Wikimedia Commons Pictures of the Year

 

(Image credit: Pierre Dalous/Kookaburra 81)
The winners of the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year Contest 2012 have been announced. This is their seventh annual contest, and the winner were selected by votes from active Wikimedia project members. The picture above, of a pair of European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) by Pierre Dalous, came in first place. Continue reading to see the rest of the 12 top vote-getters.

2. On August 31, 2012 a long filament of solar material that had been hovering in the Sun's atmosphere, the Corona, erupted out into space at 4:36 p.m. EDT. (Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

3. High-speed photography of a light bulb shot with an airsoft pistol. (Image credit: Stefan Krause, Germany/Ritchyblack)

4. A wide evening view to Måbødalen in Eidfjord municipality, Hordaland, Norway, in August 2011. (Image credit:Simo Räsänen/User:Ximonic)

5. Yak near Yamdrok lake, Tibet. (Image credit: Dennis Jarvis/Archer10)

6. Šmarjetna gora, with the view towards Škofja Loka, Slovenia. (Image credit: Mihael Grmek/Meho29)

7. Heritage castle park in Pszczyna, Poland. (Image credit: Jacek Cisło/Poranek)

8. Door to Hell, a burning natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan. (Image credit: Tormod Sandtorv/Flickr, edited by Hellbus)

9. Merging in the mist: Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal. (Image credit: F Mira/Flickr)

10. Tarvasjõgi, Kõrvemaa Nature Park, Estonia. (Image credit: Ireen Trummer/Ireena)

11. The silhouette of space shuttle Endeavour seen against Earth's colorful horizon during shuttle mission STS-130. (Image credit: Crew of Expedition 22/NASA)

12. Arlington Row, Bibury, UK, built in 1380 as a monastic wool store. (Image credit: Saffron Blaze)
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