Nearly 4,000 entries narrowed to striking finalists that blend art and science. Expect dramatic lunar alignments, auroras, and rare solar details among the shortlisted images.

The finalists for the 18th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have been announced. The organizer is the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Among the contenders is a photograph of a full Moon soaring above the pink silhouette of Paris, four miles from the Eiffel Tower, and a night sky in China with shooting stars.

This year, nearly 4,000 submissions were received from 769 photographers across 66 countries. Among the contest images are the glow of the aurora, galaxies, and landscapes connected to Earth’s Moon.

Finalists and Their Works

Some images stand out for their technical excellence, noted Greg Brown, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory and a jury member.

Finalist Tom Williams emphasized that his image contains several views of Mars over one year, combined into a composite titled Mars in 2025.
Finalist Rafael Shmall from Hungary captured The Savannah Tree, showcasing a solar prominence plasma structure erupting in the shape of an acacia tree above the Sun’s surface.

This is a very striking and incredibly expressive image; it gives the viewer a sense of movement and the dynamism of the Sun’s active nature.

– Greg Brown

The jury will determine winners in nine categories, as well as award two special prizes and select a single overall winner.

This is an art contest as much as any other

– Greg Brown

The winner of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year will receive a prize of £10,000 (approximately $13,300 USD), while the winners in each category will receive £1,500 (approximately $2,000 USD). Silver prize winners and those with mentions will also receive smaller cash rewards.

The winning images will be announced on 17 September. They will be exhibited at London’s National Maritime Museum along with other works from the shortlist.

The competition’s expectations confirm that such photographs continue to blend art and science and inspire photographers and astronomy enthusiasts around the world.