Spectacular Winning Images of the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2025

Competition winner: “Mesmerizing spider threads” by Dr Martín J. Ramírez. Sample obtained by Dr Jonas Wolff

he 2025 Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition brought science to life through breathtaking images from around the world. Scientists submitted photos across categories like Astronomy, Behaviour, Earth Science, Ecology, and Microimaging, resulting in stunning visual storytelling.

The winning shots captured extraordinary details—from spider silk resembling silver threads to glaciers glowing like cathedrals and neurite networks branching like cosmic maps. Judges carefully selected entries that combined beauty with scientific insight, highlighting the hidden wonders of our universe. This competition stands out for merging art and science, reminding us that awe can be found in both galaxies and microscopic structures.

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Astronomy winner: Dancing on the Edge of Fire” by Imran Sultan

Behaviour winner: “Prairie Chicken Jump Off” by Peter Hudson

Earth Science and Climatology winner: “Scanning glaciers in the Antarctic winter” by Michael Meredith

Ecology and Environmental Science winner: “Amphibian galaxy” by Filippo Carugati

Astronomy runner-up: “Between Auroras and Dawn – A South Pole Sunrise After the Longest Night on Earth” by Dr Aman Chokshi

Behaviour runner-up: “The Snake That Flies” by Irina Petrova Adamatzky

Earth Sciences and Climatology runner-up: “Where Fog Becomes Drinking Water: Four Decades of Science, Community, and Fog-Harvesting in the Atacama Desert” by Felipe Ríos Silva

Ecology and Environmental Science runner-up: “Lessons from a Forgotten Dance – Inspiration from Ainu culture to reflect on our human-nature-relationship” by Kees Bastmeijer

Microimaging runner-up Neurite Nexus: “The Blueprint of Motion” by Swetha Gurumurthy