Top 100 Photos of the Year 2012

*Please note the photographs themselves were not necessarily taken in 2012, they just happened to be featured as a POTD this year. The pictures are also listed in reverse chronological order. There is no ranking amongst the photos

Enjoy!

100. CHICAGO FROM AFAR

Photograph by Robert Elves on Flickr

99. THE ROLLER COASTER SUBMERGED BY SANDY

Photograph by Stephen Wilkes | Prints available

98. A DESERT OASIS IN LIBYA

Photograph by George Steinmetz

97. SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT AT NIGHT

Photograph by Andrew Choy

96. THE ALPINISTS

Photograph by Jakub Polomski on 500px

95. INSIDE THE OLD METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Photograph via The Natioanl Archives and Records Administration

94. THE POWER OF AN ORANGE

Photograph by Caleb Charland

93. TITANIC’S ENGINES UNDERWATER

COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

92. SUNRISE OVER LONDON’S TOWER BRIDGE

Photograph by Jason Pope

91. THE WHITE WHALE

Photograph by Dan Fisher

90. NUGGET POINT LIGHTHOUSE, NEW ZEALAND

Photograph by Scott Robertson

89. VINTAGE NEW YORK, 1935

Photograph by Berenice Abbott

88. OUR SUN ERUPTS

Photograph by NASA/GSFC/SDO

87. THE EYE OF THE DRAIN

Photograph by Liammm on Reddit

86. SNOWMOBILING THE NORWAY-SWEDEN BORDER

Photograph by haqbar on Reddit

85. A CABIN THAT FLOATS

Photograph by Marcus Peabody

84. THE SLEEPING GODDESS

Photograph by The Lost Gardens of Heligan

83. A TINY HERMIT CRAB CLOSE-UP

Photograph by sleepychinchilla on Flickr

82. PURPLE HAZE OVER EDINBURGH CASTLE

Photograph by Scott Hutcheson (SMHutch Photography on Flickr)

81. THE COCONUT OCTOPUS

Photograph by Mario Neumann (scuba.hamburg on Flickr)

80. A CLOUD ILLUMINATED BY LIGHTNING

Photograph by Mike Jones (mrjones131 on Flickr)

79. A TINY RIVER HOUSE IN SERBIA

Photograph by Irene Becker for National Geographic

78. A SUBMARINE SURFACES THROUGH ARCTIC ICE

Photograph by Tiffini M. Jones, U.S. Navy

77. A WALL OF FALL

Photograph by Eric Forey (Kala___ on Flickr) | Prints Available

76. AN AIRPLANE CROSSES THE MOON

Photograph by Chris Thomas

75. THE RED ZONE AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Photograph by Elia Locardi on Google+ | blamethemonkey.com

74. ONE TRIPPY PROFILE PIC

Photograph via persnicketypoop on Reddit

73. LIONESSES AT THE WATERING HOLE

Photograph by Ranger Chad Cocking of the Motswari Private Game Reserve

72. DEATH BEGETS LIFE

Photograph by Ireena Worthy on Flickr

71. MOUNT FUJI FROM ABOVE

Photograph via news.mydrivers.com

70. SKYDIVING INTO BURNING MAN

Photograph via opi8 on Reddit

69. THE ONLY AMERICAN NOT ON EARTH ON SEPT 11

Photograph by NASA

68. THE VENEZUELAN POODLE MOTH

Photograph by Arthur Anker on Flickr

67. THE PERSEIDS METEOR SHOWER

Photograph by David Kingham on Flickr | Prints Available

66. AN X-RAY OF A STINGRAY

Photograph by Ken Jones

65. THE POWER OF ONE SMALL STEP

Photograph by NASA

64. MOTH TRAILS AT NIGHT

Photograph by Steve Irvine for National Geographic

63. JUST A PINCH

Photograph by mmarsupilami on Flickr

62. EVOLUTION OF THE NEW YORK SKYLINE

Photograph via Lee @ tier1dc.blogspot.com

61. AN ELEPHANT MEETS A SEA LION

Photograph by Michael Durham via The Oregon Zoo

60. FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Photograph via moctodtidderptth on Reddit

59. AN OLYMPIC FULL MOON

Photograph by REUTERS/Luke MacGrego (via Reuters Olympics on Facebook)

58. BASE JUMPING IN RIO

Photograph by Wolfgang Luif/Red Bull Content Pool

57. THE BOMBING OF DRESDEN

Photograph by Richard Peter

56. HOTTEST. KISS. EVER.

Photograph by Dallas Nagata on Google+

55. WHERE THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA MEETS THE SEA

Photograph via Better_Be-Safe on Reddit

54. THE CHICAGO SKYLINE FROM INDIANA

Photograph by Tom Adams on Reddit

53. LIVING ON THE EDGE

Photograph by Tim Kemple

52. THE MOLOKINI CRATER IN HAWAII

Photograph by Ron Garnett/Hawaii Tourism Authority

51. IF JUPITER WAS THE SAME DISTANCE AS THE MOON

Artwork by jb2386 on Reddit

50. A SEAHORSE INSPECTS A DIVER’S WATCH

Photograph by Don McLeish

49. AN ILLUMINATED SNOW TUNNEL IN RUSSIA

Photograph by Michael Zelensky

48. THE HONEYBEE’S FINAL STING

Photograph by Kathy Keatley Garvey

47. EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING

Photograph by China Foto Press

46. STREET ARTIST SAINER GOES BIG IN POLAND

Photograph via Fundacja Urban Forms on Facebook

45. MOUNT RAINIER CASTING A SHADOW ON CLOUDS

Photograph by Nick Lippert (via Komo News)

