From a magical solar eclipse, to courting terns, Stunning Royal Society photos showcase some of the most beautiful images of Earth and Space taken in 2018. Read on to find out more and enjoy it!

This compound image shows the solar eclipse of 3 November 2013 just before, during, and just after the total phase. At the start and end of the total phase light can shine through lunar valleys, creating the diamond ring effect.

This picture, called Three diamonds in the sky, was taken by Mr Petr Horálek. It was the Overall winner and Astronomy Category Winner of the competition.

This photo, called Courting Royals, shows two royal terns in courtship on a beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Just out of shot are another 20 or so terns sitting idly by and watching the loved-up pair in action. The photo was taken by Kristian Bell and was winner of the Behaviour Category.

This photo won the Earth Science Category. This photograph shows the volcanic landscape of Cappadocia in Turkey. It was created by a volcanic eruption (fire), is made of volcanic ash (earth), and has been sculpted by wind (air) and water.

The image, called Turkey: Born of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water, was taken from a balloon by Professor Katharine Cashman.

This picture was taken by researchers studying the exploitation of a host’s own immune system by helminth parasites. This picture shows a rodent parasite that lives in the intestinal space of its host. The image, called Going round and round, was taken by Dr Leandro Lemgruber and was the Micro-imaging Category Winner.

This image, called Baby on Board, was taken by Anton Sorokin and was runner up in the Behaviour Category. Parental care is a behaviour typically associated with birds and mammals, it is comparatively rare in other taxa such as amphibians. However, some amphibians are very devoted parents, the poison frogs are a great example.

Waxwing and Rowan berries in the snow: Bohemian waxwings lust after Rowan berries in winter. They fly around in big flocks looking for the most delicious berries but they are picky eaters and do not just go for any berry. They skip certain trees and postpone eating the berries in others for later. This image was winter of the Ecology and Environmental Science category. It was taken by Alwin Hardenbol.

This is an image of the Orion Nebula processed with a 6-filter colour mapping process. This process combines data from six different filters (Red, Green, Blue, Ha, SII, and OIII). The resulting image contains detail and colour not usually seen with the normal RGB processing. The photo, called The Orion Nebula, was taken by Bernard Miller and was Astronomy Category Runner up.

This picture called Colossus was taken by Alejandro Roman Gonzalez. It was runner up in the Earth Science category. It shows the shadow of mount Teide in Tenerife at sunset as it towers over Slooh Teide observatory. The sea of clouds shrouded the landscape at lower altitude, hiding neighbouring islands and the bustling activity of the coast of Tenerife.

The colours in the sky are due to the reflection of the different wavelength of the white light as the sun sinks below the horizon.

This image of Oryx in Namibia was runner up for the Ecology and Environmental Science Category. The photo, called Mars, was taken by Dr Roberto García Roa. ‘When I observed these Oryx resting in an arid place of Namibia, my mind immediately saw a group of antelopes on the surface of Mars.

The landscape was arid and red and it evoked a distant planet where we were invaders’, said Mr García Roa.

Wings experience substantial accidental collisions during the life span of a flying insects. Such collisions often result in irreversible wing damage and, therefore, could significantly influence insect flight ability. This image called Broken Window was taken by Dr Hamed Rajabi. It was runner up in the Micro-imaging category.

Invertebrate larvae face many challenges before settling on hard ground. They must rely on their energy reserves to sustain the dramatic process of metamorphosis. This photograph shows conspicuous lipid droplets (energy storage) within a late larval stage of an Arctic balanid barnacle. It was taken by Inês Leal and got an honourable mention in the Micro-imaging Category.

The photo depicts a leaf holding drops of morning dew on its surface. If observed closely, the leaf’s tiny hair-like structures can be seen, in a manner which provides protection to the holding water from insects and other bugs. It was taken by Dr Vikash Singh and got an honourable mention in the Ecology and Environmental Science Category.

Every day tourists travel from El Calafate to the Magallanes peninsula to be astonished with the incredible glacier front that dams the Lago Argentino, isolating the sediment-rich Brazo Rico. However, every few years an incredible dam-break event makes worldwide news.

This photo by Mr Enaut Izagirre called Facing the fate received an honourable mention in the Earth Science Category.

Part of the island of Arran (Scotland) is made of mechanically strong granite, so forms these rugged peaks. The mountains in turn affect the local weather and climate, an instant of which is seen here by the flow of clouds early on a spring morning.

This image was taken by Dr Alex Copley and won an honourable mention in the Earth Science Category.

This image was shot in Jasper National Park. The landscape here is dominated by mountains and forests, and in the early season, a lot of snow. It is undeniably beautiful and awe-inspiring.

This image was taken by Dr David Rippin and won an honourable mention in the Earth Science Category