North Korea has closed its borders in fear of the spread of the Ebola virus. But at a time when the secretive state was still welcoming tourists, former aid worker Andrew Macleod made the journey to the repressive nation. Andrew's holiday snaps and camera footage provide a unique insight into the reclusive country, where he came across deserted motorways, metro stations plastered with propaganda and attractive border guards. Here: a female traffic police officer in the snow in February 2013, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Photo by Andrew Macleod/Barcroft Media)

A giant panda cub is pictured in an incubator at the Ya'an Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Ya'an city, southwest China's Sichuan province, 21 August 2015. Ten tiny panda cubs made their first public appearance at China's Ya'an Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in southwestern Sichuan province on Friday (21 August 2015). All of the ten giant pandas were born in 2015. The oldest of them is just two month old, while the youngest one was born a week ago. This marks the first time they were put together as a group since they were born. (Photo by Imaginechina/Splash News)

An abandoned motorboat is seen on the bank of a bay near Krabozavodskoye settlement on the Island of Shikotan, one of four islands known as the Southern Kuriles in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, December 19, 2016. (Photo by Yuri Maltsev/Reuters)

Anti-government protesters react on the grounds of the Mezhyhirya residence of Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich in the village Novi Petrivtsi, outside Kiev February 22, 2014. (Photo by Konstantin Chernichkin/Reuters)

Police officers introduce a litter of golden retriever puppies to be trained as police dogs during a ceremony at the National Police Academy in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, August 16, 2021, the date of the feast day for Saint Roch, considered the patron saint of dogs, among other things. (Photo by Juan Karita/AP Photo)

A female soccer player controls a ball during a training session at the Golab Trust Sport Complex in Kabul March 10, 2014. Despite decades of conflict in Afghanistan, and several recent militant attacks, the country's capital Kabul is home to a vibrant youth scene of musicians, artists, athletes and activists. Shopping malls and cafes stand in the city, which is nonetheless beset by infrastructure problems and instability. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters)

“Elat’ma, the Ryazan Oblast region of Russia. This small town is only 300 kilometers (186 miles) from modern Moscow but remains 60 years in the past, dominated by the spirit of socialism. The air of the communist ‘50s can be seen in the town’s architecture, celebrations and other occurrences. But neither its beauty nor its ties to a socialist past brought photographer Anastasia Rudenko to this village. Elat’ma is unique in that it functions as a town for mentally disabled people”. – Michelle Cohan via CNN. (Photo by Anastasia Rudenko)

The Royal Observatory just announced its Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2013 winners. Australian photographer Mark Gee was chosen among a thousand amateur and professional photographers around the globe to win the top title. His work is part of an exhibition of the winning photographers, which opened on Sept. 19 at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The Royal Observatory shared with us the winners and notable mentions of the competition. Their descriptions of the prizewinners can be found below the images.