These spectacular images of the universe are the finalists in the 2016 CWAS “David Malin” awards. The annual competition, which celebrates the best astronomy images taken by Australian photographers, is part of AstroFest 2016. The winners will be announced on 16 July. An associated exhibition opens the following day at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory visitors centre, and a second exhibition will also travel to selected venues around Australia. Here: Mars and its Rival Antares and the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. (Photo by Phil Hart/CWAS/The Guardian)

In this photo taken Sunday, October 5, 2014, a library official shows a 13th-century German prayer book containing the earliest evidence of the Yiddish language, at Israel's National Library in Jerusalem. This week, Israel's National Library gave The Associated Press a rare peek at a selection of rare historical manuscripts in its collection. (Photo by Sebastian Scheiner/AP Photo)

These beautiful photos capture the tender moments between two young boys who share a unique bond with animals. Elena Shumilova, from Andreapol, Russia, began taking pictures of her sons Yaroslav and Vanya in early 2012 when she received her first professional camera. The pair were immediately accepted by the animals from a young age and their incredible bond continues to strengthen as they get older. Elena, 32, was able to capture images her boys playing with such animals as rabbits, dogs, cats and ducks as they become totally immersed in their communication with their furry friends. (Photo by Elena Shumilova)

This October 25, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows lava flow advancing across the pasture between the Pahoa cemetery and Apa'a Street, engulfing a barbed wire fence, near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. Dozens of residents in this rural area of Hawaii were placed on alert as flowing lava continued to advance. Authorities on Sunday, October 26, 2014 said lava had advanced about 250 yards since Saturday morning and was moving at the rate of about 10 to 15 yards an hour, consistent with its advancement in recent days. The flow front passed through a predominantly Buddhist cemetery, covering grave sites in the mostly rural region of Puna, and was roughly a half-mile from Pahoa Village Road, the main street of Pahoa. (Photo by AP Photo/U.S. Geological Survey)

The Atlantic Puffin is definitely a curious-looking bird. The special coloring that this bird develops for the breeding season in the spring is very reminiscent of tropical birds. The bright colors of the beak and the markings around the eyes serve no particular advantage and have evolved as a result of sexual selection. However, Puffins don’t look that pretty all year round. They shed all these festive colors in partial moult after the breeding season is over. They lose the ornaments around their eyes, their face becomes darker, and their beak becomes very different. The natural habitat of these birds is the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Men sleep at a 24-hour McDonald's restaurant in Hong Kong, China November 10, 2015. A large number of homeless people sleeping on the street has long been been a problem in Hong Kong mainly due to its high rent and soaring property. In recent years, McDonald's 24-hour fast food shops opening all over the city have become popular alternatives for people, know as McRefugees or McSleepers, to spend the night in a safer and more comfortable way than on the street. (Photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Tim Klingender, Director of Aboriginal Art at Sotheby's hangs the painting “Emu Corroboree Man” by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri before a record auction of Aboriginal Art July 14, 2005 in Sydney, Australia. The painting is expected to fetch AUD 150,000 – 250,000 (USD 120,000 – 200,000). Sotheby's unveiled a selection of Aboriginal art and artifacts after a tour of New York and London, which will go to auction in Melbourne July 25 2005. The total pre-sales estimate of the collection is AUD 6 million – 8.5 million (USD 5 million – 7 million). (Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

Kit Cox wears a mustache umbrella in the Hendrick's Unusual Umbrella Emporium at the launch of London Cocktail Week on October 12, 2011 in London, England. The Unusual Umbrella Emporium is a pop-up bar in Seven Dials which will open for the duration of London Cocktail Week until October 15, 2011. The venue will showcase obscure umbrellas alongside a selection of cocktails and cocktail umbrellas designed by the top bartenders in the UK. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)