Most people know Nikon as a purveyor of pro and consumer-grade digital cameras. But the company's expertise with optics bleeds over into related markets – it's one of the science community's major suppliers of microscopes. And each year the company asks the community to send it some of their favorite images of tiny objects. A panel of scientists and journalists have chosen the best of this past year's submissions, which Nikon has placed on its Small World site.

Photo: Honorable Mention. “Snow crystal, illuminated with colored lights (5x)”. (Photo by Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Department of Physics, Pasadena, California, USA)

The once majestic building lies in ruins, with crumbling walls and chilling debris, including body bags and embalming fluids scattered throughout. Formerly an opera house, the building was transformed into a funeral home in 1946. The chilling snaps were taken by photographer Johnny Joo at the deserted House of Wills Funeral Home in Cleveland. Here: The balcony in the abandoned opera hall. (Photo by Johnny Joo/Caters News)

Cat-Friend vs Dog-Friend, Two Humans Acting Like House Pets

Gunfire was brought to the steps of President Truman's Washington home, Blair House, as two assassins tried to kill the chief executive, November 1, 1950. One of the gunmen, Oscar Collazzo of New York, lay wounded at the bottom of Blair House's front steps after the president's police guard had finished their work, at the cost of one guards' life, Dec. 9, 1950. The second gunman was killed. (Photo by Harvey Georges/AP Photo)

Frander Arroyo, select wings of butterflies at Blue Morpho Butterfly House in Alajuela, Costa Rica, March 10, 2016. According to Arroyo, owner of Blue Morpho Butterfly House, he collects dead butterflies from his garden to mount as handicraft like earrings, necklaces, paintings and rings for export with prices ranging from $12 to $16 a piece. (Photo by Juan Carlos Ulate/Reuters)

A fairy tale and movie-themed gingerbread house creation, featuring a reindeer, made by pastry students of the San Ysidro Adult School Culinary Arts program is pictured during their 9th annual gingerbread house competition in San Ysidro, California December 9, 2014. The students' voting results will be delivered back to their class but the official judging will be performed by chefs and culinary experts during the 9th annual event. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

A three metre lego turbine is displayed at Customs House August 16, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. Engineers without Borders are constructing a 7,000 LEGO brick fully functioning three-metre tall wind turbine in Customs House Square as part of a three day technology extravaganza to highlight the organisation's work in developing countries. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

A gallery assistant holds a print of an Andy Warhol artwork estimated to fetch 1,500 GBP in Bonhams auction house on November 25, 2011 in London, England. The auction of prints of works ranging from old masters to contemporary artists takes place in London on November 29, 2011. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)