Microscopic photos show the hidden beauty of an invisible world

We know that wildlife photos of large mammals and wide open vistas can be breathtaking, but you know what doesn't get enough of a look in?

Close-up shots. As in microscopic, invisible-to-the-naked-eye kind of shots.

Enter the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, which celebrates images taken using microscopes and has today announced the winning photos for its 2020 contest. It comes weeks after announcing the winners of the video competition, which are equally stunning.

From orange microtubules inside a cell to the colourful tongue of a freshwater snail, and in no particular order, here are the top 20...

Hebe plant anther with pollen. Credit: Dr. Robert Markus & Zsuzsa Markus

Leaf roller weevil (Byctiscus betulae) lateral view. Credit: Özgür Kerem Bulur

Microtubules (orange) inside a cell. Nucleus is shown in cyan. Credit: Jason Kirk

Connections between hippocampal neurons (brain cells). Credit: Jason Kirk & Quynh Nguyen

Crystals formed after heating an ethanol and water solution containing L-glutamine and beta-alanine. Credit: Justin Zoll

Atlas moth wing. Credit: Chris Perani

Daphnia magna (Phyllopoda). Credit: Ahmad Fauzan

Bogong moth. Credit: Ahmad Fauzan

Multi-nucleate spores and hyphae of a soil fungus (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus). Credit: Dr. Vasileios Kokkoris, Dr. Franck Stefani & Dr. Nicolas Corradi

Tongue (radula) of a freshwater snail. Credit: Dr. Igor Siwanowicz

Nylon stockings. Credit: Alexander Klepnev

Human hair. Credit: Robert Vierthaler

Chameleon embryo (autofluorescence). Credit: Dr. Allan Carrillo-Baltodano & David Salamanca

Dorsal view of bones and scales (blue) and lymphatic vessels (orange) in a juvenile zebrafish. Credit: Daniel Castranova, Dr. Brant Weinstein & Bakary Samasa

Red algae. Credit: Dr. Tagide deCarvalho

Ventral view of an immature water boatman. Credit: Anne Algar

Silica cell wall of the marine diatom Arachnoidiscus sp. Credit: Dr. Jan Michels

Embryonic development of a clownfish (Amphiprion percula) on days 1, 3 (morning and evening), 5, and 9 Credit: Daniel Knop

Chain of daughter individuals from the asexually reproducing annelid species Chaetogaster diaphanus. Credit: Dr. Eduardo Zattara & Dr. Alexa Bely

Skeleton preparation of a short-tailed fruit bat embryo (Carollia perspicillata). Credit: Dr. Dorit Hockman & Dr. Vanessa Chong-Morrison