Biosphoto : Agence Photographique spécialisée dans la Nature et l'Environnement

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) two adult standing on hind legs fighting on snowy drift ice, Svalbard, NorwayPolar Bear (Ursus maritimus) two adult standing on hind legs fighting on snowy drift ice, Svalbard, Norway© Ondrej Prosicky / BIA / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) two adult standing on hind legs

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Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) two adult standing on hind legs fighting on snowy drift ice, Svalbard, NorwayPolar Bear (Ursus maritimus) two adult standing on hind legs fighting on snowy drift ice, Svalbard, Norway© Ondrej Prosicky / BIA / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) two adult standing on hind legs

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Ice floe on the shore, Vestvagoya, Lofoten, NorwayIce floe on the shore, Vestvagoya, Lofoten, Norway© Christophe Ravier / BiosphotoJPG - RM
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Ice floe on the shore, Vestvagoya, Lofoten, Norway

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Artist's concept of an alien planetary system. Far beyond our own solar system there are a likely billions of other planets orbiting stars like and unlike our own sun. Our sun, our Earth and moon, our solar system, represent only one of an unimaginable number of possibilities. The universe is a big, big place. Artist's concept of an alien planetary system. Far beyond our own solar system there are a likely billions of other planets orbiting stars like and unlike our own sun. Our sun, our Earth and moon, our solar system, represent only one of an unimaginable number of possibilities. The universe is a big, big place. © Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Artist's concept of an alien planetary system. Far beyond our own

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Artist's concept of Saturn as seen from the surface of its moon Iapetus. Saturn dominates Iapetus' velvet black sky framed by three inner moons. Left to right are Tethys, Rhea and Dione. . Less than half the size of the Earth's moon, ice-covered Iapetus is one of the few places in the solar system that offers a good view of Saturn's rings. This is because Iapetus' orbit is inclined almost 15 degrees to Saturn's equator. With the exception of Phoebe, none of Saturn's other satellites offer such a vantage point. Unlike haze-shrouded Titan, Iapetus has no atmosphere to speak of and is believed to be composed almost entirely of water ice.Artist's concept of Saturn as seen from the surface of its moon Iapetus. Saturn dominates Iapetus' velvet black sky framed by three inner moons. Left to right are Tethys, Rhea and Dione. . Less than half the size of the Earth's moon, ice-covered Iapetus is one of the few places in the solar system that offers a good view of Saturn's rings. This is because Iapetus' orbit is inclined almost 15 degrees to Saturn's equator. With the exception of Phoebe, none of Saturn's other satellites offer such a vantage point. Unlike haze-shrouded Titan, Iapetus has no atmosphere to speak of and is believed to be composed almost entirely of water ice.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Artist's concept of Saturn as seen from the surface of its moon

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Artist's concept of Pluto. In 1985 it was discovered that Pluto has an atmosphere, albeit a very tenuous one. Pluto's atmosphere arises only when it approaches closer to the Sun during its highly eccentric, 248 earth years long orbit. The atmosphere likely consists of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide, which sublimate directly from Pluto's frozen surface. As Pluto's orbit moves it away from the Sun, these gases are believed to slowly precipitate back to Pluto's surface.Artist's concept of Pluto. In 1985 it was discovered that Pluto has an atmosphere, albeit a very tenuous one. Pluto's atmosphere arises only when it approaches closer to the Sun during its highly eccentric, 248 earth years long orbit. The atmosphere likely consists of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide, which sublimate directly from Pluto's frozen surface. As Pluto's orbit moves it away from the Sun, these gases are believed to slowly precipitate back to Pluto's surface.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Artist's concept of Pluto. In 1985 it was discovered that Pluto

