It might look like something on the side of an Alpine mountain, but you’re actually looking at an electron microscope image of diamond-coated of carbon nanotubes.
The image was captured by Paul May at the University of Bristol, who added colour to the usually grey image in Photoshop. In fact it shows what these nanotubes look like when they’re wet, when they gather together in pointed clumps, like small tents or fir tree. When they’re dry, they each stand up, straight and separate. The image was deemed impressive enough to win the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council annual science photography competition. [EPSRC via New Scientist]