Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

2017 in pictures: The best science images of the year

A spectacular total eclipse, hitch-hiking octopus, nanoscale fireworks and more.
By
  1. Nisha Gaind
Image of the Moon transiting across the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light

Credit: NASA/SDO

The spectacular total solar eclipse that swept the United States dominated headlines as it delighted scientists and the public alike in August 2017 (the above image of the Moon transiting across the Sun was taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum). The year also brought innovations in spaceflight and surprising insights into species past. Here are the striking shots from science and the natural world that caught the eyes of Nature’s editors.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 552, 308-313 (2017)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-017-08492-y

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 20 December 2017: The original image of the eclipse in this story was an artistic representation that did not accurately depict the event. It has been replaced with a new image.

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links