Extreme close-up: Scientists capture first image of two atoms vibrating INSIDE a molecule (but we'll have to take their word for it)

A new photograph shows two atoms vibrating together inside a molecule - a first for science.

Researchers used a mind-boggling technique where they turned an electron into a 'flash bulb' to capture the image.

The precise control required to set off the 'flash' has offered hope that scientists may one day be able to control chemicals at the atomic scale.

Principal investigator Louis DiMauro of Ohio State University said that the feat marks a first step toward not only observing chemical reactions, but also controlling them on an atomic scale

The team used ultrafast laser pulses to knock one electron out of its natural orbit in a molecule.

When it returns to the molecule, the atoms have moved - allowing the scientists to capture the atoms in motion.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2112240/Extreme-close-Scientists-capture-image-atoms-INSIDE-molecule-just-word-it.html