Modern imaging
Scanning electron microscope image of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, artificially coloured by computer.
Modern imaging technology has widened our knowledge and appreciation of the world more than we could have ever imagined.
Scientists can now explore far beyond the reaches of the human eye, without damaging the specimens they study. Microscopes and X-ray technology enable us to see down to the molecular if not atomic level, and satellites give us perspectives of our planet from thousands of miles above the ground.
Not only can we examine the natural world over a wide range of magnifications, we can also model it in 3-dimensions, and even four, if you add time as well.
Explore some examples below of what modern imaging techniques can reveal.
Anglerfish stomach video
Watch the video of a micro-CT scan of an anglerfish's expanded stomach, revealing its last meal.
Hammerhead shark micro-CT
Why do sharks have such a good sense of smell? Investigate how a team of scientists used the Museum’s CT scanner to find out.
What’s under the lens?
Take a much closer look at 12 familiar species as seen through the Museum’s state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope.
Prehistoric sex-life revealed by X-rays
Journey back in time to see images of 100-million-year-old microscopic animals called ostracods, made using revolutionary X-ray technology at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
Methods for examining specimens
Zoom in to see images of the natural world ranging from those taken 1,000s of kilometres away to those magnified by more than 100,000 times.
Imaging and tomography
Find out about the Museum’s state-of-the-art imaging technologies, including electron and confocal microscopes and the micro- and nano-CT scanners.
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