Most people know Nikon as a purveyor of pro and consumer-grade digital cameras. But the company's expertise with optics bleeds over into related markets – it's one of the science community's major suppliers of microscopes. And each year the company asks the community to send it some of their favorite images of tiny objects. A panel of scientists and journalists have chosen the best of this past year's submissions, which Nikon has placed on its Small World site.

Photo: Honorable Mention. “Snow crystal, illuminated with colored lights (5x)”. (Photo by Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Department of Physics, Pasadena, California, USA)

A racegoer reacts to picking a winner in the first race on the third day of the Royal Ascot horserace meeting, which is traditionally known as Ladies Day, at Ascot, England Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo by Alastair Grant/AP Photo)

American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo poses at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala in Los Angeles, California, U.S. September 25, 2021. (Photo by Ringo Chiu/Reuters)

The singer Ciara attends ELLE's 27th Annual Women In Hollywood Celebration, presented by Ralph Lauren and Lexus, at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for ELLE)

A Romanian honor guard soldier waits before the arrival of Moldovan President at Cotroceni Presidential Palace, in Bucharest, Romania, 23 November 2021. Maia Sandu is on a one-day official visit to Romania. (Photo by Robert Ghement/EPA/EFE)

UK Love Island's star Megan Barton Hanson, 26, looked incredible as she stripped off for a very sеxy shoot to mark her return to Only Fans on March 20, 2020. Only Fans is a website where people can subscribe to see racy pictures and videos of both celebrities and wannabe models. It is a very popular way to make more cash because people can create content from their own homes and build up huge followings – all of whom have to pay. (Photo by Backgrid UK)

A rainbow over the windmill in Lytham, Lancashire on May 17, 2022 at sunset after rain hit the region last night after the hottest day of the year. (Photo by Gregg Wolstenholme/Bav Media)

Spanish model Eugenia Silva attends a red carpet for the movie “Poor Things” at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 01, 2023 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Yara Nardi/Reuters)