So those patterns appeared after you ran the noise reduction filter? Maybe that's the way the noise reduction algorithm works?
Lots of possibilities. As Eiii suggested, it could be something with the camera - perhaps light light refracting off of the crystal structure itself. Were the source images compressed? It could be caused by the compression algorithm. Light is also impacted by gravity, so there could be some funky things going on there. I doubt that would cause the grid-like pattern, though. I'm leaning more toward the camera. It could be even the way the light sensor works.
In any case, it really is thought provoking... makes us seem rather small and insignificant.
