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)

The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue give it a superficial resemblance to gold, hence the well-known nickname of fool's gold. The color has also led to the nicknames brass, brazzle, and Brazil, primarily used to refer to pyrite found in coal.
In crystallography, the cubic (or isometric) crystal system is a crystal system where the unit cell is in the shape of a cube. This is one of the most common and simplest shapes found in crystals and minerals.

Kumbuka, a male silverback gorilla sits next to the keeper's chalk board in his enclosure at London Zoo, Thursday, January 2, 2014. Home to more than 850 different species, zoo keepers welcomed in the New Year armed with clipboards as they made a note of every single animal. The compulsory annual count is required as part of ZSL London Zoo's zoo license, and every creature, from the tiny leaf cutter ants to the huge silverback gorilla is duly noted and accounted for. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo)

“A Snail's Life”. Photographer Vyacheslav Mischenko captures gorgeous macro photographs of snails near his hometown of Berdichev, Ukraine. After being taught to hunt for mushrooms as a child, Vyacheslav has grown up with a keen eye for spotting critters on the forest floor. Here, a snail takes shelter while perching on a leaf. (Photo by Vyacheslav Mischenko/Caters News)

An autumn leaf sticks to a bench near the Bishops Castle near Wells Cathedral on November 1, 2011 in Wells, England. According to a number of nature watchers the autumn colours are currently reaching their peak following an unusually warm September and October which has led to trees holding onto their leaves longer than normal. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A man poses for a picture to show his rings of gold, silver and bronze on his fist in Zamfara, Nigeria April 21, 2016. (Photo by Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters)

Gold medallists of China perform Synchronised Swimming Free Combination routine at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center during the 17th Asian Games in Incheon September 23, 2014. (Photo by Tim Wimborne/Reuters)

Kieron Connolly’s new book of photographs of more than 100 once-busy and often elegant buildings gives an idea of how the world might look if humankind disappeared. Here: Bodie, Mono County, California. Gold was discovered at Bodie in 1859 (just after the initial California gold rush) and it went from mining camp to boomtown. Its decline began in 1880, when word spread of new boomtowns elsewhere. The Standard Consolidated Mine closed in 1913, and four years later the Bodie Railway was abandoned. By 1940 the population was down to 40. Today, Bodie is maintained in a state of arrested decay as a visitor attraction. (Photo by Alamy Stock Photo)