POWERFUL bolts of lightning illuminate the night sky in an incredible autumn storm over the Sardinian coastline.Exploding from the looming clouds, the flashes of lightning create an impressive display for the residents of Sassari, a city on the island of Sardinia, which sits to the west of Italy.Watching as bolts of lightning hit the Mediterranean Sea, photographer and student Daniele Macis stood on his rooftop and captured the phenomenon that took place earlier this month.
THIS RING of fire in the sky is the annular solar eclipse that wowed our cousins down-under .
A SERENE turquoise glow glimmers from underneath these powerful icebergs .
A proud gorilla mum welcomes her newborn baby western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species .
BRAIDED, sculpted and beaded, these are the eye-catching hairstyles worn by the tribal women of Angola .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .
IN a galaxy not so far away lies a magical display of lights that could be the latest image from NASA .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .