MILSET Science Photo Contest 2024 | Winners
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Star Tracks - A Gift From Tens Of Thousands Of Years Ago
by YUXUAN GONG
WINNNER
Description: This photo was taken in November 2023 in the empty JiXi wetland. The tracks of the stars were recorded from 22: 00 to 04: 00. As we all know, the sun and moon rise in the east and set in the west, and the stars also rise in the east. On a clear night, when I shoot with my camera pointed due north and held still relative to the Earth, using a long exposure, the stars leave circular trails in the night sky over time. This is due to the rotation of the Earth, which causes stars, like the Sun, to move from east to west in the night sky each night, at about 15 degrees per hour per star. Long exposures cause stars to move in circular arcs, with stars near the poles producing the smallest circles and stars near the equator producing the largest circles.
by YUXUAN GONG
Levitating
by Xuanzhi Du
2°
Description: There’s a magnet at the bulb’s bottom and electromagnetic coils in the base. When powered on, a magnetic field is created. The repulsive force balances with the bulb’s weight and keeps it floating. The electromagnetic waves emitted from the base induce a current in the bulb’s coils, lighting it up.
by Xuanzhi Du
Icelandic Blue Ice Caves
by HAN LANG
3°
Description: Blue ice caves in Iceland are formed through the interplay of glacial movement, melting, and refreezing. These caves typically occur within glaciers like Vatnajökull (shown in picture), the largest ice cap in Iceland. This is because during warmer months, meltwater from the glaciers surface seeps down through cracks and crevasses, flowing underneath the glacier. This flowing water carves out tunnels and caverns within the ice. As temperatures drop, the water refreezes, creating smooth and polished ice walls. Moreover, the intense blue color of the ice caves is due to the density and age of the ice, which absorbs all colors of the light spectrum except blue, resulting in the vibrant hue. The continuous movement of the glacier reshapes these caves, making each one unique and often temporary,
by HAN LANG
Autumn Leaf
by Oshadha Perera
People's Choice Award
Description: Autumn leaves turn yellow because chlorophyll breaks down, revealing carotenoids, which are pigments responsible for yellow hues. As chlorophyll fades, the green colour diminishes, allowing the yellow pigments to become more visible.
by Oshadha Perera
The Art Of Controlled Combustion And Chemical Reactions
by XUFEI WANG
4°
Description: Fireworks are a pyrotechnic display used for celebrations and entertainment. Fireworks work on the principle of combustion and the release of energy, predominantly from the rapid oxidation of chemicals. Different colors are produced by using different metal salts to create different light emissions. The shapes and patterns of fireworks are achieved through the use of specific chemical compositions and ignition sequences. The science behind fireworks involves a careful balance of chemical reactions and precise timing to create a dazzling display of lig.
by XUFEI WANG
The Shape Of Air
by JIAN PAN
5°
Description: Schlieren photography is similar to shadow technology, relying on the fact that light bends when encountering changes in fluid density. When there is a temperature difference in the air flow, we can see the lights bend. By illuminating a concave mirror with a point light source to converge the light, and then reflecting it back to the camera sensor, the flow of air with temperature differences can be observed. To prevent a blade in front of the camera from blocking half of the reflected light, the upward light directly enters the camera as highlights, and the downward light is blocked as shadows. Therefore, a distinct air shape was formed.
by JIAN PAN
The Infinite And Endless Inheritance
by Xuanzhi Du
6°
Description: A matured mushroom can eject about 1.5 billion spores from the lined gills underneath the cap in a few days. These microscopic reproductive cells will be cultivated in a nutrient-containing agar medium or carried by wind currents and germinate in a humid niche. Then the cycles of life continue.
by Xuanzhi Du
Aurora Dance: A Mysterious Picture Of Nature
by ZHENGTAI FANG
7°
Description: The Aurora, is a spectacle that fills the night sky with breathtaking colors. When charged particles from the sun enter Earths magnetic field, they collide with gas molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a dazzling display of lights. The lights can range from vibrant greens and yellows to soft purples and pinks, dancing gracefully across the sky.
by ZHENGTAI FANG
Super Super Dazzle Stars
by ZHENWEI WANG
9°
Description: This photo is created by compressing three hundred photos. The photos are taken continuously for two hours at the same place. By compressing them, the path of stars can show up. Assuming the entire space is relatively static, then because of earth’s spin motion, a static point on earth is relatively moving. This is from the sight of the entire space. From the sight of the point on earth, which is the camera, the earth’s spin is relatively static, and the entire space, which consist of the stars, are moving. Through continuous recording, the final compressed production can show the moving of the stars, which caused by earth’s spin movement. The center of the shape is Polaris, this is because Polaris is on the spinning axis of earth.
