Astrophotography is probably one of the most difficult and specialized types of photography to try your hand at, but if you manage to get it right the rewards are some of the most astonishingly breathtaking images you are ever likely to see.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich has just revealed the winners of its annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, and the quality of the entrants was nothing short of spectacular. This year the competition attracted 4,602 entries from 90 different countries across the world, all presenting the universe in a new light and vying for the coveted prize of best picture.
#1 Aurorae: ‘Aurora Is A Bird’ By Alexander Stepanenko
Image source: Alexander Stepanenko
#2 Stars And Nebulae: ‘Deep In The Heart Of Mordor – Ngc 7293’ By Andrew Campbell
Image source: Andrew Campbell
#3 Our Sun Winner: ‘A Little Fireworks’ By Alan Friedman
This image presents a view of the Sun infrequently seen. It reminds me of images viewed through a microscope rather than a telescope. Taking something as huge as our star and presenting it in such fine detail as if observed under the microscope is a real feat of photography.
Oana Sandu, Community Coordinator and Communication Strategy Officer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO)
The use of a different colour palette to our expectations gives us an alternative way to think about the Sun.
Alan Sparrow, Chair of the UK Picture Editors’ Guild and Director of the UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards
Image source: Alan Friedman
#4 People And Space Winner: ‘Ben, Floyd & The Core’ By Ben Bush
Cloud cover doesn’t always scupper astronomy. It can complement and frame the sense of awe so long as it keeps in the right place, as captured here.
Jon Culshaw, comedian, impersonator and regular guest on The Sky at Night
Talk about a ’decisive moment!’ Vast yet intimate, breathtaking and touching all in one beautiful image.
Rebecca Roth, Image Coordinator and Social Media Specialist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
I love the story of how Floyd the dog was persuaded to be a part of this fantastic image.
Alan Sparrow, Chair of the UK Picture Editors’ Guild and Director of the UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards
Image source: Ben Bush
#5 Skyscapes Highly Commended: ‘Flower Power’ By Brandon Yoshizawa
Timing is everything. There is no better example of that than this image. However, even the best timing needs an expert eye to make the most of it. The perfect execution of capturing and processing here makes me feel as if I’m standing on the ground witnessing this incredible event.
Steve Marsh, Art Editor for BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Looking rather like a special effect from some imaginary spacecraft in a science-fiction story, this image shows hot exhaust from a launching rocket making contact with colder air. Though the initial plume is thin, the changes in atmospheric conditions as the rocket climbs cause the exhaust to surge dramatically outwards, creating the ‘petals’ of the flower. Under the right conditions, minute ice crystals form, reflecting and scattering light from over the horizon, injecting colour into the scene (including rainbow effects). The apparent stillness of the natural landscape and the man-made activity overhead contrast wonderfully, and are dramatically framed.
Edward Bloomer, Planetarium Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Image source: Brandon Yoshizawa
#6 Stars And Nebulae: ‘Ngc 6164, The Blue Doily’ By Josep Drudis
Image source: Josep Drudis
#7 Galaxies Highly Commended: ‘Andromeda Galaxy’ By Raul Villaverde Fraile
This is a popular deep-sky target imaged to an intensely detailed degree. The bright halo around M31 really shines here. This is not easy to capture without bleaching out detail in the brighter parts of the main galaxy, but the photographer has managed to display fine dust lanes spiralling all the way into a beautifully balanced galactic core.
Steve Marsh, Art Editor for BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Image source: Raul Villaverde Fraile
#8 Aurorae: ‘To The Flying Aurora’ By Zhijun Yan
Image source: Zhijun Yan
#9 Stars And Nebulae: ‘Depth And Height, Ngc 7822 Devil’s Head Nebulae Complex’ By László Bagi
Image source: László Bagi
#10 Robotic Scope: ‘Sh2-308 Dolphin Head’ By Tian Lee
Image source: Tian Lee
#11 Skyscapes Winner: ‘Across The Sky Of History’ By Wang Zheng
I was immediately struck by the surrealist quality of this image. There is a calmness about the scene but also a great strength in the twisted form of the dead tree reaching out, both towards the Milky Way and the falling meteor, making a powerful connection between the Earth, near sky and deep sky. The tonal quality and range emphasize the detail, which I can easily lose myself in for quite some time.
Mandy Bailey, Astronomy Secretary for the Royal Astronomy Society
From the movement of the trees to the streak of the meteor, there is symmetry and drama in this shot that feels like it was always there. The decision to de-saturate the image gives it an ageless feel.
Steve Marsh, Art Editor for BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Image source: Wang Zheng
#12 Skyscapes: ‘Deadvlei’ By Stefan Liebermann
Image source: Stefan Liebermann
#13 Aurorae: ‘Aurora Like Phoenix’ By Wang Zheng
Image source: Wang Zheng
#14 The Sir Patrick Moore Prize For Best Newcomer Joint: ‘Bloodborne’ By Keijo Laitala
Image source: Keijo Laitala
#15 Our Moon: ‘Mineral Moon – Aristarchus Quadrangle’ By Alain Paillou
Image source: Alain Paillou
#16 Aurorae: ‘Aurora Outside The Tiny Cave’ By Sutie Yang
Image source: Sutie Yang
#17 People And Space Runner-Up: ‘Above The Tower’ By Sam King
Night-time mist, ancient ruins, ethereal light and the quiet expression of the human presence all make this contemplative scene remind me of the romantic landscapes of the German painter Caspar David Friedrich.
