For the Torajan people of Indonesia, death is part of a spiritual journey: families keep the mummified remains of their deceased relatives in their homes for years – and traditionally invite them to join for lunch on a daily basis – before they are eventually buried. Here: Todeng died in 2009. A young relative of his, Sam, lights him a cigarette and changes his glasses. (Photo by Claudio Sieber Photography/The Guardian)

The Sphinx breed of cat “Adam vom Feisastern” of the German breeder Sabine Braeuer waits on a jury table during an annual International Pedigree Dog and Cat Show in Erfurt, Germany on June 10, 2012. (Photo by Jens Meyer/Associated Press)

Miss Ohio Mackenzie Bart displays her shoe during the Miss America Shoe Parade at the Atlantic City boardwalk, Saturday, September 13, 2014, in Atlantic City, N.J. (Photo by Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

Life as tenant farmers in Kasungu, northern Malawi, can be a struggle for families trapped in poverty, who feel forced to rely on their children’s help, impacting schooling. Here: A tobacco field at a farm in Kasungu region, Malawi. Tobacco is the country’s most important export crop, with tobacco leaf from Malawi filling cigarettes found all over the world. Here: Tiyamike Phiri hopes to become a nurse because she wants to travel the country and help others. (Photo by David Levene/The Guardian)

The Japanese punk rock garage quartet Otoboke Beaver perform at Maggie Mae's at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Film Interactive Festival 2017 in Austin, Texas, U.S., March 17, 2017. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Kagome Co's employee Shigenori Suzuki tries to eat a tomato which is fed to him by the newly-developed “Wearable Tomato” device for runners, during its unveiling event ahead of the weekend's Tokyo Marathon in Tokyo February 19, 2015. The eight-kilo (17.6-pound) contraption fits on a runner like a rucksack. It can distribute a total of seven medium-sized tomatoes, one by one, at the click of a button and supplies the runner with much needed nutrients during a long jog or race. (Photo by Toru Hanai/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)