In no apparent order, these 15 photos stuck with us for months, from President Obama hugging his wife after winning reelection to heart-breaking images of Côte d’Ivoire orphans. Some photos reflected important news stories this year (such as Rover’s photo of Mars) while others went viral thanks to their visual beauty (such as ice flowers in the Arctic).
Note we didn’t select any Digital Journalist photos for inclusion in this list. To view photo essays by Digital Journalist, go here.
The Sun erupted with two prominence eruptions, one after the other over a four-hour period on Nov. 16, 2012
NASA
Kissing in front of a Kilauea lava flow in Hawaii
Via Petapixel/Dallas Nagata White
A man shooting a bullet in his pool using a .40 Glock 22
Via Gizmodo
Closeup view of a snowflake
Andrew Osokin
All four towers of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge being struck with lightning… at the same time
Phil McGrew / Gizmodo
Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning gold in his familiar fashion in the men’s 100m final on Day 9 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium.
London2012
A microscopic photo of fruit fly larvae, pic by Dr. Andrew Woolley
Via Nikon Small World
Barack Obama hugging Michelle moments after learning he won reelection
Released by Barack Obama Twitter account
Close-up photo of an elephant
Anup Shah/Petapixel
Children at an orphanage in Man, Côte d’Ivoire.
United Nations photo
Bay Area landscape artist Andreas Amador employs San Francisco’s beaches as a canvas for his artistic vision
Andres Amador
Full-circle view of the Martian terrain captured from Opportunity Rover by Pancam
NASA
Photo from the Stephen Wilkes series Day Into Night, depicting Coney Island
Stephen Wilkes
