, England. Keepers named the 6-foot baby giraffe after Mount Stanley, the tallest mountain in Uganda, Africa, where the zoo’s conservationists are fighting to boost giraffe numbers. Rothschild’s giraffes are one of Africa’s most at-risk mammals, with fewer than 2,500 remaining in the wild.

Bat-Man

spinner image J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies breaks his bat Sept. 17 during a game against the Atlanta Braves
Casey Sykes/Getty Images

J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies breaks his bat Sept. 17 during a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Queen of Our Hearts

spinner image Flowers from well-wishers flank the Long Walk in Windsor Castle
Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Flowers from well-wishers flank the Long Walk in Windsor Castle on Sept. 19 in Windsor, England. The committal service for Queen Elizabeth II at St. George's Chapel took place after the state funeral at Westminster Abbey. A private burial in the King George VI Memorial Chapel followed. She died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8, 2022, and was succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. 

Pretty Pyramid

spinner image sun shines on lake pyramid which is shades of green and orange; trees behind pyramid and water in front
Patrick Pleul/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

The morning sun shines on the autumnal lake pyramid on Oct. 17 in Branitz Park in Cottbus, Germany.  

Something Fishy

spinner image pearl mullets swimming and jumping in a lake basin
Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Pearl mullets swim upstream on Oct. 1 in the Lake Van basin in Turkey. The fish migrate annually to breed in the salty water of the largest lake in Turkey. 

Hop To It!

spinner image a hopping kangaroo with a wide expanse of beach and headlands in the distance
Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

An eastern grey kangaroo travels through Look At Me Now Headland Nov. 25 in Coffs Harbour, Australia. 

On Pointe

spinner image a dozen ballerinas in white and silver costumes dance on stage in front of a background of tree branches
Katja Ogrin/Getty Images

Dancers of the Birmingham Royal Ballet perform a dress rehearsal of "The Nutcracker" Nov. 19 at the Birmingham Hippodrome in England. 

Lady Liberty

spinner image geese fly over the statue of liberty with clouds made pink at sunset, with slideshow overlay
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

Geese fly over the Statue of Liberty as the sun sets Dec. 18 in New York City. 

Will The Real Santa Please Stand Up?

spinner image a ski slope crowded with people in santa costumes on skis
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders dressed as Santa Claus and other holiday characters take off from the top of the mountain during Santa Sunday Dec. 11 at the Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine.