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)

(L-R) American actor Chase Stokes, American singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini and American comedian Tiffany Haddish seen backstage during the 2023 Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV)

American media personality, socialite and model Kylie Kristen Jenner and American model Kendall Nicole Jenner are launching a new joint makeup line in the last decade of March 2022. (Photo by Kyliejenner/Instagram)

American model Kylie Jenner poses with her newlywed sister, American media personality Kourtney Kardashian, model Kendall Jenner and Kylie's daughter Stormi in the last decade of May 2022. (Photo by kyliejenner/Instagram)

American media star Kourtney Kardashian kisses American musician Travis Barker to promote her new Lemme vitamins in the second decade of October 2022. (Photo by kourtneykardash/Instagram)

American socialite Kylie and American model Kendall Jenner in the last decade of October 2023 joined forces as Sugar and Spice from Batman Forever. (Photo by Greg Swales)

American singer Miley Cyrus, left, and American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish attend the Gucci “Love Parade” fashion show Tuesday, November 2, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Photo)

“You” star, American actress Victoria Pedretti locks lips with American actor Fred Hechinger in New York City on February 26, 2024. (Photo by The Image Direct)