The Breitling DC-3, HB-IRJ, plane fly escorted by Italian Air Force's aerobatic demonstration team, the Frecce Tricolori, during the last stage of its world tour two days ahead of the International Sion Air Show, in Sion, Switzerland, 13 September 2017. From March to September 2017, the Breitling DC-3 from 1940 has done a grand world tour in several stages, over 28 countries and flies 50000km, an amazing accomplishment for this legendary plane that will be celebrating its 77th birthday. (Photo by Christian Merz/EPA/EFE)

An African giant pouched rat sniffs for traces of landmine explosives at APOPO's training facility in Morogoro on June 17, 2016. APOPO trains the rats to detect both tuberculosis and landmines at its facility. Every year landmines kill or maim thousands of people worldwide. The trained rats sniff for explosive and so are able to detect the presence of landmines far faster than conventional methods which involve metal detection. (Photo by Carl De Souza/AFP Photo)

Taiwanese-US artist Chin Chih Yang poses for a photograph with 30,000 aluminum cans after his performance called “Kill Me or Change” in Taipei, Taiwan, 23 April 2016. “Kill Me or Change!” is a performance piece that aims to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling and, encourage people to recycle to conserve resources. (Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA)

Villagers look on as Mount Sinabung volcano spews thick volcanic ash, as seen from Beganding village in Karo, North Sumatra province, on May 19, 2017. Sinabung roared back to life in 2010 for the first time in 400 years. After another period of inactivity, it erupted once more in 2013 and has remained highly active since. (Photo by Ivan Damanik/AFP Photo)

A light pillar is a visual phenomenon created by the reflection of light from ice crystals with near horizontal parallel planar surfaces. The light can come from the Sun (usually at or low to the horizon) in which case the phenomenon is called a sun pillar or solar pillar. It can also come from the Moon or from terrestrial sources such as streetlights.

View of colourful rock formations at the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park in Gansu Province, China. The Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is 40km from Zhangye city. The park spans more than 400 square kilometers in Gansu. The unusual terrain is the result of red sandstone and mineral deposits carved over the years by natural forces. (Photo by ImagineChina/The Grosby Group)

Contorsionist Rich Miteku performs during the opening of the 41st Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival in Monaco on January 19, 2017. (Photo by Valery Hache/AFP Photo)

Shortlisted: “Two big eyes” by Miao Yong (Zejiang province, China). Damselflies look over the leaves. “I was photographing insects in a park near my home when suddenly I found two damselflies in the grass. They kept flying and it was very difficult to focus until suddenly they parked behind a leaf”. (Photo by Miao Yong/2017 Royal Society of Biology Photographer of the Year)