December Gallery

Image processed photo of part of Turin Shroud

Computer-enhanced negative image of part of the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud has been kept at Turin for centuries, and has been revered as the supposed death- shroud of Jesus Christ by the Christian church. Recent radiocarbon dating has suggested a later origin than one contemporary with Christ - an age of about 500 years has been given. The image itself is also reminiscent of artistic renderings of the figure of Christ dating from the late 15th century. Although this implies that the Shroud is a fake, scientists are unable as yet to explain how the feint burn-like image was produced

© GIANNI TORTOLI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

21 Dec 2002

© PA Archive/Press Association Images

Solar prominence

Solar prominence. Ultraviolet SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) satellite image of a solar prominence (bottom left). The prominence is erupting from the chromosphere (orange), which lies above the Sun's visible surface. Prominences are dense clouds of plasma, or ionised gas, in the Sun's outer layer, the corona. They are typically at temperatures of 60, 000 Kelvin, much cooler than the several million Kelvin of the corona. Active regions (white) mark areas of high solar activity. The Sun's activity peaks every 10-11 years. Image produced by SOHO's Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT)

© NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY