Take a look at some of the amazing pictures from National Geographic’s 2011 Photo Nominee Contest

National Geographic is holding its annual competition to choose the best pictures from the past year. Last year, 16,000 readers from 130 countries submitted and this year's winner will be awarded $10,000 among other prizes.

The nominees include a cloud formation that looks more like a UFO:

A Snowy Owl on the hunt:

And a foggy sunrise in Dubai:

Take a look at the full gallery of pictures here.