by ZHENWEI WANG
Icelandic Icebergs
by HAN LANG
10°
Description: An iceberg is a piece of freshwater ice that has detached from a glacier. Icebergs in Iceland result from the dynamic interaction between glaciers and the oceanic environment. Iceland’s numerous glaciers, shaped by its mountainous terrain and high latitude, play a crucial role in iceberg formation. These glaciers have snow built upon them; with time, this snow compresses to harden, forming ice sheets. Eventually, these ice sheets flow downhill towards the coastlines and meet the sea. Here, a process called calving occurs, whereby ice chunks at the edge of a glacier calve off due to various factors such as tidal movements, oceanic currents influence, and influences that arise from other oceanic factors.
by HAN LANG
Seaside Morning Glow
by LIWEN TIAN
11°
Description: The photo captures the morning glow in Xiamen, China, which is primarily formed by the scattering of light by the air. When sunlight enters the atmosphere, it encounters atmospheric molecules and suspended particles (such as dust and water vapor). While these atmospheric molecules and particles do not emit light themselves, they scatter sunlight, turning every atmospheric molecule into a scattering light source. Sunlight comprises various colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. According to Rayleighs scattering law, the intensity of light scattering is related to the wavelength of light, with shorter wavelengths being scattered more intensely.
by LIWEN TIAN
Beauty Of Fire
by ZIYI XIONG
12°
Description: There are 8 piles of powders, containing calcium chloride, boric acid, potassium chloride, lithium chloride, copper sulfate, strontium chloride, sodium chloride and barium oxide in the petri dish. With 95% alcohol as a combustion improver, and result in a dish of colorful flame. The basic premise is that heat from a flame gives atoms enough energy that their electrons become excited. Dropping to a more stable energy state involves the release of photons. These photons have a frequency (light color) that is a characteristic of the element. However, not all elements release light in the visible portion of the spectrum. Some elements don’t change a flame’s color at all. For example, gold, silver, platinum, and palladium do not yield a flame test result.
by ZIYI XIONG
Iceland Aurora
by HAN LANG
13°
Description: The auroras in Iceland form through a fascinating interplay of solar particles and Earths magnetic field. When the Sun emits a steady stream of charged particles known as the solar wind, these particles travel towards Earth along its magnetic field lines, particularly concentrated near the poles. In Iceland, situated near the Arctic Circle, these charged particles interact with gases in the atmosphere, predominantly oxygen and nitrogen. When these particles collide with these gases, they excite them, causing them to emit light of varying colors—green, red, blue, and purple—depending on the type of gas and altitude of the interaction. This phenomenon creates the breathtaking light displays known as the aurora borealis, or northern lights, that dance across the Icelandic sky.
by HAN LANG
The Marvels Of Spider Silk
by XUFEI WANG
14°
Description: Spider silk is incredibly strong and tough due to its unique molecular structure, which has highly organized, repeating amino acid sequences that produce high crystallinity. It is lightweight, flexible, and resistant to breakage, making it ideal for textiles, biomedical engineering, and even bulletproof vests. Scientists study its properties to learn from nature and create synthetic materials that emulate its strength. Spider silk is a great example of how nature inspires innovation for practical applications. The Marvels of Spider Silk-Strongest Material in Nature and The Science of Dew on Spider Webs-An Intricate Interplay of Surface Area, Hydrophilicity, and Predator Protection.
by XUFEI WANG
Loyal Soldier
by Jiacheng Shu
15°
Description: This photo shows the Pseudothemis zonata, this loyal soldier occupies his favorable terrain and defends its land. He may drive his competitors away the moment he observes at a fast speed. The secrets for fast speed is from the four independent wings. Through observation, we can find the dragonfly’s wings are a reticulated structure with the beautifully colored ‘small square’ at the front end, called the ‘wing mole’, which is mainly used to overcome the ‘vibration’ that occurs when flying at high speeds, thus ensuring a smooth flight. And the presence and abundance of dragonflies can be a reflection of the health of ecosystem, they may face threats from habitat loss and water pollution, what we can do is to conserve wetlands, reducing water pollution and building ecological ponds.
by Jiacheng Shu