A woman dances during a rehearsal by the group “Tambores de Olokun” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, April 17, 2022. The Brazilian municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo postponed the traditional parades of the carnival samba schools to April 22 - 23, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Bruna Prado/AP Photo)

People walk on the street before the opening ceremony of the Witches and Wizards Convention, in the Paranapiacaba village, in Santo Andre, Brazil on May 16, 2025. (Photo by Jean Carniel/Reuters)

The Spider-Man balloon is inflated on the eve of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 on Manhattan's upper west side in New York City, U.S., November 26, 2025. (Photo by Kylie Cooper/Reuters)

“The Carnival Triumph finally made port on Thursday night, after what should have been an idyllic four-day cruise turned into a grueling week-long ordeal for more than 3,000 passengers and 1,000 crew. Some kissed the ground as they disembarked the ship, while others swore never to go on another cruise again. Many spoke of the well-documented unsanitary conditions on board the 272-metre Triumph, which lost power in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday”. – Tom Dart and Adam Gabbatt via Guardian

Photo: Kendall Jenkins of Houston kisses the ground after stepping off the Carnival ship Triumph (Photo by AP Photo)

A girl rides a broomstick in front of a green screen at the new Harry Potter Studio Tour at Warner Brothers Leavesden Studios on March 23, 2012 in London, England. The studio, which includes the actual sets and special effects departments where the films were created and shot, goes on public display on March 31, 2012. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these striking images of 2017 are no exception. The photo highlights include incredible snapshots of the natural world as well as some awesome animal and human encounters. The vibrant gallery also shows thrill-seekers pushing themselves to the limit with breathtaking stunts captured in perfect clarity. The pictures have been taken by a host of photographers from around the world. Here: The two lion cubs singing their hearts out at Antelope park in Zimbabwe. (Photo by David Jenkins/Caters News Agency)

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.

Courtney Stodden is seen on June 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)