The Royal Observatory, Greenwich (formerly the Royal Greenwich Observatory or RGO) organized an Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition and announced the winners on Wednesday 9 September. An exhibition of all images opened on the following day at the observatory. The winners are Martin Pugh, Michael O'Connell, Thomas Davis, Nikhil Shahi, Ted Dobosz, Michael Sidonio, Martin Pugh, Nick Howes, Karl Johnston, and Vicent Miu.
The following are some of the shortlisted images in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Let's enjoy the wonderful astronomy images.
The Horsehead Nebula (centre) is a dark cloud of gas and dust in the constellation Orion. Dense knots formed by condense of the gas, dust, and other materials will become stars and planets.
Photograph: Martin Pugh/Royal Observatory Greenwich
The dark areas in this photograph of the moon are vast plains of solidified lava known as lunar seas (maria)
Photograph: Michael O'Connell/Royal Observatory Greenwich
Part of Eta Carina, a vast nebula or cloud of dust and gas from which a new generation of stars is condensing
Photograph: Thomas Davis/Royal Observatory Greenwich
Trails were left by stars as the Earth rotated during this 40-minute exposure in Death Valley, California. The three distinct lines extending from the horizon on the left are stars in Orion's Belt
Photograph: Nikhil Shahi/Royal Observatory Greenwich
As the Earth spins during this 30-minute exposure the stars make trails around the sky's south pole with orange glow over Blue Mountains, Australia.
Photograph: Ted Dobosz/Royal Observatory Greenwich
All the stars separately individually visible are in our own Milky Way, while the galaxy Centaurus-A, which is millions of light years beyond, has merged with another, smaller galaxy and the debris from this collision forms the rusty brown band of dust across its middle
Photograph: Michael Sidonio/Royal Observatory Greenwich
Two 'blue-reflection nebulae' - clouds of dust that scatter the light of nearby stars. They are associated with young stars not more than a few million years old.
Photograph: Martin Pugh/Royal Observatory Greenwich
Comet Holmes can be seen roughly every seven years. The nucleus of a comet is a 'dirty snowball' just a few kilometres across, surrounded by a tenuous cloud of glowing dust
Photograph: Nick Howes/Royal Observatory Greenwich
The Northern Lights or aurora borealis
Photograph: Karl Johnston/Royal Observatory Greenwich
Venus, Jupiter and the moon rise at sunset over the Nepean river, New South Wales, Australia
Photograph: Vincent Miu/Royal Observatory Greenwich
