FLO4584532: Variete de sida ou abutilon a vine leaf and blue flowers, Sida vitifolia or Abutilon vitifoliium - Botanical illustration by Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892), lithography published in Curtis's Botanical Magazine for Sir William Jackson Hooker, edition Reeve Brothers, London 1846 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4584544: Primitive black hole - Artist view - Primitive Black hole - Artist view - Artist view of a primitive galactic black hole. The presence of 13 billion-year-old black holes was observed by the Spitzer space telescope. These distant black holes appear in the early stages of their formation; their accretion disc contains no dust. This artist's conception illustrates one of the most primitive supermassive black holes known (central black dot) at the core of a young, star-rich galaxy. Astronomers using Nasa's Spitzer Space Telescope have uncovered two of these early objects, dating back to about 13 billion years ago. The monstrous black holes are among the most distant known, and appear to be in the very earliest stages of formation, earlier than any observed so far. Unlike all other supermassive black holes probed to date, this primitive duo, called J0005-0006 and J0303-0019, lacks dust. As the drawing shows, gas swirls around a black hole in what is called an accretion disk. Usually, the accretion disk is surrounded by a dark doughnut-like dusty structure called a dust torus. But for the primitive black holes, the dust tori are missing and only gas disks are observed. This is because the early universe was clean as a whistle. Enough time had not passed for molecules to clump together into dust particles. Some black holes forming in this era thus started out lacking dust. As they grew, gobbling up more and more mass, they are thought to have accumulated dusty rings. This illustration also shows how supermassive black holes can distort space and light around them (see warped stars behind black hole). Stars from the galaxy can be seen sprinkled throughout, and distant mergers between other galaxies are illustrated in the background / Bridgeman Images
PIX4581495: Zodiacal light and Venus - Zodiacal light with Venus - The visible glow in the sky is called the zodiacal light. It comes from the reflection of the light of the Sun on the countless interplanetary dust; it draws the plan of the Solar System. 9 March 2007 at sunset, Treguennec (Finistere - France) The faint cone of light extending from the horizon along the ecliptic is known as zodiacal light. It comes from the reflexion of the sun's light off tiny interplanetary dust particles in the plane of the solar system. March 9 2007, sunset, Treguennec (Finistere - France) / Bridgeman Images
PIX4581524: Zodiacal lights in the morning and evening - Zodiacal lights - morning and evening - The visible glow in the sky is called the zodiacal light. It comes from the reflection of the light of the Sun on the countless interplanetary dust; it draws the plane of the Solar System. At the top, on the morning of 1 November 2006, the light is tilted to the right (south); below, on 9 March 2007 at sunset, this light is tilted to the left (south). The faint cone of light extending from the horizon along the ecliptic is known as zodiacal light. It comes from the reflexion of the sun's light off tiny interplanetary dust particles in the plane of the solar system. Top, November 1st 2006 in the morning, zodiacal light is leaning right (south); bottom, March 9 2007, sunset, zodiacal light towards left (south) / Bridgeman Images
PIX4581560: The zodiacal light - The zodiacal light - The zodiacal light during astronomical dusk rises above the western horizon at the time of the spring equinox. It extends to the Pleiades. It comes from the reflection of the Sun's light on the countless interplanetary dust and draws the plane of the Solar System. Gers - France, 18/03/2009. The faint cone of light extending from the horizon along the ecliptic is known as zodiacal light. It comes from the reflexion of the sun's light off tiny interplanetary dust particles in the plane of the solar system. One can see it here from the bottom right of the image to beyond the Pleiades cluster near the center of the image. Gers, France. March 18, 2009 / Bridgeman Images
FLO4581604: Sida mollis has soft leaves and pale orange flowers. Description of the pistils and stamens. Originally from Peru. Illustration by Wiliam Jackson Hooker (1785-1865), British botanist and writer, professor at the University of Glasgow (Scotland) and editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine from 1827 to 1865. Grave by Swan, strong water published in William Curtis's The Botanical Magazine, 1827. / Bridgeman Images
PIX4581637: Moon and star sky - Moon and starry sky - The Moon and Venus disappear behind the clouds; above, the sky is degage, the stars Capella, Castor and Pollux are visible; in the foreground the beacon of Ploumanach (Cotes d'Armor). 20 May 2007 Behind the clouds, Moon - Venus conjunction. Above, starry sky with Gemini and Auriga. May 20 2007, Ploumanach (Cotes d'Armor, Brittany - France) / Bridgeman Images
FLO4581678: Strawberry spinard in baguette - Leafy goosefoot, Chenopodium foliosum (Strawberry blite, Blitum virgatum). Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Sansom after an illustration by Sydenham Edwards from William Curtis' Botanical Magazine, London, 1794., Edwards, Sydenham Teast (c.1768-1819) / Bridgeman Images
PIX4581743: Star sky and wind turbine - Starry sky and wind turbine - A wind turbine is lit by a district of Moon. At the end of the way, the constellation of the Lion that heberge Saturn. June 10, 2008. A Quarter Moon is illuminating the hazy landscape. Brittany, France. June 10 2008 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4581859: Star sky above the castle of Cabaret (Lastours - 11) - Starry sky above the castle of Cabaret - Star sky above the castle of Cabaret, one of the four Cathar castles of Lastours. The galaxy of Andromede is visible, just above the right of the castle. Starry sky above the castle of Cabaret, one of the four Cathar castles of Chateaux de Lastours. The galaxy of Andromeda is visible above the castle at right / Bridgeman Images
PIX4580735: Circumpolar and Niasar Temple - Circumpolar above Fire temple - Photographic pose showing the apparent rotation of stars around the polar star. Niasar Zoroastrist Temple. Iran. Northern stars trailing over this pre - Islamic fire temple in the village of Niasar, central Iran / Bridgeman Images