It shows a single positively-charged strontium atom, held in place by electric fields arising from two metal needles on either side of it. The distance between the small needle tips is about two millimeters.The atom is being illuminated by a blue-violet laser.

“The idea of being able to see a single atom with the naked eye had struck me as a wonderfully direct and visceral bridge between the miniscule quantum world and our macroscopic reality,” Nadlinger said in a statement.

“When I set off to the lab with camera and tripods one quiet Sunday afternoon, I was rewarded with this particular picture of a small, pale blue dot.”

The dot in question, which is in fact a single atom, can be seen clearly by zooming in on the center of the image. It is visible because it absorbs and re-emits the bright light of the laser. The contraption is housed inside an ultra-high vacuum chamber and dramatically cooled to keep the atom still. Extremely still strontium atoms like this one are used in atomic clocks.

Great coverage of EPSRC's Science Photo Competition. Thanks again to all the judges. @RAEngNews https://t.co/a2TbKtRKXw https://t.co/fMI2WdqpeZ pic.twitter.com/i6M9yycmoq

— EPSRC (@EPSRC) February 13, 2018

The image beat more than 100 other entries to claim first place. Among the other striking prize winners was an image of a remotely controlled vehicle searching for simulated Fukushima fuel debris, and a photo showing a ‘biodegradable microbowl’ that could help in the fight against cancer.