The bloodwood tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) is a deciduous tree with a high canopy, reaching about 15m in height and has dark bark. The red sap is used traditionally as a dye and in some areas mixed with animal fat to make a cosmetic for faces and bodies. It is also believed to have magical properties for the curing of problems concerning blood, apparently because of its close resemblance to blood. The name bloodwood for these trees stems from the dark red to brown sap that accumulates on wounds on the trunks.

On Earth Day this year, NASA asked people all around the world a question: “Where are you on Earth Right Now?” To answer this question people were asked to post their selfie on social media. The goal was to use each picture as a pixel in the creation of a “Global Selfie” – a mosaic image that would look like Earth appeared from the space. The 3.2 gigapixel “Global Selfie”, was made the with 36,422 individual images.

A rescue helicopter is shown at the Mount Everest south base camp in Nepal a day after a huge earthquake-caused avalanche killed at least 17 people, in this photo courtesy of 6summitschallenge.com taken on April 26, 2015 and released on April 27, 2015. Rescue teams, helped by clear weather, used helicopters to airlift scores of people stranded at higher altitudes, two at a time. (Photo by Reuters/6summitschallenge.com)

At first glance, Korean artist Kyu-Hak Lee's mixed media mosaics come off as fairly straightforward recreations of iconic works of art. But upon closer inspection, there's more depth to Lee's works than expected. Using a specific technique – rolling strips of magazine and newspaper pages around small bits of wood – Lee replicates brushstrokes, patterns, and colors to create a commentary on consumerism and worth.

A humane society have drafted in Star Wars characters to help find adoptable animals new homes. The Ottawa Humane Society in Ontario, Canada, used the recognisable cosplay figures to adorably interact with the likes of dogs, cats and guinea pigs. Photographed by Rohit Saxena, the series featured a stormtrooper, a Tusken Raider and Garindan. Those photographed were members of the 501st Capital City Garrison, a Star Wars costuming group in Eastern Ontario. Here: a Tusken Raider with a cat. (Photo by Rohit Saxena/Caters News)

Videographer Jay Baron, from Utah, spends up to nine hours cooking super small dishes and serving them up to his YouTube audience. The tiny portions feature cuisine from all over the world, from ultra-American apple pie to Japanese ramen. The 22-year-old confines himself to cooking in a 2ft by 2ft box, so the only heat he can use comes from a tea light. Here: Jay cooks the ingredients of the tiny spaghetti on the tiny stove. (Photo by Jay Baron/Caters News)

An altar is pictured after it was decorated by the Antar family with some 3,000 traditional cheese and corn buns called “chipas”, in celebration of Kurusu Ara in Asuncion May 3, 2015. Kurusu Ara, the Day of the Cross, is a Catholic festival that is combined with local Gurani culture and falls annually on May 3. Paraguayans typically celebrate the festival with chipas, used to decorate religious shrines and altars. The chipas are later distributed to attendees. The buns at the top are arranged to read, “March 3 live”. (Photo by Jorge Adorno/Reuters)

Italian artist Marcello Barenghi draws incredibly realistic everyday objects that appear almost three dimensional with the help of colored pencils and occasional enhancements using markers or watercolor. Each work appears ever so slightly stylized which I think sets these apart from similar hyperrealistic drawings that are meant to ‘trick’ a viewer. If you want to see more, Barenghi runs a YouTube channel where he documents the process of almost every drawing.