Melanie Vandenbrouck, Curator of Art at Royal Museums Greenwich
Image source: Sam King
#18 Our Moon: ‘Sunlight Versus Earthshine’ By László Francsics
Image source: László Francsics
#19 Stars And Nebulae Runner-Up: ‘A Horsehead Curtain Call’ By Bob Franke
It takes control to present monochrome images of such colourful objects such as this one. Even more control to produce one as perfectly processed as this of an object notorious for its imaging difficulty.
Steve Marsh, Art Editor for BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Image source: Bob Franke
#20 Skyscapes Runner-Up: ‘Galactic Lighthouse’ By Ruslan Merzlyakov
The range, balance and framing of this composition are already incredible, yet some intangible ingredient further elevates this image to dizzying heights of surreal beauty. The essence of exploration, from the terrestrial shore to the cosmic shore, with beacons of light both grounded and celestial, is utterly spellbinding.
Tom Kerss, Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Image source: Ruslan Merzlyakov
#21 Skyscapes: ‘Worimi’ By Jay Evans
Image source: Jay Evans
#22 Stars And Nebulae Winner: ‘Statue Of Liberty Nebula’ By Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
This is simply exquisite! I love the pastel aquamarine and rosy hues, the delicate wisps of gas and dust, the finely drawn features of the nebula.
Melanie Vandenbrouck, Curator of Art at Royal Museums Greenwich
The choice of palette and attention to colour balance lend a fairy-tale quality to this image. Pools of light are perfectly balanced, inviting the eye to explore the abstract sculptural beauty of the nebulae. A superb result.
Tom Kerss, Public Astronomy Officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Image source: Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
#23 Stars And Nebulae Highly Commended: ‘The Elegant Elephant’s Trunk’ By Lluís Romero Ventura
An image of swathes of the universe under construction conveying a grace and beauty at vast distance, which contrasts with the cataclysms and ‘late heavy bombardments’ which are likely taking place at the heart of it.
Jon Culshaw, comedian, impersonator and regular guest on The Sky at Night
Image source: Lluís Romero Ventura
#24 Our Sun Highly Commended: ‘The Sun – Atmospheric Detail’ By Jason Guenzel
I commend the creative and artistic choices made by the photographer in both the colour palette and the highlighting of the prominence with an enhanced atmospheric layer. The final image is spectacular.
Ed Robinson, Award-winning photographer, creative director, visual consultant and founder of OneRedEye Visual Communications
Image source: rmg.co.uk
#25 The Sir Patrick Moore Prize For Best Newcomer Joint: ‘The Perseid Fireball 2018’ By Zhengye Tang
Image source: Zhengye Tang
#26 Stars And Nebulae: ‘Fiery Lobster Nebula’ By Suavi Lipinski
Image source: Suavi Lipinski
#27 Stars And Nebulae: ‘The Running Man Nebula’ By Steven Mohr
Image source: Steven Mohr
#28 Galaxies Runner-Up: ‘Hydrogen Sculptures In The Large Magellanic Cloud’ By Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
This is a fascinatingly unusual image in its texture and patterns, like endless backlit smoke rings in the corner of a celestial jazz bar.
Jon Culshaw, comedian, impersonator and regular guest on The Sky at Night
Image source: Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
#29 Our Sun Runner-Up: ‘The Active Area Ar12714’ By Gabriel Corban
This is an incredible portrait of the Sun’s untameable fury – a maelstrom of seething plasma we so seldom consider as we bask in its warm rays on a peaceful day.
Tom Kerss, Public Astronomy Officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Image source: Gabriel Corban
#30 Planets, Comets And Asteroids Highly Commended: ‘Black Saturn’ By Martin Lewis
I’ve loved the monochrome images in this year’s competition and this view of Saturn is no exception. Capturing an image using a methane filter to reveal this type of detail is technically challenging. It gives us a very different view of Saturn and one I found fascinating to explore, wondering what caused the methane to form into such bands.
Mandy Bailey, Astronomy Secretary for the Royal Astronomical Society
Image source: Martin Lewis
#31 The Sir Patrick Moore Prize For Best Newcomer Joint: ‘The Horsehead Nebula’ By Rob Mogford
Image source: Rob Mogford
#32 Our Moon: ‘Hubble Space Telescope Transits Across The Moon Between Lunar X And Lunar V’ By Michael Marston
Image source: Michael Marston
#33 Stars And Nebulae: ‘Ngc 2070 – The Tarantula Nebula’ By Thomas Klemmer
Image source: Thomas Klemmer
#34 Aurorae Winner: ‘The Watcher’ By Nicolai Brügger
I love the detail in the foreground. It puts a perspective on the aurora and gives a scale to this phenomenon.
Alan Sparrow, Chair of the UK Picture Editors’ Guild and Director of the UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards
If an image is worth a thousand words, this one definitely encompasses that. The amount of elements to explore in this frame is impressive. Even more impressive is the way the elements come together in a balanced composition: the Milky Way arch above intersects with the aurora and the human presence points towards the landscape below, which puts up a light show of its own. I especially liked spotting the footprints in the snow.
Oana Sandu, Community Coordinator and Communication Strategy Officer at the European Southern Observatory
Image source: Nicolai Brügger
#35 Skyscapes: ‘Mars Above The Keck Lasers’ By Sean Goebel
Image source: Sean Goebel
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