Grafitti by the illusive artist Banksy adorns the levee wall in the Lower Ninth Ward on August 29, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. New works by the artist, whose paintings are also sold in galleries, have been popping up throughout New Orleans coinciding with the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

“The Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) has released the largest-ever three-dimensional map of massive galaxies and distant black holes, which will help astronomers explain the mysterious “dark matter” and “dark energy” that scientists know makes up 96 percent of the Universe”. – SDSS-III

A boy bursts a soap-bubble at Gorky Park in Moscow on July 19, 2017. (Photo by Mladen Antonov/AFP Photo)

Aurorae category runner-up: Lone Tree under a Scandinavian Aurora by Tom Archer (UK). The photographer decided to explore the area around the hotel on a very crisp -35C evening in Finnish Lapland. When he found this tree, he decided to wait for the misty conditions to change and could not believe his luck when the sky cleared and the aurora came out in the perfect spot. Archer spent about an hour photographing it before his camera started to lock up because of the harsh conditions, but by then he was happy to call it a night. (Photo by Tom Archer/2020 Astronomy Photographer of the Year)

Laura Titch, dressed as Mary of Guise, and Duncan Maclachlan, dressed as Alexander of Stewart, rehearse for Stirling Castle's grand renaissance palace opening on June 3, 2011 in Stirling, Scotland. The palace has been closed for two years, while a Ј12 million pound project was undertaken to return the palace to how it might have looked back in the 1540s, when it was home to Mary of Guise, the widow of James V. Their daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, was raised there before living in France. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Bryan Adams took the pictures for next year’s Pirelli calendar, which features fellow musicians including Cher, Rita Ora, Iggy Pop and the American rapper Saweetie, above, as it depicts a typical day in the life of a touring performer. (Photo by Bryan Adams/Pirelli)

An artist draws a mural on a wall during a wall painting competition in Amritsar on February 25, 2023. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

Brush fires in Everglades National Park, Florida make for a dramatic Milky Way in this panorama. A photographer set out to inspire awe in nature's wonders through the tropical wetlands of Florida. (Photo by Mark Andrew Thomas/Rex Feature/Shutterstock)