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The best science and technology pictures of the week

A DC-10 water bomber drops fire-fighting chemicals over a bush fire in San Marcos, California. Thousands of people near San Diego had to leave their homes due to fires. (Reuters)
A DC-10 water bomber drops fire-fighting chemicals over a bush fire in San Marcos, California. Thousands of people near San Diego had to leave their homes due to fires. (Reuters)

The most impressive pictures from the worlds of science and technology this week, from low-level aerial fire-fighting to a pair of hugging bears.

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Blazing skies and moody twisters

Clouds lit up by the setting sun at Mollymook Beach on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. (Reuters)
Clouds lit up by the setting sun at Mollymook Beach on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. (Reuters)

Amazing air displays and breathtaking nature

flight
flight

Plane trails and tadpole stars

Contrails from jets flying overhead form a backdrop behind the National Museum of Art in Washington DC. (AP)
Contrails from jets flying overhead form a backdrop behind the National Museum of Art in Washington DC. (AP)

Volcanic plumes and home-made tanks

Ash rises into the sky from Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano near Banos, south of the capital Quito. The volcano has been classified as active since 1999. (Reuters)
Ash rises into the sky from Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano near Banos, south of the capital Quito. The volcano has been classified as active since 1999. (Reuters)

Foggy landings and robot tackles

A plane comes in to land at Heathrow Airport, west London, during heavy fog caused by pollution and dust blown up from the Sahara Desert. (PA)
A plane comes in to land at Heathrow Airport, west London, during heavy fog caused by pollution and dust blown up from the Sahara Desert. (PA)

Space suit test and peeking penguins

Gentoo penguins at the start of their breeding seasons at the Sea Life London Aquarium. (PA Wire)
Gentoo penguins at the start of their breeding seasons at the Sea Life London Aquarium. (PA Wire)

Ocean secrets and the dawn of the Universe

Four F/A-18s of the US Navy Blue Angels display team perform a close-formation aerobatics stunt during an air show in El Centro, California. (Imperial Valley Press/AP)
Four F/A-18s of the US Navy Blue Angels display team perform a close-formation aerobatics stunt during an air show in El Centro, California. (Imperial Valley Press/AP)

Sexy robots and an eerie whale

Two robots perform a cheeky pole dance on the eve of the CeBIT Technology Trade Fair in Hanover, Germany. (AFP/Getty Images)
Two robots perform a cheeky pole dance on the eve of the CeBIT Technology Trade Fair in Hanover, Germany. (AFP/Getty Images)

Aurora mission and frozen falls

A Nasa rocket is launched into an aurora over the Alaskan village of Venetie. The rocket’s mission was to investigate “curls” – patterns showing magnetic activity. (Nasa/Reuters)
A Nasa rocket is launched into an aurora over the Alaskan village of Venetie. The rocket’s mission was to investigate “curls” – patterns showing magnetic activity. (Nasa/Reuters)

Leopard escape and London time travel

George Davison Reid’s 1930 view of Tower Bridge is merged with a modern scene as part of an exhibit at the Museum of London. (GD Reid/Museum of London)
George Davison Reid’s 1930 view of Tower Bridge is merged with a modern scene as part of an exhibit at the Museum of London. (GD Reid/Museum of London)

Iced-up airliners and a violent Sun

An airport worker sprays de-icing liquid onto a Boeing 737m, as China shivers during snowy winter weather. (Reuters)
An airport worker sprays de-icing liquid onto a Boeing 737m, as China shivers during snowy winter weather. (Reuters)

Dancing F-16s and a view of the Universe

Two F-16s of the Singaporean Air Force display team the Black Knights, captured during a performance at the Singapore Airshow. (AP)
Two F-16s of the Singaporean Air Force display team the Black Knights, captured during a performance at the Singapore Airshow. (AP)

A rocket’s slow crawl and a spectacular volcano

A Russian Soyuz-U booster carrying an unmanned cargo spacecraft Progress M-22M heads to the launchpad at Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (AFP/Getty Images)
A Russian Soyuz-U booster carrying an unmanned cargo spacecraft Progress M-22M heads to the launchpad at Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (AFP/Getty Images)

A lion's check up and a brain sculpture

A Kenya Wildlife Service team take measurements of a male lion’s teeth while they prepare to fit the animal with a GPS tracking collar in Nairobi National Park. (AP)
A Kenya Wildlife Service team take measurements of a male lion’s teeth while they prepare to fit the animal with a GPS tracking collar in Nairobi National Park. (AP)

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