Few disciplines are as full of complexity and mystery as biology. But as with any science, public interest has to be earned. Directing public eyeballs toward the study of life is why the UK-based Wellcome Trust hosts the Wellcome Image Awards, presenting some of the most unbelievable, uncanny, and sometimes unnerving images from all of biological science.

This year’s overall winner, announced today, is a jaw-dropping frame showing a 5-month-old horse fetus. Floating above its opened womb, the delicate organic veil of the placenta parts just enough to reveal two diminutive hooves of a developing foal. It’s a stunning expression of the fragility of life, equally morbid and serene. It won because it meets the explicit aim of the award: to attract the public eye and inspire wonder.