13 Most Iconic Science Pictures Ever Taken

8. Photo 51

We've all heard of Watson and Crick and their great discoveries about the structure of DNA, but none of that would have been possible without this image.

Photograph 51 is an x-ray diffraction image that depicts an actual strand of DNA. It was taken by PhD student, Raymond Gosling in May 1952, working under the supervision of Rosalind Franklin. It gives a good impression of the double helix structure of DNA that is so famous today.

Believe it or not, this grainy image is highly controversial, with many arguing that Watson and Crick essentially stole it from Franklin, used it without her permission and played down her role entirely in their research.