THE BEST SCIENCE IMAGES OF 2025

Over the course of 2025, there was no shortage of mind-blowing images that helped us visualise scientific progress. From awe-inspiring cosmic explosions to a ray of hope for a struggling species, we've curated the most awe-inspiring images of the last 12 months. Here's our selection of the best, and what they taught us...

- HAYLEY BENNETT

BLOOD MOON

TOKYO, JAPAN

From Cape Town to Canberra, stargazers were treated to a stunning sight on 7-8 September, as Earth's shadow fell across the Moon. Here, the 'blood moon' - the result of a total lunar eclipse - is peering out from behind Tokyo's 634m (2,080ft) Skytree broadcasting tower.

Throughout history, blood moons have been regarded as bad omens. Only a couple of centuries ago, the Chinese Navy would have fired artillery upon seeing one, trying to scare off the dragons they believed were trying to swallow the Moon. Similarly, the Incas and Mayans feared that a jaguar was trying to devour the Moon.

Today, we know that a lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and Moon. This blocks the Sun's light from reaching the lunar surface directly. In a total lunar eclipse, such as this one that took place in September, the only light touching the Moon is light that's filtered through Earth's atmosphere. The Moon appears to be red because red light has a longer wavelength that can escape more easily through our atmosphere.

This autumn's eclipse was one of 85 total lunar eclipses that will occur this century. If you haven't seen one yet, you've already missed 23.

MIND MAP

CHINA AND NEW ZEALAND

In July, a research team from China and New Zealand released stunning 3D images of a mouse's nervous system, demonstrating the power of their new, high-speed scanning technique.

To achieve this micrometre-scale resolution, the team made 200 cross-sections that were around 400 micrometres thick (about the thickness of four sheets of paper) and stitched them together. Previously, scans of this detail took months to complete - this new method took just 40 hours to image the mouse's entire body.