THE MOST AMAZING SCIENCE IMAGES OF THE WEEK VII

The Most Amazing Science Images of the Week, July 2-6, 2012
By Dan Nosowitz, Popular Science, 6 July 2012.

It was hard to fight off the temptation to make this week's roundup just a collection of fireworks shots, but we managed to also find the world's largest crocodile, a massive light installation in Singapore, protests against nuclear power in Japan, and a bunch more of the most amazing science and tech imagery out there.

1. Aurora over Crater Lake

Photographer Brad Goldpaint took this shot of the Aurora Borealis over Oregon's Crater Lake a few weeks ago. It's a gorgeous one. Check out his site for more.

2. World's Largest Croc

This crocodile, found in the Philippines, is officially the world's largest, at more than 20 feet long. It's suspected of killing two people, which is partly why these people seem so excited to strap it onto a wagon. [Related Post]

3. All At Once

This year's fireworks display in San Diego didn't come off quite as planned - every firework was set off at the same time, leading to a giant explosion of light and sound. This great shot was from the Instagram of an attendee.

4. Nuclear Protests

As Japan re-opens its nuclear facilities, protesters lined the streets to show their opposition. Understandably, given the recent conclusion that the Fukushima meltdown was the fault of the government and its regulators.

5. Trees of Light

This shot shows Singapore's Garden by the Bay, a massive show of light and sound which we wish dearly would come to New York. [More information]

6. Olympic Camp

Lest you think that running is one of the simpler Olympic events, tech-wise, look no further than Nike's insane Olympic Camp in Oregon. It took eight months to build and includes a 100-meter Speed Tunnel, head-to-head treadmills, and more LED lights than we'd ever thought necessary for a training facility. Read more here.

7. The Prawn

Astrophotographer Dieter Willasch created this great shot of the Prawn Nebula, in the tail of Scorpius. It's about 6,000 light-years away. Read more here.

8. Not From Outer Space

This image may look like it's capturing a faraway star or some other celestial body, but it's no - it's actually the first-ever snapshot of an individual atom's shadow. Read more here.

9. Fourth/Moon

Another great fireworks shot, this was taken in Kansas City, Kansas, where the fireworks and the moon both lit up the sky. For more great photojournalism like this, check out American Photo.

10. Digital Mecca

Muslims often use a compass to figure out which direction to lay their prayer mats in order to face Mecca, as they must do several times per day. So why not embed a digital compass and a bunch of LEDs, so the mat lights up when it's facing the right direction? It's currently a concept residing on Kickstarter, waiting for funding. Read more here. [Related Post]

Top image: Single atom shadow (left) and the Prawn Nebula (right)

[Source: Popular Science. Edited. Top image and some links added.]