Tiny, microscopic elephants measuring 3 millionths of a metre tall have been discovered inside silicon solar cells.

Alexander To, a PhD student at Sydney’s University of New South Wales discovered these tiny creatures when viewing his samples under a high powered, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Alex, who was trying to create a positively doped silicon-aluminium alloy by shining a high powered laser onto his cells, was shocked to find that the molten silicon had recrystallised into miniature elephants.

“It’s certainly not what I was expecting” he explained. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”.