*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