Here’s something you rarely see so up close. The photograph above shows one of 18 optical modules inside KM3NeT, a massive detector for neutrinos, which are nearly massless, neutrally charged particles that permeate every corner of the universe. The bubble-like demeanor of the module is reminiscent of where KM3NeT is located: deep under the Mediterranean Sea.
The photograph, titled “Underwater Hunting,” was a finalist for the 2025 Global Physics Photowalk. The competition, held every three years, seeks to highlight the “visual testaments that capture the beauty, precision, and nature of humankind’s search to understand the universe,” according to the Interactions Collaboration.
This year, 16 science laboratories around the world each submitted their top three images from the year. Then, a judging panel of physics experts and photographers chose three winners. The public also voted for their top three photographs during a brief selection period.
“The photographs move between abstraction and lived experience—finding form, rhythm, and quiet beauty in scientific spaces, while foregrounding the people whose labor and curiosity make this work possible,” said Will Warasila, a freelance photographer for The New York Times who was part of the judging panel.
You can see the list of winners here, but we’ve selected some of our favorites from the entire gallery of 48 finalists, which you can also find here. The Photowalk is also currently on display at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Research at COLD
In this photograph, a young researcher sits alone at the Cryogenic Laboratory for Detectors (COLD) at INFN National Laboratories of Frascati, Italy. In the foreground is the facility’s cryostat, which reaches −459.67 degrees Fahrenheit (-273.14 degrees Celsius) in temperature—nearly absolute zero—so that physicists can probe some of the most enigmatic signals in the universe.
This entry won first place in the judge’s choice category. Tanea Rauscher, a member of the panel and creative lead at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, praised the image’s “clear visual storytelling and masterful use of light … [which] creates a quiet, almost cinematic atmosphere that captures both the intensity and the solitude of scientific work.”
The tunnel
In contrast to the judges, the public’s choice for first place went to this bright photograph of a corridor at the Large Heavy Ion National Accelerator in Caen, France. According to Interactions, this particular section of the facility is much brighter than in other areas. The colors of the numerous cables and pipes pop against the backdrop of the metallic room, illuminated by star-shaped lights.
UNDER 33.5m
Advanced facilities in particle physics are huge. That’s because getting enough power to accelerate particles for experiments requires a ton of space, both for the particle flinging itself and the facilities to analyze data, maintain gadgets, etc.
This often means physicists go underground. For Japan’s Proton Accelerator Research Complex, this added up to roughly 110 feet (33.5 meters). Fully capturing the vast scope of this hole took multiple composites, according to photographer Hisahiro Suganuma.
Ab Profundis, Scientia,
As you can imagine, building a particle physics facility is truly a labor of love, tears, and grime. But mostly grime. In this photo, a person shines a headlamp on the wall of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota, which recently got an expansion. Now, the facility lies up to 4,850 feet (1,479 meters) underground, which SURF says will “house future generations of science.”
Eye of a Neutrino Telescope
Let’s shift gears again and admire this close-up image of a photomultiplier, also from KM3NeT. Each optical module in KM3NeT holds 31 of these photomultipliers. Together, the entire system forms a gigantic line of neutrino detectors that instruments several million cubic meters of water on the seafloor. This image won third place in the judge’s choice category.
Where’s Waldo?
This photograph shows the dizzying array of wires and components making up a fully operating data center at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. We non-physicists get the privilege of seeing physics discoveries in the form of a neatly organized, peer-reviewed papers, but that underscores the sheer load of data collection that goes into these endeavors.
Vacuum
Speaking of enormous volumes of data, an essential part of conducting research with accelerators is identifying patterns. This photograph, awarded second place in the public’s choice category, found some interesting patterns in the casing of a vacuum pipe at the Large Heavy Ion National Accelerator in France.
FYI, the French title for the photograph is “Sous-vide,” literally French for “under vacuum,” but the phrase might remind English speakers of the meat-cooking technique. I wasn’t sure of the parallels at first, but it sure is funny to think of accelerators as machines that slowly cook particles at precisely regulated temperatures (which they kind of are, I guess).
AGATA–PRISMA Setup for nuclear physics experiments
Last but not least, this photograph captured the hearts of both the judging panel and the public, winning second and third place, respectively. Shown here is a photon detector coupled with a magnetic spectrometer at INFN National Laboratories of Legnaro, Italy. These instruments support low- and medium-energy experiments in nuclear physics, which investigates how heavy particles break apart.
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