Top 10 science images of 2017

Muscle builders

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Credit: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

This microscopic image of fibroblast cells shows the induction of cell fusion by a newly described gene and its protein, called myomerger. Multi-nucleus cells expressing genes needed to form skeletal muscle can be seen in flower-like clumps forming as cells fuse together. Read more.

The sun gets loopy

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Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO

Solar active region AR12665 putting on a show. Read more.

Heart of a zebrafish

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Credit: Jingli Cao, Duke University

Waves of regrowing cells in a zebrafish heart. Read more.

The face of an ancient relative

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Credit: John Hawks

A newly found Homo naledi skull. Read more.

A new vision of the human brain

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Credit: Greg Dunn, Brian Edwards, Will Drinker

‘Self Reflected Under White, Red, and Violet Light’ is billed as ‘the world’s most elaborate artistic depiction of the human brain’. Read more.

Galactic magnetism

Credit: ROBERT J. J. GRAND, FACUNDO A. GOMEZ, FEDERICO MARINACCI, RUEDIGER PAKMOR, VOLKER SPRINGEL, DAVID J. R. CAMPBELL, CARLOS S. FRENK, ADRIAN JENKINS AND SIMON D. M. WHITE.

Magnetic field strength in a simulation of a Milky Way-like galaxy. Streamlines indicate the direction of the magnetic field lines. Read more.

Glassfrog has nothing to hide

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Credit: JAIME CULEBRAS AND ROSS MAYNARD

The newly discovered glassfrog species (Hyalinobatrachium yaku) in life. Read more.

Follow the pollen

170907 bee full scaled
Credit: Petra Wester

A honeybee showing safe sites with fluorescent sunflower pollen. Read more.

A tiny brainlet

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Credit: Robert Krenick and Jessy van Asperen

An ‘asteroid’ three-dimensional neural circuit generated from human stem cells. Neurons are shown in blue, astrocytes in red and green. Read more.

Stormy skies on Jupiter

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Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SWRI/MSSS/GABRIEL FISET

Swirling clouds near Jupiter’s south pole. Read more.

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