These Northern Lights “rainbows” have turned the sky greener than the Earth below. Vitaly Istomin, 26, spent several nights in freezing conditions under the stars in northern Russia’s Khibiny Mountains to capture the aurora’s “rainbows”. (Photo by Vitaly Istomin/Caters News Agency)

Brave photographer Masa Ushioda captured the shots of this wild gator in vast marsh land in the Everglades National Park, in Florida, USA. He said: “Bright sunlight and blue sky were critical elements in this picture – in addition to getting a wild 10-foot alligator in the middle of the viewfinder with a perfect angle”.

Michael Bath, from McLeans Ridges in New South Wales, Australia, estimates that in his lifetime he has taken more than 3,500 images of lightning bolts illuminating the sky. Photo: Alstonville, New South Wales, Australia – January 8, 2003. (Photo by Michael Bath/Caters News)

Tourists pay a visit to Edradour distillery on March 26, 2012 in Pitlochry, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Three-month old cheetah cubs make their public debut at the Smithsonian National Zoo on July 24, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick)

This young boy wrestled with his emotions at the National Children’s Sumo ­Tournament in Tokyo on July 30, 2012. (Photo by AP Photo/LaPresse)

Flashmob: Water Battle on All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow, Russia, on August 5, 2012. (Photo by Lilja Dal)