The best photos of 2023 - part four: Science & Technology

The National picks the most striking images of the year

A photo of a Horsehead Nebula taken during The European Space Agency's Euclid space mission. AFP

Ilona Horvath uses virtual reality goggles in the Margareta nursing home in Kecskemet, Hungary. Reuters

Nasa scientists inspect samples from asteroid Bennu. Nasa

A floating solar power plant on the water that can generate 192 mega watts of electricity at Cirata Reservoir, West Java. AFP

Dr Al Neyadi and Suhail - the MBRSC mascot - in front of the cupola on the International Space Station on March 17, 2023.

Humanoid AI robot 'Ameca' at the International Telecommunication Union AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. AFP

SpaceX's Starship rocket launches from Starbase during its second test flight in Boca Chica, Texas. AFP

A shoe belonging to a victim of the former Nazi German death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau is scanned in Oswiecim, Poland. AP

More from The National:

The best photos of 2023 - part three: Arts & Culture

The best photos of 2023 - part two: Sport

The best photos of 2023 - part one: News

Wednesday's best photos: From Art in the Eastern Mangroves to a swim in the North Sea

Tuesday's best photos: From salsa in Cali to sailing in Sydney

Monday's best photos: Midnight mass, from Chandigarh to Surabaya