Images Dated 13th January 2006

Orion nebula (M42 and M43)

Orion nebula. Hubble Space Telescope mosaic of the Orion nebula (M42; NGC 1976), which is 1500 light years away in the constellation Orion. This is one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced (as of 2006). It shows thousands of stars never seen before in visible light. Nebulae are huge clouds of interstellar gas and dust. This is an emission nebula, a region of starbirth. It glows red due to the ionisation of the hydrogen gas it contains by radiation from four hot young stars, the trapezium stars, at its core. M42's smaller neighbour M43 (NGC 1982) is seen at top left

© NASA/ESA/STSCI/M.ROBBERTO,HST ORION TREASURY TEAM/ SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Close-up view of the Japanese Ground Self Defense soldiers uniform

Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado Island, California - A company of 125 Japanese Ground Self Defense soldiers conducted Exercise Iron Fist alongside 30 Marines and sailors with Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force January 9-27, 2006. The joint venture focused on amphibious warfare and was designed to improve the Japanese soldiers ability to move from ship to shore

© Stocktrek Images

Carbon nanotube, computer model

Carbon nanotube, molecular model. This is a macromolecule made entirely of carbon atoms. Most carbon nanotubes are linear and composed of hexagons of carbon. The presence of pentagonal "defects" in this structure has given the tube a spiral shape. Carbon nanotubes are a type of fullerene, large structures of carbon atoms which includes the spherical "buckyball", C60. These new materials have remarkable properties. Nanotubes act as semiconductors, which raises the possibility of using them in electronics. They are also extremely strong, and fibres made from nanotubes could find uses in materials and engineering

© DR TIM EVANS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY