2012 was a year full of turmoil. From global events such as the London Summer Olympics and the U.S. presidential race, to regional conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. Repercussions from last year’s Arab spring that rocked the status quo of the past 40 years still heavily affect Syria and Egypt; and the painful recovery from the latest global economic crisis brought tough austerity measures to Europe, causing widespread protests and riots. Collected here is Part 2 of a three-part summary of 2012 in photos, covering the second four months of 2012, from May till August. Be sure to see Be sure to see Part 1 and Part 3.
25| Star trails, city lights, and lightning from the International Space Station
Star trails, city lights, and lightning strikes appear in this composite of a series of images photographed from a mounted camera on the International Space Station, from approximately 240 miles above Earth. Expedition 31 Flight Engineer (and photographer) Don Pettit: “My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. (NASA/Don Pettit)
24| 6.0 earthquake, Ferrara, Italy, May 20
Half of a clock face on Modenesi’s Towers of Finale Emilia, destroyed following a Magnitude 6.0 earthquake on May 20, 2012 in Ferrara, Italy. (Roberto Serra/Iguana Press/Getty Images)
23| Venus moves across the Sun, captured by Japan’s satellite Hinode, June 6
On that day, Venus passed directly between the sun and Earth, a transit that won’t occur again until 2117. (Reuters/JAXA)
22| Bill Murray during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival, France, May 16
Actor Bill Murray poses at the “Moonrise Kingdom” photocall during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on May 16, 2012. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
21| Occupy Wall Street activists clash with the police, New York, May 1
A police lieutenant swings his baton at an Occupy Wall Street activist on May 1, 2012 in New York. Hundreds of activists with a variety of causes spread out over New York City on International Workers Day, or May Day, with Occupy Wall Street members leading a charge against financial institutions. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
20| Remote controlled vehicle detecting explosives, Afghanistan, May 24
A boy stands with his bicycle at a distance as he watches a remote controlled vehicle working to detect improvised explosive devices on a road near Forward Operating Base Mizan in Afghanistan’s Zabul Province, on May 24, 2012. (Reuters/Tim Wimborne)
19| Cape Town at the start of winter in the southern hemisphere, on May 8
Seasonal fog is illuminated by the lights of Cape Town harbor as the city prepares for the start of winter in the southern hemisphere, on May 8, 2012. (Reuters/Mike Hutchings)
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