Kenichi Ito runs on his arms and legs on a race course on his way to setting the Guinness World Record fastest time for the 100-meter dash on all fours at Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium in Tokyo Thursday, November 14, 2013. The 30-year-old Japanese finished in 16.87 seconds Thursday, shaving more than half a second off his 2012 run of 17.47. (Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi/AP Photo)

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)

“Nicholas II (Russian: Николай II, Николай Александрович Романов, tr. Nikolay II, Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov) (18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July 1918) was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church. Nicholas II, his wife, his son, his four daughters, the family's medical doctor, the Tsar's valet, the Empress' lady-in-waiting and the family's cook were murdered in the same room by the Bolsheviks on the night of 16/17 July 1918”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Tsar Nicholas II (1868–1918) with his wife. (Photo by W. & D. Downey/Getty Images). Circa 1900

Japanese Cosplay Photoshoot, taken on August 2-6, 2012. Photo: Guilty Crown ギルティクラウン 罪惡王冠 楪 祈 いのり ゆずりは Inori. (Photo by EE Fai)

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, appear in the sky over the Bamburgh lighthouse at Stag Rock in Northumberland, England on September 28, 2016. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Wire via ZUMA Press)

Spain's Lidia Rodriguez, Spain's Marta Garcia and Spain's Raquel Roy compete in the Kata team female final during the 24th Karate World Championships at the WiZink center in Madrid on November 11, 2018. (Photo by Javier Soriano/AFP Photo)

A young Sandinista guerrilla takes aim with his 45 pistol as he stands waiting to do combat with the Nicaraguan National Guard in Managua June 23, 1979. The guerrillas still occupy major parts of the Capitol City. (Photo by McLendon/AP Photo)

Meanwhile, over on Portobello beach, members of the Upsala circus take a stroll before their fringe debut, Ping-Pong Ball Effect in Edinburgh, England on August 1, 2017. (Photo by Murdo Macleod/The Guardian)