“A Snail's Life”. Photographer Vyacheslav Mischenko captures gorgeous macro photographs of snails near his hometown of Berdichev, Ukraine. After being taught to hunt for mushrooms as a child, Vyacheslav has grown up with a keen eye for spotting critters on the forest floor. Here, a snail takes shelter while perching on a leaf. (Photo by Vyacheslav Mischenko/Caters News)

A “friendly giant” sculpture hangs from a tree in the Hanmer Heritage Forest at Hammer Springs, New Zealand, Sunday, June 14, 2020. Christchurch sculptor Andrew Lyons created the creatures out of a redwood tree that had to be removed from nearby Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa in 2018 and carved nine sculptures including big friendly giant, some enormous mushrooms, a falcon, and a dog. (Photo by Mark Baker/AP Photo)

The comet Neowise, or C/2020 F3, is seen in the evening sky above the artwork titled: “Seven Magic Mountains” by artist Ugo Rondinone, Thursday, July 16, 2020, near Jean, Nev., south of Las Vegas. (Photo by John Locher/AP Photo)

Italian illusionist Arturo Brachetti perfoms in the mirrored mazes of Camera Obscura on August 06, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His show SOLO which is running at Pleasance’s EICC sees over fifty characters come to life through illusions, transformations and some magic tricks. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

A guest poses with a magic wand during a soft opening and media tour of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” theme park at the Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, California in this picture taken March 22, 2016. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Reuters)

Gorgeous galaxies and stunning stars make up this selection of pictures from the shortlisted entries for this year’s Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The winners will be announced on 15 September, and an exhibition of the winning images will be will be displayed in a free exhibition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Centre from 17 September. Here: “Seven Magic Points”. The rusty red swirls of the circular, iron sculpture Seven Magic Points in Brattebergan, Norway mirror the rippling aurora above. (Photo by Rune Engebø/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum)

“Diver in Magic Kingdom”. Green Lake (Grüner See) is located Tragöss Austria. In spring snowmelt raises the lake level about 10 meters. This phenomenon, which lasts only a few weeks covering the hiking trails, meadows, trees. The result is magical to watch diving landscapes. Photo location: Grüner See at Tragöss, Austria. (Photo and caption by Marc Henauer/National Geographic Photo Contest)

A performer is seen floating in mid-air as he holds onto a moving bus during the International Magic Festival in Luoyang, Henan province, China September 11, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)