Some of the best entries so far in the 2016 Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. There are two weeks left to enter, and the winners will be announced in September. Here: Aurora over Laksvatn Fjord, Laksvatn, Norway. The aurora borealis dances in the skies over the town of Laksvatn, with the Milky Way to the left. The image is a single shot with no compositing, only post-processing to bring out the aurora, and some colour corrections. The photographer Matt Walford said: “I love the way the northern lights look like they are just wistfully dancing over the fjord, framed by the mountains on either side”. (Photo by Matt Walford/National Maritime Museum)

Will Rosner and a playful humpback whale pose for a selfie. This man is certainly knows how to enjoy life travelling the South Pacific and posing for selfies with a whale. Australian carpenter Will Rosner, 24, from Sydney, Australia, has been travelling the world for the past 18 months but nothing could have prepared him for this incredible postcard moment. Swimming in the pristine waters of the Tonga in the Pacific Ocean Will was lucky enough to have the chance to swim with an entire pod of humpback whales. (Photo by WIll Rosner/Caters News)

A passenger plane approaches to land as Nepalese people sit in a long-distance bus to travel back to their villages in order to celebrate the Dashain festival, at the Koteshwor bus station in Kathmandu, Nepal, 10 October 2024. Many Nepalese people travel to their home towns to celebrate Dashain Festival with their families. The festival is a major annual religious event in Nepal, celebrated as a national holiday. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA/EFE)

It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

The “Naked Cowboy” plays his guitar in Times Square on March 23, 2012 in New York City. A recent study found that the Times Square district contributes up to 10% of all jobs in the city and is responsible for approximately 11% of economic activity. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

The Apple l, the first Apple computer made by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, is seen on display at Sotheby's on June 8, 2012 in New York City. Sotheby's called the computer “an exceptionally rare, working example with original Apple cassette interface, operation manuals and a rare BASIC Users' Manual”. (Photo by Andrew Burton/AFP)

The pictures are not of an American helicopter, but of a Russian MI-24 "Hind" assault helicopter. It was used extensively by the Soviets in Afghanistan but this paint-job does not appear to be for combat. We suspect it is for purposes of promotion or public performance. There are some pictures of it on display at an air show at Szentkirályszabadja, Hungary. Whether there are others like it, we don't know, the the only pictures of this paint scheme are all on the same helicopter designated number 117.