The beauty of the universe, from above and below

The 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award is to be presented to American planetary scientist Carolyn Porco and Iranian photographer and science journalist Babak A. Tafreshi in recognition of their photographic work, which - each from its own perspective - recalls mankind's place in the universe. The prize is the world's most prestigious distinction in scientific and medical photography. The annual Lennart Nilsson Award is presented in honour of the legendary Swedish photographer, who has been working with imagery at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm for decades. Like Lennart Nilsson, this year's recipients, Carolyn Porco and Babak A. Tafreshi, have captured worlds that are otherwise hidden from human sight. The panel's citation reads as follows:. "Carolyn Porco combines the finest techniques of planetary exploration and scientific research with aesthetic finesse and educational talent. While her images, which depict the heavenly bodies of the Saturn system with unique precision, serve as tools for the world's leading experts, they also reveal the beauty of the universe in a manner that is an inspiration to one and all." "Babak A. Tafreshi's photographs reclaim a night sky that most modern people have lost.