Stephane Vetter captured the best night-sky photo in the world

Stephane Vetter was proclaimed the top-prize winner in the "Beauty of the Night Sky" category at the recent 2011 Earth and Sky Photo Contest organized by astronomy-education project The World at Night (TWAN).

"A Starry Night of Iceland", Stephane Vetter's winning entry in TWAN's Earth and Sky Photo Contest 2011 | Photo: Stephane Vetter, TWAN

Vetter's winning photo he named "A Starry Night of Iceland" shows two green auroral rings as they are being reflected by the Jökulsárlón lake, the largest glacial lake in Iceland. The stunning picture also displays the Milky Way above arctic landscape of Iceland.

The 2011 Earth and Sky Photo Contest is the second international photo contest conducted by the TWAN. About 240 entries were submitted this year, coming from 30 countries around the world. The 10 winners were proclaimed in May, 2011.

Gryfino, Poland's 'Crooked Forest' (Photos)

Gryfino, Poland - An unusual pine forest in Gryfino called "Crooked Forest" looks like it came right out of a Hans Christian Andersen story since around four hundred trees have been formed with a 90° horizontal bend in its trunk before rising vertically again.

Mysterious curved trees in Crooked Forest in Gryfino, Poland

The 80 year-old trees were believed to have been planted by the German Service Specials carpenters who used the curved wood for furniture making. However, lumberjacks of Gryfino forest disagreed and said that the forest is a freak of nature, as the trunks of trees are not suitable for furniture production.