{"id":536682,"date":"2026-07-07T01:38:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T01:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/536682\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T01:38:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T01:38:24","slug":"see-ten-spectacular-images-from-this-years-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-capture-the-wonders-of-the-universe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/536682\/","title":{"rendered":"See Ten Spectacular Images From This Year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year Contest That Capture the Wonders of the Universe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pictures, on the competition\u2019s shortlist, reveal the remarkable celestial objects that lie above our heads, both in deep space and closer to home<\/p>\n

\"Eli<\/p>\n

\n

Eli Stark-Elster<\/a><\/p>\n

| AAAS Mass Media Fellow<\/p>\n

July 6, 2026 10:00 a.m.<\/p>\n

\"swirling<\/p>\n

The Crimson Vortex and Sapphire Blossoms of Andromeda
\n \u00a9 Chuhong Yu and Zuoming Wang<\/p>\n

Each year, the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London invites photographers from across the globe to submit their finest shots of stars, auroras, galaxies, the moon and more. The 18th edition of its ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition<\/a> drew nearly 4,000 entries from 66 countries.<\/p>\n

The 29 shortlisted images, announced on July 1, highlight the staggering patience, drive and good fortune required to produce such awe-inspiring images. Photographers hauled their gear through the Swiss Alps, onto freezing British beaches and up volcanic plateaus, then stacked the results from hours, nights or, in one case, half a year of exposure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are honored to support the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition\u2014a celebration of those who turn their eyes to the night sky and share its beauty with the world,\u201d says Sam Wen, founder and CEO of ZWO, in a statement shared with media. \u201cWe hope to help more individuals discover the quiet beauty of looking up and finding their place beneath the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the coming months, a panel of art and astronomy experts will select the winners of the competition\u2019s nine categories, two special prizes and a grand award. They\u2019ll be announced on September 17, after which the photos will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in London.<\/p>\n

One of the shortlisted photographs, shown above, is a stunning view of the\u00a0Andromeda Galaxy<\/a>. Chinese photographers Chuhong Yu and Zuoming Wang spent more than 111 hours taking this deep-field portrait of our galactic neighbor. At the core of Andromeda is a supermassive black hole, at the center of the crimson swirl of hot, electrically charged gas. Also visible are the blue blossoms of stellar nurseries scattered across its arms, where new stars are still busy being born.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are nine other striking images in contention this year.<\/p>\n

\"red<\/p>\n

Moody Partial Solar Eclipse<\/p>\n

\u00a9 James McBeath<\/p>\n

In March 2025, the moon partially blocked<\/a> the sun from the perspective of parts of Europe and other regions, allowing a partial solar eclipse to grace the skies. British photographer James McBeath was prepared to capture the moment. He spent hours tracking the eclipse from a park in Leeds, waiting for clouds to drift across the sun. He left with hundreds of frames, but this particular image, with clouds framing the crescent sun in a muted bloody glow, immediately caught his eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very happy with most of the shots I took that day, but this one is easily the dreamiest,\u201d McBeath says in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"green<\/p>\n

Eagle Aurora<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Jennifer Rogers<\/p>\n

U.K.-based photographer Jennifer Rogers<\/a>\u00a0captured this remarkable shot in Norway\u2019s Lofoten Islands. It shows an\u00a0aurora<\/a>, caused by charged particles from the sun passing through Earth\u2019s magnetic field. She had scouted the icy bay during the day and returned after sunset. She set up her camera, looked up, and saw the northern lights pulsing overhead in the shape of an eagle spreading its wings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The aurora\u2019s \u201cintensity and speed were breathtaking,\u201d Rogers says in the statement.<\/p>\n

\"Pinkish<\/p>\n

Supermoon Path Over Paris at Sunset<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Martin Giraud<\/p>\n