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A full Neptune washes Triton's frozen surface with an indigo light, the only source of illumination on this now Triton's dark side. Fortuitous alignment of the Sun, Triton and Neptune causes this satellite's shadow to fall on Neptune's distant cloud tops 220 thousand miles away. This view is from within a deep, crater-like depression on Triton's northern hemisphere. . There are many such crater-like depressions on Triton's northern hemisphere. While these depressions look like impact craters, their similar size and spacing suggest that they were created by some other process. Their origin is still unknown, but may involve local melting and collapse of the icy surface. The scarcity of impact craters suggest that this surface is relatively young by solar system standards, probably less than a few billion years old. The depression in this image is about 15 miles in diameter; the ridge on the horizon is approximately seven miles from the mesa in the foreground.A full Neptune washes Triton's frozen surface with an indigo light, the only source of illumination on this now Triton's dark side. Fortuitous alignment of the Sun, Triton and Neptune causes this satellite's shadow to fall on Neptune's distant cloud tops 220 thousand miles away. This view is from within a deep, crater-like depression on Triton's northern hemisphere. . There are many such crater-like depressions on Triton's northern hemisphere. While these depressions look like impact craters, their similar size and spacing suggest that they were created by some other process. Their origin is still unknown, but may involve local melting and collapse of the icy surface. The scarcity of impact craters suggest that this surface is relatively young by solar system standards, probably less than a few billion years old. The depression in this image is about 15 miles in diameter; the ridge on the horizon is approximately seven miles from the mesa in the foreground.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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A full Neptune washes Triton's frozen surface with an indigo

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Illustration of the gas giant Neptune as seen from the surface of its moon Triton. White cirrus clouds race across a crescent Neptune as it presides over Triton's bleak and frozen south polar region. Sheets of frozen nitrogen ice with traces of other substances, including frozen methane and carbon monoxide, overlie Triton's darker material. The ice has turned pink due to the interaction with ultraviolet light from the distant Sun. Further south all of the surface of Triton is covered by such ices.Illustration of the gas giant Neptune as seen from the surface of its moon Triton. White cirrus clouds race across a crescent Neptune as it presides over Triton's bleak and frozen south polar region. Sheets of frozen nitrogen ice with traces of other substances, including frozen methane and carbon monoxide, overlie Triton's darker material. The ice has turned pink due to the interaction with ultraviolet light from the distant Sun. Further south all of the surface of Triton is covered by such ices.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Illustration of the gas giant Neptune as seen from the surface of

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Illustration of a deep crater on the surface of the moon. Water from an encounter with an icy comet has collected in the perpetual shade of a deep crater on the surface of the moon, where the temperature is a constant - 380º F. . In 1998, the unmanned Lunar Prospector probe discovered evidence for water ice on the surface of the moon. Some scientists believe that as much as 10 to 300 million tons of ice may reside at the moon's North and South poles. The source of the ice is thought to be from one or more comets that struck the moon's surface four billion years ago. (It is thought that Earth's water may have come from comets as well.) Unfortunately, the moon's small size and lack of an atmosphere caused it to lose nearly all of its accumulated water to space. Any water that does remain on the moon would likely be on the poles, hidden in craters and depressions shaded from the Sun.Illustration of a deep crater on the surface of the moon. Water from an encounter with an icy comet has collected in the perpetual shade of a deep crater on the surface of the moon, where the temperature is a constant - 380º F. . In 1998, the unmanned Lunar Prospector probe discovered evidence for water ice on the surface of the moon. Some scientists believe that as much as 10 to 300 million tons of ice may reside at the moon's North and South poles. The source of the ice is thought to be from one or more comets that struck the moon's surface four billion years ago. (It is thought that Earth's water may have come from comets as well.) Unfortunately, the moon's small size and lack of an atmosphere caused it to lose nearly all of its accumulated water to space. Any water that does remain on the moon would likely be on the poles, hidden in craters and depressions shaded from the Sun.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Illustration of a deep crater on the surface of the moon. Water