44. FIRST CONTACT

Photograph by CMGW Photography on Flickr

43. THE IRISH SKY GARDEN CRATER

Photograph by Liss Ard Estate

42. MOON BRIDGE IN DAHU PARK, TAIPEI

Photograph by bbe022001 on Flickr

41. FLIGHT OF THE DEVIL RAYS

Photograph by FLORIAN SCHULTZ

40. GÁSADALUR VILLAGE IN THE FAROE ISLANDS

Photograph by GARETH CODD PHOTOGRAPHY on Flickr

39. WORLD’S EDGE

Photograph by RHYS DAVIES

38. THE CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN VANCOUVER

Photograph by MICHELLE LEE

37. FRACTAL PATTERNS IN DRIED OUT DESERT RIVERS

Photograph by ADRIANA FRANCO for National Geographic

36. MEDITATING MONKS AT PONGOUR FALLS

Photograph by DANG NGO – Prints Available

35. HANGING OUT ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, 1914

Photograph by Eugene de Salignac/Courtesy NYC Municipal Archives

34. A SUNSET ECLIPSE

Photograph by GIL NARTEA

33. BORA BORA FROM SPACE

Photograph by PLEIADES-HR SATELLITE

32. THE LARGEST RAFT OF CANOES AND KAYAKS IN THE WORLD

Photograph by NANCIE BATTAGLIA for National Geographic

31. ADAPTIVE ROOTS IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE

Photograph by HORST KIECHLE

30. THE HAMILTON POOL NATURE PRESERVE

Photograph by DAVE WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY

29. ABOVE THE CANOPY

Photograph by MICHAEL NICHOLS for National Geographic [Print Available]

28. COLLIDING RIVERS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Photograph via I_let_my_dog_lick_my on Reddit

27. THE STUNNING GREEN VINE SNAKE

Photograph by SUHAAS PREMKUMAR for National Geographic

26. AURORA AUSTRALIS (SOUTHERN LIGHTS) FROM SPACE

Photograph by André Kuipers / ESA / NASA

25. MOUNT KILIMANJARO FROM ABOVE

Photograph by KYLE MIJLOF @ kylemijlof.blogspot.co.uk

24. THE AMAZING STRENGTH OF AN ANT

Photograph by Yu Wu for National Geographic – Your Shot

23. YARN BOMBING A BUS IN MEXICO CITY

Artwork by Magda Sayeg (Photograph by Cesar Ortega)

22. FELIX BAUMGARTNER JUMPS FROM SPACE

© Jay Nemeth/Red Bull Content Pool

21. THE MOST INCREDIBLE AURORA OF 2012

Photograph courtesy of Jónína Óskarsdóttir for NASA

20. THE WATERFALL ISLAND AT IGUAZU FALLS

Photograph by Andrew Murray on Flickr

19. OVERGROWN RAILROAD TRACKS IN THE FOREST

Photograph by T.-C on Flickr

18. A POD OF SLEEPING SPERM WHALES

Photograph by Wild Wonders of Europe [www.wild-wonders.com] via Business & Biodiversity Campaign

17. 7 HOURS IN ONE IMAGE

Photograph by Isil Karanfil (isilkrnfl on deviantART)

16. PIXEL PEOPLE PERFECTION

Artwork by Craig Alan via Artexpo (Eric Smith) on Flickr

15. GALACTIC MONSOON

Photograph by BRET WEBSTER

14. STRIKING ARTISTRY OF MULTIPLE TAKEOFFS AT HANNOVER AIRPORT

Photograph by HO-YEOL RYU

13. THE KEEL WALK

Photograph by ALEX THOMSON RACING

12. A SEA OF PURPLE IN THE BADLANDS OF UTAH

Photograph by GUY TAL PHOTOGRAPHY | Print Available for Sale

11. PUTTING THE SIZE OF A WHALE IN PERSPECTIVE

Photograph via timz45 on Reddit

10. MEANWHILE IN SWITZERLAND

Photograph by Reuters/Denis Balibouse

9. ONE BOAT AND 145 WATER-SKIERS

Photograph by MARK SEATON PHOTOGRAPHY

8. SALAR DE UYUNI AFTER SOME RAIN

Photograph via Paean on Reddit

7. OUTDOOR JACUZZI ON THE MATTERHORN

Photograph via Iglu-Dorf.com

6. THE PRECIOUS BLUE MARBLE

Photograph by NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring

5. MAELSTROM AT KAUAI, HAWAII

Photograph by PATRICK SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

4. CAPSIZED CRUISE SHIP COSTA CONCORDIA FROM SPACE

Photograph by DIGITALGLOBE.COM

3. Serenity Now

Photograph by ZAK NOYLE for SURFER MAGAZINE

2. BEAUTIFUL BERN FROM ABOVE

Photograph via loki010 on Reddit

1. FIRST RISING SUN OF 2012

Photograph by JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Images