Spectacular stars over Stonehenge and more — August’s best science images
The month’s sharpest science shots, selected by Nature’s photo team.
![Perseid meteor shower over Stonehenge, at the Wiltshire prehistoric structure.](./assets/u50dbL4XWn/image_123650291-2780x4240.jpg)
Shooting stars. Stargazers in Salisbury, UK, were treated to a magical sight as the Perseid meteor shower, seen each year when Earth passes through debris left by the comet Swift–Tuttle, rained shooting stars over the prehistoric monoliths at Stonehenge. Astrophotographer Josh Dury spent 3.5 hours photographing the spectacle, and combined 43 images of the meteors, Stonehenge and the Milky Way to create this image. The otherworldly shot was NASA’s astronomy picture of the day on 12 August.
![Microstructure of the new bioactive material. Nanofibres are crisscrossing pink rods; hyaluronic acid is shown as purple spheres.](./assets/1drU9uJOV1/02_cartilage-2560x1440.jpg)
Fixing the unfixable. Cartilage, the strong connective tissue that protects bones and joints, is normally unable to repair itself when damaged, leading to a lengthy recovery process for many injuries. But a new biological material that contains the components needed for cartilage growth can encourage the tissue to regenerate, which could potentially speed up healing. Researchers injected the biomaterial — shown here under a microscope — into damaged cartilage inside sheep’s knee joints, which are a good proxy for human injuries. When treated, the damaged areas were gradually filled in as new cartilage formed. With further development, the material could one day be used to help repair injuries, reduce the need for joint-replacement surgeries and treat conditions such as osteoarthritis.
![Underwater view of a Cape gannet bird diving straight into the middle of a circular school of sardines](./assets/Qn2PdkrTl4/03_bigpicture-2560x1440.jpg)
Credit: Wayne Lai/Big Picture Competition
Credit: Wayne Lai/Big Picture Competition
Dinner time. Underwater photographer Wayne Lai captured the moment a Cape gannet (Morus capensis) dived straight into a circular shoal of sardines off the coast of South Africa, using a strobe light to illuminate the murky waters. The fish had been driven to the surface by dolphins circling underneath, providing a perfect snacking opportunity for the seabird. The shot won the People’s Choice Award in the 2024 Big Picture: Natural World Photography competition.
![Soft digestive tissues inside a colorful coral polyp.](./assets/hiOxHbqB7I/04_coral-2560x1440.jpg)
Microscopic coral. These bizarre, tooth-like structures are actually digestive tissues inside a tiny polyp of brain coral, captured by biologist Patrick Keeling in his laboratory at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, using a specialized lens. Coral reefs are made up of thousands of polyps, but a parasite is threatening their health by reducing their ability to survive bleaching — the loss of helpful algae from the corals’ tissues because of stressful conditions. Alongside other researchers, Keeling is studying the parasite to better understand how to protect reefs.
This video has no sound. Credit: University of Michigan/Yun Zhang and Johns Hopkins APL/Olivier Barnouin
This video has no sound. Credit: University of Michigan/Yun Zhang and Johns Hopkins APL/Olivier Barnouin
Asteroid origins. This video demonstrates the formation of Dimorphos, a natural satellite (or moonlet) that orbits the near-Earth asteroid Didymos. Astronomers used data from NASA’s 2022 DART mission — which sent a spacecraft to collide with Dimorphos and alter its orbit — to simulate how the system developed. They think that heat from the Sun caused Didymos to spin faster and faster until large chunks of it gradually broke off, which eventually clumped together to form Dimorphos. Although neither the asteroid nor its moonlet is a threat to our planet, learning about their physical properties could help astronauts to divert other, more-hazardous asteroids away from Earth.
![A general view of the Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill surrounded by an orange smoke cloud from a wildfire](./assets/IPqYzSyhUv/01_greece-2560x1440.jpg)
Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty
Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty
![Two relieved women embrace after being rescued during a wildfire.](./assets/3xTyOPXMO3/02_greece-2560x1440.jpg)
Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty
Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty
![Firefighters wearing protective gear and gas masks use a hose to extinguish a wildfire.](./assets/oPwrVN3QD2/03_greece-2560x1440.jpg)
Credit: Nick Paleologos/Bloomberg/Getty
Credit: Nick Paleologos/Bloomberg/Getty
![A volunteer wearing camoflage clothing and a gas mask rescues a black dog from a wildfire.](./assets/rvir5ze5Mf/04_greece-2560x1440.jpg)
Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty
Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty
![A firefighter wearing goggles and a gas mask attempts to control a wildfire, which is causing the air to glow orange.](./assets/q9fwatRXCQ/05_greece-2560x1440.jpg)
Credit: Nick Paleologos/Bloomberg/Getty
Credit: Nick Paleologos/Bloomberg/Getty
Greek tragedy. In mid-August, ferocious wildfires reached the outskirts of Athens after spreading from the nearby town of Varnavas, where the blaze is thought to have been triggered by a faulty electrical pole. Homes, hospitals and monasteries across the region were forced to evacuate, as the flames engulfed buildings and damaged 10,000 hectares of land. Although wildfires in Greece are a yearly occurrence, scientists say they are becoming more intense and frequent because of climate change. The country experienced its hottest June and July on record this year, with unparalleled heat drying out the land and creating the perfect conditions for fire to spread.
Seen from space. Taken by astronaut Matthew Dominick onboard the International Space Station, this photo offers an unconventional view of the Northern Lights. The colourful glows are caused by the ionization of gases, such as oxygen and nitrogen, in Earth’s atmosphere, often in the aftermath of solar storms. The Sun is currently moving through the peak of its 11-year cycle of activity, and scientists expect auroras to happen more frequently over the next two years. In May, the Northern Lights were visible on Earth at much lower latitudes than usual owing to a particularly intense solar storm.
![Part of the International Space Station seen in front of a display of Northern Lights over Earth.](./assets/ftwfhnBKq5/05_iss-2560x1440.jpg)