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.
WITH HIS PAW covering his mouth, this cheeky cub looks amused by something .
WITH the phosphorescent blobs and mesmerising patterns, these spectacular images may look like the hall marks of an enchanted forest but it is in fact the scene of thousands of dancing FIREFLIES .
An aerial view of flooding in Gloucestershire .
BOXING DAY has come early for this pair of feisty squirrels, as their Christmas party quickly turns sour .
A cheeky gorilla sticks her tongue out and plays up for the camera at Bronx Zoo .
SNUGGLED up in the hay away from the elements, this adorable hoglet has sought solace with a familiar friend .
This starling and prairie dog will not back down an inch as they have a fearsome stand-off over who gets to eat a nut .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
This tranquil setting stretches for miles as the sun sets behind the mountain .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .