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Images reveal the astonishing complexity of the microscopic world

Life

Images reveal the astonishing complexity of the microscopic world

From a dragonfly to marine organisms, photographer Michael Benson zoomed in with powerful scanning electron microscopes to take these extraordinary shots for his book Nanocosmos

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Overall winner Mesmerizing spider threads The image shows two exceptional silk threads of the Australian netcaster spider, Asianopis subrufa. Unlike typical web-builders, this spider holds a specialized, sticky net between its four front legs. When an unsuspecting insect approaches, the spider rapidly expands its net and casts it over the prey, a maneuver that demands dramatic extensibility from the supporting lines at the sides of the sticky net. These threads are composed of an elastomeric core encased in a sheath of harder fibers of varying sizes; the result is a structure that is both strong and stretchy. The mesmerizing, looping fibers in the image capture the eye with their meandering fiber bundles, which shift in their complex winding from large to small scales. The image covers 50 microns in width and was captured using a Zeiss GeminiSEM 360 field-emission scanning electron microscope under high vacuum and after coating of Au-Pd. Minimal adjustments of curves and cropping were applied via Adobe Photoshop. Martin J. Ramirez Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales - CONICET

Life

Incredible close-up of spider silk wins science photo prize

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Pg. 89, Robert Clark, Flamingo

Life

Birds dazzle and amaze in stunning new photographs

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Photo ? Steve Monks Lydia Bradey on the first female ascent of Zenith, Halfdome, Yosemite National Park

Humans

Triumphant images of women who climbed to new heights

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Encounter Within One Second ? Zhang Yanguang This image captures the International Space Station (ISS) transiting across the solar disc. The solar background was captured separately with double-stacked etalon[an optical filter that isolates specific wavelengths, used to observe solar details], and reveals high-contrast chromospheric details. The imaging sequences were strategically combined during post-processing to preserve both the spacecraft?s crisp silhouette and the Sun?s intricate surface features. Taken with a Takahashi Teegul 60 telescope, Coronado SolarMax 60 double stacked, Vixen polaris mount, Player One Astronomy Neptune-M camera, 500 mm f/8.3, 0.3-millisecond exposure Location: Xiamen, Fujian, China, 24 January 2025

Space

Otherworldly space images from a major photography competition

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Two of five snow leopard cubs recently photographed in Mongolia

Life

Rare images capture snow leopard cubs in their dens

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My Octopus Mother by Kat Zhou

Life

Stunningly intimate octopus image wins aquatic photography prize

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Salt River Pima and Maricopa Indian Community/Suburb, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, 2011 photo(s) ?EdwardBurtynsky, courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Earth

Dramatic Edward Burtynsky image shows stark desert divide

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Pacific compass jellyfish (Chrysaora fuscescens) inside a plastic bag. The cultured jellyfish, along with a portion of the water in which they grew, are shipped in plastic bags (and insulating Styrofoam boxes) to various customers, including zoos, aquariums, and research institutions. Jellyfish Farm, Europe's largest jellyfish breeding facility, K??nzell, Germany.

Life

Inside Europe's largest jellyfish farm

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Ami Vitale - Pandamonium A panda keeper does a health check on the cub of giant panda Xi Mei at the Wolong Nature Reserve managed by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province, China October 31, 2015. (Photo by Ami Vitale)

Environment

Powerful images capture the fragility and resilience of our planet

From battling drought to caring for wildlife, shots from the Earth Photo 2025 competition shortlist show how we are coping with a changing world

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Environment

Captivating images expose a 'staged version' of nature

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Physics

Photography contest spotlights the beauty of science in vivid detail

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Life

Images capture the timeless beauty of America's ancient forests

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Life

Camera trap spots endangered elephant mother and calf on the move

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