An Italian photographer travelled to Chile where he visited several star-gazing sites, home to some of the world's most advanced telescopes, located in the spectacular setting of the Atacama desert. Surrounded by vast desert and distant snow topped mountains, the enormous satellite dishes, dome-shaped buildings and telescopes are run by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) , an intergovernmental body dedicated to observing space. Photographer Alberto Ghizzi Panizza was granted access to several observatory sites.
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
Balanced on one leg, a frog assumes the crane kick martial arts stance made famous in the movie The Karate Kid .
Peering curiously into a basket hanging off the arms of a snowman, this little squirrel appears fascinated by the snowy figure .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
The aurora lights captured in Blair Nebraska, America - WITH electrifying purple and illuminous green brightening up the night sky, this is the rare moment a flash of 'sprite' lightening was captured on camera .
An adorable black bear cub struggles to find the perfect spot for an afternoon nap as he wriggles around on the branch of a maple tree .
Say cheese! This cheeky chappy isn’t in the mood to live up to his scary reputation as he is pictured here cracking a killer smile as he goes about his daily business .
LEAF-ing much to the imagination, this camera trickery is blooming marvellous .
Is your cat bored? Do his usual playthings simply not do it for him anymore? Not to worry - there's an app for that .
This frozen lighthouse in Michigan could easily be mistaken for a still from the snow swept disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .