These may look like alien creatures from another planet, but the odd organisms are, in fact, colorful, microscopic life forms found in our forests. The bizarre slime molds, known as mycetozoa or fungus animals, were captured by geologist Valeriya Zvereva. She spent months documenting the common life forms that are found beneath our feet – but are rarely seen. Incredibly, the organisms can move and hunt for other microscopic life forms on which to feed. Zvereva, who is from Moscow, used a special macro lens to capture the vibrant and up-close shots, which show off the organisms’ unlikely beauty. (Photo by Valeriya Zvereva/Caters News)

A Nepalese devotee offers ritual prayer at the Bank of Bagmati River of Pashupatinath Temple during Rishi Panchami Festival celebrations at Kathmandu, Nepal on Sunday, August 23, 2020. Rishi Panchami festival is celebrated as the last day of three-day long Teej Festival. The Teej festival is celebrated by Hindu women in Nepal as well as in some parts of India. (Photo by Narayan Maharjan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Afghan boys ride on donkey cart transporting plastic bottles for recycling, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, on 16 September 2020. Nearly 19 years after the fall of the Taliban regime and the United States invasion, the Afghan government and insurgents on 12 September, began peace negotiations in Doha. (Photo by Hedayatullah Amid/EPA/EFE)

Rope access technicians carry out maintenance service on wind turbines including repairs, blade inspections and cleaning in Izmir, Turkey on February 19, 2021. In Turkey, where investments in renewable energy has increased, there are wind tribunes over 3,500. (Photo by Mahmut Serdar Alakus/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A diver swims near sculptures during the inauguration of the underwater museum in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, 01 August 2021. At the new Ayia Napa Underwater Sculpture Museum (MUSAN), located in the Pernera area of Ayia Napa, visitors, both swimmers with mask and flippers and divers, will be able to tour around an underwater forest, the first of its kind in the world. (Photo by Jason Decaires Taylor/EPA/EFE)

This 1931 Stutz DV-32 convertible sedan has 66,000 miles on its odometer and its original leather luggage awaits its first complete restoration Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at L'Cars Automotive Specialties in Cameron, Wis. The company which does high-end restoration and customization work classic cars that have won awards at the world-renowned Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Winning cars include a 57c Bugatti, Rolls Royce PIII V12, V12 Aero coupe, T44 Bugatti, T55 Bugatti, T38A Bugatti, Mercedes Benz 290 Roadster, Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, T57 Bugatti, 1929 Duesenberg J, Mercedes Benz 540K cabriolet, Talbot Teardrop and a 1931 V16 Cadillac convertible. (Photo by Mark Hoffman)

Nino, a ten-year-old toreador apprentice of the French Tauromachy Centre, nicknamed El Nino, touches a practice bull at the bullring of Garons, near Nimes, September 25, 2013. Since 1983, the French Tauromachy Centre in Nimes has trained some 1,000 youths in the art of bullfighting. Twenty of them have gone on to become professional matadors, facing fighting bulls in the arena. Twice a week, students take courses with a matador to learn the movements and gestures of the bullfighter in the ring, but without an animal present. Students train with calves in the surrounding fields during spring, and regularly participate in beginner's bullfights (becerradas) without killing calves. Solal has been taking courses for three years and Nino, for just a year now. Both are normally enrolled in French public schools, but have one thought in mind – bullfighting. They share a passion linked to the city of Nimes, famous for its ferias and bullring. (Photo by Jean-Paul Pelissier/Reuters)

Beautiful, strange and occasionally alarming pictures from the shortlist for this year’s Wellcome image awards – which celebrate the very best in science photography and imaging – from an x-ray of a bat to a micrograph of a kidney stone. The exhibition opens on 12 March at three science centres and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Photo: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x. (Photo by Stefan Eberhard/Wellcome Images)