Pangolins in Crisis: Brent Stirton, South Africa; 1st place, Natural world and wildlife. “Pangolins are the world’s most illegally trafficked mammals, with an estimated one million trafficked to Asia in the last 10 years. Their scales are used in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese medicine, and their meat is sold as a high-priced delicacy. As a result, pangolins are listed as critically endangered and anyone who trades or consumes them is breaking the law. This body of work exposes the trade, while exploring aspects of illegality and celebrating the people who are trying to save these animals”. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Sony World Photography Awards 2020)

The International Space Station (ISS) moving in front of the sun in November 2020 by astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy. These incredible photos capture the clearest images ever taken of the International Space Station (ISS) moving in front of both the moon and the sun. The photos, taken within days of one another, were captured in the space of less than a second, as the space station could be clearly seen zooming across against the bright backdrops of both moon and sun. Photographer Andrew McCarthy, from California, USA, said the photo of the ISS in front of the sun, in broad daylight, was “one of my trickiest shots ever”. (Photo by Andrew McCarthy/South West News Service)

Mount Etna erupts near Sicily, Italy on March 15, 2021. This is the thirteenth time in twenty-eight days. During the early evening of 14 March and the night between 14 and 15 March a strombolian activity at the Southeast Crater gradually increased, leading to a paroxysmal event which had its peak around 01:00 am, ash blown by the wind touched the south-southeast slope of the volcano reaching also Catania, the event ceased completely around 3:45, photo taken from Milo near Catania on March 15, 2021. (Photo by Salvatore Allegra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A protester spits fire during a protest to mark the second anniversary of months of civil unrising against social inequality, in Santiago, on October 18, 2021. The social-justice protests that rocked Chile in October 2019 led ultimately to the decision to create a new constitutional convention to draft a constitution to replace the one written during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). The new 155-member the new body is in charge of writing a new constitution meant to pry power from the hands of the elite and spread it more equitably in the South American nation. (Photo by Martin Bernetti/AFP Photo)

“Kids of Sapa”. Four little beautiful Hmong girls from Lao Chai Village, near Sapa, Vietnam. (Photo and caption by Felipe Hanower/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

A flight crew from China Airlines, wearing protective masks, stand in the international terminal after arriving on a flight from Taipei at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on February 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the global coronavirus risk level to “very high”. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Employee Jenny Forgie works on an orchid display at Kew Gardens in London, Thursday, February 8, 2018. The 23rd annual Orchid Festival is the first one with a Thailand theme, 66 volunteers worked on the 6,950 exhibited orchids. The festival is open from Feb. 10, 2018 until March 11, 2018. (Photo by Frank Augstein/AP Photo)

A model in Mongolia costumes prepares backstage in Xiangshawan Desert, also called Sounding Sand Desert on July 18, 2013 in Ordos of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Xiangshawan is China's famous tourist resort in the desert. It is located along the middle section of Kubuqi Desert on the south tip of Dalate League under Ordos City. Sliding down from the 110-metre-high, 45-degree sand hill, running a course of 200 metres, the sands produce the sound of automobile engines, a natural phenomenon that nobody can explain. (Photo by Feng Li)