8 Extraordinary and Rare photographs by National Geographic

To celebrate their 125th anniversary, National Geographic released a three-volume photo book and we’ve got some of these pictures from their photos library. Shot by some of the world’s finest photographers, Rarely Seen features striking images of places, events, natural phenomena, and man made heirlooms seldom seen by human eyes

1. Old and Beautiful and Modern too???

Purple-pink flowers flow down from Japan’s oldest wisteria tree, which dates back to 1870 and is located in Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi. At its advanced age, the 145 year old tree needs extra assistance so beams help support its many weighty branches.

2. Retired Tusk-Life

Rajan, an Asian elephant, lifts Nazroo, his mahout or handler, in the ocean off the Andaman Islands. Rajan was once used to move logs, but like many retirees, he now enjoys frolicking in the water.

3. High Up

At nearly 4,000 feet high, the glass-bottomed skywalk at Grand Canyon at the canyon’s far western edge offers out-of-this-world views.

4. Gone with the Wind

A tumbleweed flies through the air at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats

5. You scratch my back and i’ll…..

6. The Sorting Hat-blowing off his steam

A massive ice tower—just compare its size to the human standing to its right—releases gas and smoke from Antarctica’s Mount Erebus, which is a volcano.

7. Little Baby

A pygmy hippo keeps her calf close in West Africa. An adult pygmy hippo weighs approximately between 350 and 600 pounds, not petite but still 10 times smaller than a regular-sized hippo.

7. Sky full of Lanterns

Lanterns soar up into the sky—and they’re also reflected below—as part of the Loy Krathong festival, which usually takes place at the end of the rainy season, in Thailand. The lanterns are released to protect against bad luck.