Take a look at 30 awesome photos from September 2014

By ANDREW TAVANI

Many of the images that emerged in September were out of this world -- both figuratively and quite literally.

Consider the first photo above among the former: a lone hiker is seen traversing the top of a dune in Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park, seemingly headed for a surreal double rainbow paradise awaiting him off in the distance. The photo was captured last year by Eric Magayne and shared on social media this week by the U.S. Dept. of Interior. The image was a smash hit on the agency's Twitter and Instagram accounts.

And for the latter, NASA released a new photo of Saturn shot by the Cassini Spacecraft. The new image, which was captured back in April and just made public this week, shows the glorious giant from high above the ringplane and about 1.1 million miles away. According to NASA, Saturn's unusual cloud pattern is on full display in the photo; its clouds can be seen being swept through the atmosphere by winds that top 1,100 mph.

Of course, there were many other incredible photos captured this month from all walks of life and from all corners of the planet. So as the calendar changes from September to October, be sure to click through the above slide show and behold a range of photos showing everything from elite athletic ability to raw, desperate violence to moments of pure beauty to the wistful fading of summer.

Don't miss an incredible shot of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce simultaneously robbing an opposing batter of a home run and a baseball fan of a souvenir. There's an intense photo of the bloody fights that broke out amid chaos in the streets of Los Cabos, Mexico, after Hurricane Odile devastated the resort town. Plus, there's an ethereal shot of a woman in a wedding gown who's getting married in an underwater wedding ceremony. And there's an eye-popping photo of a semi tractor trailer precariously dangling from a bridge in Oregon.

Take a few moments to reflect on your world as seen through the camera lens. See you next month.

More amazing photos of the month:

For 31 amazing photos from August, click here.
For 30 amazing photos from July, click here.
For 30 amazing photos from June, click here.
For 31 amazing photos from May, click here.
For 30 amazing photos from April, click here.
For 31 amazing photos from March, click here.
For 28 amazing photos from February, click here.