(Xinhua Photo)

Skin deep

This disco-map of the human body catalogues the chemicals and microbes found on the largest of all organs: the skin. Swabs from 400 sites on two healthy people were taken after the willing volunteers did not bathe for three days in the name of science.

(Xinhua Photo)

Body of evidence

Day-to-day life for African vultures is captured by this "carcass cam" shot. Although the scene is a bit gruesome, the birds’ feeding habits play a key part in keeping the ecosystem healthy.

(Xinhua Photo)

California fire

The U.S. "golden state" has been hit hard by four years of severe drought. As locals and wildlife struggle to adapt to the dry spell, the frequency of fires, such as this one near Clearlake in August, has increased.

(Xinhua Photo)

Martian flows

Planetary scientists have been finding water on Mars in different forms for some time now. But the dark streaks visible here are particularly exciting as they form part of the strongest evidence so far of liquid brine at the surface. The image was created by fitting images from NASA’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment over a model of the terrain of the Garni Crater.