French photographer\u00a0Martin Giraud<\/a>\u00a0recorded the first full moon of the year rising behind the Paris skyline. As it crosses paths with the Eiffel Tower and the Sacr\u00e9-C\u0153ur Basilica, the lunar orb looms gargantuan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The positioning of the landmarks explains this effect: The Eiffel Tower and basilica sat about 3.9 miles and 6.9 miles from his camera, respectively, and the distance between them caused the moon to take on a larger-than-life appearance. The image has a pink hue because the moon rose just before sunset.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The Savannah Tree<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Rafael Schmall<\/p>\n

Clear winter skies are rare in Hungary, but when they arrive, an H-alpha telescope\u2014capable of observing deep red light\u2014can reveal surprises on the surface of the sun. In this image, Hungarian photographer\u00a0Rafael Schmall<\/a>\u00a0captured a\u00a0solar prominence<\/a>\u00a0erupting from the edge of our home star. The feature, located at the top of the photo, resembles the branching shape of an acacia tree.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The scale of the \u201ctree\u201d is deceiving: The solar prominence is vast enough to fit many Earths beneath its canopy.<\/p>\n

\"Moonlight<\/p>\n

Setsu-getsu-ka<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Takanobu Kurosaki<\/p>\n

The title of this image is a traditional Japanese phrase meaning \u201csnow, moon and flowers.\u201d Japanese photographer\u00a0Takanobu Kurosaki<\/a> caught all three at the Funakawa River. His shortlisted image shows cherry blossoms in the foreground and the snow-capped peak of Mount Asahi in the background, both of which glow beneath a lunar halo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The famous blossoms usually last less than two weeks, which makes their alignment with the snow and moonlight a rare event. \u201cTo emphasize the fragility of the scene, I captured this as a single exposure rather than as a composite,\u201d Kurosaki says in the statement.<\/p>\n

\"Dozens<\/p>\n

Meteor Shower Over the Big Dipper<\/p>\n

\u00a9 ZhiPu Wang<\/p>\n

On one December night, Chinese photographer ZhiPu Wang set out to photograph the Big Dipper, using a soft-focus filter to expand the stars. Then, the\u00a0Geminid meteor shower<\/a>\u00a0appeared, filling the sky with falling points of light. Wang adjusted his settings, and within three hours, he captured dozens of shooting stars streaking across the frame.<\/p>\n

\"Comet<\/p>\n

Comet C\/2025 A6 (Lemmon) Over the Swiss Alps<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Jakob Sahner<\/p>\n

On the last clear night before a new moon cycle, German photographer\u00a0Jakob Sahner<\/a>\u00a0drove into the Swiss Alps to record\u00a0Comet C\/2025 A6 (Lemmon)<\/a>\u00a0just before dawn. The comet hangs above a jagged alpine ridgeline, highlighting its brevity\u2014the icy object will not visit Earth again for 1,350 years<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe four-hour hike to this spot was worth it, even though I hadn\u2019t done any planning beforehand on how to shoot this comet,\u201d Sahner says in the statement.<\/p>\n

\"Torii<\/p>\n

The Celestial Gate<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Yoshiki Abe<\/p>\n

At Nata Beach in Japan, a\u00a0torii gate<\/a>\u00a0stands above the waves, marking a boundary site between the physical world and the spiritual world, according to Shinto tradition. Japanese photographer Yoshiki Abe frames the gate below the Lagoon<\/a> and Trifid<\/a> nebulas, clouds of gas and dust filled with baby stars. Positioned below the shining stellar nurseries, the gate looks like a portal to the heavens.<\/p>\n

\"parallel<\/p>\n

Solargraph 182 Days<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Ksawery Wrobel<\/p>\n

Using a homemade pinhole camera loaded with photosensitive paper, U.S.-based photographer\u00a0Ksawery Wrobel<\/a>\u00a0recorded 182 days of the sun\u2019s path across the sky. Each arc in the image represents the sun\u2019s movement over the course of one day. The gaps signal days when the star stayed hidden behind clouds. Across the exposure, the band of arcs shifts as the sun sinks and climbs with the seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTo create my solargraph photos, I use small round aluminium jars, as they are easy to install in urban spaces,\u201d Wrobel says in the statement.<\/p>\n

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