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Artist's concept of a view across the surface of Themisto towards Jupiter and its moons. This is how Jupiter and its Galilean satellites may appear from the surface of Jupiter's tiny moon Themisto. In this image the artist is suggesting that Themisto has an ancient, dusty and heavily cratered surface with the occasional, and fanciful, outcropping of dirty water ice. . . At a distance of 4.7 million miles, Jupiter subtends an angle of 1.1 degrees (the moon subtends an angle of 0.5 degrees in Earth's sky). The Galilean satellites are, left to right, Ganymede, Europa, Io, and on the far right Callisto. Not much is known about Themisto. It was first discovered in 1975, then lost, then rediscovered in 2000. Themisto is the next significant body orbiting Jupiter beyond Callisto. Beyond Themisto are another 54 known jovian satellites, the furthest of which has an orbital radius of 19 million miles. . With a mean diameter of only 5 miles and an albedo (surface brightness) about half that of the Moon, no earthbound telescope or interplanetary probe has yet revealed any details of Themisto's surface. This satellite is far too small to host an atmosphere, and too small even for its own gravity to pull it into a spherical shape like its relatively massive Galilean cousins. A visiting astronaut could easily propel him/herself into orbit with a single jump.Artist's concept of a view across the surface of Themisto towards Jupiter and its moons. This is how Jupiter and its Galilean satellites may appear from the surface of Jupiter's tiny moon Themisto. In this image the artist is suggesting that Themisto has an ancient, dusty and heavily cratered surface with the occasional, and fanciful, outcropping of dirty water ice. . . At a distance of 4.7 million miles, Jupiter subtends an angle of 1.1 degrees (the moon subtends an angle of 0.5 degrees in Earth's sky). The Galilean satellites are, left to right, Ganymede, Europa, Io, and on the far right Callisto. Not much is known about Themisto. It was first discovered in 1975, then lost, then rediscovered in 2000. Themisto is the next significant body orbiting Jupiter beyond Callisto. Beyond Themisto are another 54 known jovian satellites, the furthest of which has an orbital radius of 19 million miles. . With a mean diameter of only 5 miles and an albedo (surface brightness) about half that of the Moon, no earthbound telescope or interplanetary probe has yet revealed any details of Themisto's surface. This satellite is far too small to host an atmosphere, and too small even for its own gravity to pull it into a spherical shape like its relatively massive Galilean cousins. A visiting astronaut could easily propel him/herself into orbit with a single jump.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Artist's concept of a view across the surface of Themisto towards

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Io is Jupiter's innermost large satellite and is about the same size and density as Earth's Moon. Io is 260,000 miles away from Jupiter, which about the same distance as the Moon is from the Earth.Io is Jupiter's innermost large satellite and is about the same size and density as Earth's Moon. Io is 260,000 miles away from Jupiter, which about the same distance as the Moon is from the Earth.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Io is Jupiter's innermost large satellite and is about the same

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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of

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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of

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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of

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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of regions that look very much like pack-ice on Earth's polar seas during spring thaws. The perspective is from an altitude of several thousand feet. The large crater in the foreground is about a half-mile in diameter. . Europa is Jupiter's fourth largest satellite and is slightly smaller than the Earth's Moon. Europa is believed to be composed of silicate rocks with a layer of water ice covering the entire surface. . It may be that beneath Europa's surface ice there is a layer of liquid water, perhaps as much as 30 miles deep. This subsurface ocean would be kept liquid by tidally generated heat. If Europa does indeed harbor a liquid water ocean, it would be the only place in the Solar System besides Earth where liquid water exists in significant quantities. It may also be the only place in the Solar System where life has evolved outside the Earth.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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An artist's concept inspired by recent discoveries on Europa of

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Artist's concept showing how Saturn might appear from within a hypothetical ice cave on the surface of Iapetus. As of yet there is no evidence that such caves exist. Iapetus is the third largest moon of Saturn and is primarily composed of water ice.Artist's concept showing how Saturn might appear from within a hypothetical ice cave on the surface of Iapetus. As of yet there is no evidence that such caves exist. Iapetus is the third largest moon of Saturn and is primarily composed of water ice.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Artist's concept showing how Saturn might appear from within a

