The Arctic skies light up in a blaze of blue and green when solar wind blasts the atmosphere with charged particles. Storms and wildfires leave debris and ash in their trails. And ecosystems and fellow animals are increasingly transformed by human activity.
Looking at the world through the lens of science brings into focus creatures so small they can’t be seen with the naked eye, and galaxies so large they make our world seem no bigger than a microscopic organism.
That creates an opportunity for some pretty stunning photos.
These are some of the most striking science and nature images we encountered in 2017. Some are news photos shot this year, while others made appearances in 2017 photo contests.
SEE ALSO: The most captivating aerial photos taken of Earth from the sky this year
NASA’s Juno probe sent back stunning images of our solar system’s giant planet.
See more of the probe’s stunning images here.
We’ll never think of tapeworms the same way after seeing this monster from Nikon’s Small World image contest, which celebrates microscopic photos.
See more prize-winning Small World images.
Natural events like the volcanic eruption of Bali’s Mount Agung in November caused quite a stir.
The eruption sent ash 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) into the atmosphere and created plumes as high as 3.7 miles (6,000 meters).
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