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Artist's concept of an impact crater on Ganymede, about 10 miles in diameter, dominates a scene otherwise defined by a dozen long ridges. In the middle of the crater is a central peak, formed when the energy of the impact liquefied the crust long enough for it to rebound upward and solidify once again. . . Immediately above the horizon, Jupiter is still a majestic spectacle, even at a distance of nearly three times that between the Earth and its moon. Much closer on the upper right is Ganymede's sister satellite Europa. At a distance of 307 thousand miles from this vantage point, Europa is only a quarter again as far as the Earth is from its moon. To the lower left of Jupiter at nearly a million miles is Jupiter's volcanic satellite Io. . . Jupiter's largest satellite Ganymede has a varying surface, some of which is characterized by rumpled bundles of ridges and grooves that run for hundreds of miles over a frozen surface of water-ice. They probably formed long ago when tectonic forces pulled apart Ganymede's upper crust; similar sets of faults occur in rift zones on Earth, as in eastern Africa. Subsequent meteoritic impacts have peppered, and broken in places, the continuity of the running formations. Artist's concept of an impact crater on Ganymede, about 10 miles in diameter, dominates a scene otherwise defined by a dozen long ridges. In the middle of the crater is a central peak, formed when the energy of the impact liquefied the crust long enough for it to rebound upward and solidify once again. . . Immediately above the horizon, Jupiter is still a majestic spectacle, even at a distance of nearly three times that between the Earth and its moon. Much closer on the upper right is Ganymede's sister satellite Europa. At a distance of 307 thousand miles from this vantage point, Europa is only a quarter again as far as the Earth is from its moon. To the lower left of Jupiter at nearly a million miles is Jupiter's volcanic satellite Io. . . Jupiter's largest satellite Ganymede has a varying surface, some of which is characterized by rumpled bundles of ridges and grooves that run for hundreds of miles over a frozen surface of water-ice. They probably formed long ago when tectonic forces pulled apart Ganymede's upper crust; similar sets of faults occur in rift zones on Earth, as in eastern Africa. Subsequent meteoritic impacts have peppered, and broken in places, the continuity of the running formations. © Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Artist's concept of an impact crater on Ganymede, about 10 miles

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A crescent Jupiter hovers near the horizon along with Jupiter's volcanic satellite Io. In the foreground a meandering crevasse cleaves Europa's icy surface, one of thousands that crisscross this moon's exceedingly flat and bright exterior. The surface of Europa is about five times brighter than our own Moon and is so flat that no feature rises more than 3,000 feet.A crescent Jupiter hovers near the horizon along with Jupiter's volcanic satellite Io. In the foreground a meandering crevasse cleaves Europa's icy surface, one of thousands that crisscross this moon's exceedingly flat and bright exterior. The surface of Europa is about five times brighter than our own Moon and is so flat that no feature rises more than 3,000 feet.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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A crescent Jupiter hovers near the horizon along with Jupiter's

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Extrasolar planet 70 Virginis b presides over the hot and airless terrain of a hypothetical moon. While it is not known if 70 Virginis b has rings, it is certainly possible. Saturn is the planet best-known for its rings of ice and stone, but all the other jovian planets in our solar system (Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune) have rings as well. 70 Virginis b's rings would have no ice in them due to is proximity to its sun. Such rings would likely be less than 100 million years old and could have been formed from the shattered remnants of an asteroid that wondered too close to this giant planet. 70 Virginis b's eccentric orbit would increase the likelihood of its encountering other objects in orbit around 70 Virginis. . 70 Virginis b orbits 70 Virginis, a type G5V star (similar to our own sun), about 60 light years from the Earth. 70 Virginis b is believed to have over six times the mass of the planet Jupiter and orbits around its sun in an eccentric orbit once every 116 days. 70 Virginis b's average distance from its sun is about the same as that of the planet Mercury from our own sun.Extrasolar planet 70 Virginis b presides over the hot and airless terrain of a hypothetical moon. While it is not known if 70 Virginis b has rings, it is certainly possible. Saturn is the planet best-known for its rings of ice and stone, but all the other jovian planets in our solar system (Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune) have rings as well. 70 Virginis b's rings would have no ice in them due to is proximity to its sun. Such rings would likely be less than 100 million years old and could have been formed from the shattered remnants of an asteroid that wondered too close to this giant planet. 70 Virginis b's eccentric orbit would increase the likelihood of its encountering other objects in orbit around 70 Virginis. . 70 Virginis b orbits 70 Virginis, a type G5V star (similar to our own sun), about 60 light years from the Earth. 70 Virginis b is believed to have over six times the mass of the planet Jupiter and orbits around its sun in an eccentric orbit once every 116 days. 70 Virginis b's average distance from its sun is about the same as that of the planet Mercury from our own sun.© Walter Myers / Stocktrek Images / BiosphotoJPG - RMNon exclusive sale
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Extrasolar planet 70 Virginis b presides over the hot and airless

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