Astrophotographer of the Year from Astrophotography Prize 2024

Category Winners Showcase the Best in Deep Space, Solar System, Remote Imaging, and Astro Landscapes.

The 2024 Astrophotography Prize winners have been announced, with Australian photographer Phil Hart named Astrophotographer of the Year for his breathtaking capture of the 2023 Solar Eclipse over Exmouth, Western Australia. Hart's winning image, which he claims to be the highest-resolution (white light) image of the solar corona ever recorded, mesmerised the judges and stood out among hundreds of entries from across the globe.

Phil Hart wins Astrophotography Prize 'Astrophotographer of the Year 2024', celebrating the best in international astro imaging

Phil Hart’s photo was celebrated for its technical precision and artistic brilliance, earning him top honours in the Solar System category and the prestigious Grand Prize: a Stellarvue SVX 102 Telescope.

Deep Space Category Winner - Yann Sainty

Deep Space winners

Winner: Yann Sainty – Supernova Remnant G119.5+10.2 (CTA 1)

Sainty's striking image of this rarely photographed supernova remnant, with its dense Hα and OIII filaments and dust clouds, won him first place in the Deep Space category.

Runner-Up: Yann Sainty – Monoceros Horn Widefield
Sainty's second recognized image, a wide-field mosaic capturing emission, reflection, and dark nebulae, impressed the judges with its contrast of cosmic structures.

Second Runner-Up: Kevin Morefield – NGC 3981: A Beautifully Disturbed Spiral Galaxy

Morefield's image of NGC 3981 reveals a galaxy seemingly unraveling, with its spiral
arms trailing behind as its structure dissipates.

Astro Landscape Category Winner - Kavan Chay

Astro Landscape winners

Winner: Kavan Chay – Egmont National Park, New Zealand

Chay's magical shot of the Milky Way over a volcanic snowfield won for its perfect harmony between earth and sky.

Runner-Up: Troy Casswell – Bald Rock Panorama

Casswell's innovative use of UV light brought out the rock formations and Milky Way in an impressive blend of technique and creativity.

Second Runner-Up: Will Hudson – Aurora Over the Grampians

Hudson’s panoramic composition captured the beauty of an aurora triggered by a solar flare, merging landscape and night sky into a stunning image.

Solar System winners

Winner: Phil Hart – Sunflower in the Exmouth Sky

Hart’s detailed image of the solar eclipse over Exmouth earned first place in this category, showcasing his mastery in capturing the solar corona.

Runner-Up: Gerald Rhemann – Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard

Rhemann’s shot from Namibia highlighted the dynamic beauty of the comet’s tail as it journeyed through space.

Second Runner-Up: Phil Hart – 2023 Solar Eclipse

Hart's close-up of the eclipse over Exmouth was created using multiple telescopes, video frames, and RAW exposures, demonstrating his dedication to capturing the event in incredible detail.

Remote Imaging Category Winner - Julian Shapiro

Remote Imaging winners

Winner: Julian Shapiro – Two Oxygen Rings of Cygnus

At just 16 years old, Shapiro’s remote imaging uncovered a newly discovered cosmic feature, showcasing emissions from the Wolf-Rayet star WR134 in breathtaking detail.

Runner-Up: Logan Carpenter – Cocoon Nebula

Carpenter’s precise image of the Cocoon Nebula’s comet-like tail, set against a
backdrop of hydrogen alpha, secured him second place in this category.

Second Runner-Up: Herbert Walter – The Bubble Galaxy

Walter's image of NGC 3521, a flocculent spiral galaxy, impressed the judges with its soft, woolly appearance.

Judging process

The judging began with each image being scored out of 100 by three specialist
astrophotographers. The top 25 images from each category were then judged in a
second round by a panel of five world-class astrophotographers.

Judges included Wolfgang Promper, Christopher Go, Marcel Drechsler, Bray Falls and
Rogelio Bernal Andreo and astrophysicist Dr. Tanya Hill.

This final round of judging was conducted live and broadcast on YouTube. This unique,
transparent judging process offers valuable educational insights for all participants.The
highest-scoring image in each category was named the winner, and Phil Hart was
selected as the overall photographer of the year from the category winners.

Judges' comments

"This year’s competition featured some of the most impressive astrophotography we’ve
ever seen. Phil Hart’s image was a masterclass in technique, creativity, and dedication, showcasing faint lunar details alongside the petal-like streams of the solar corona," said judge Dr. Tanya Hill.

Judge "Strongman" Mike Sidonio added, "The quality of the top 25 entries in each
category was so high, it felt like choosing between your favorite children."

Website and further details

The winning photographs can be viewed on the Astrophotography Prize Website,
and all winning images will be featured in a special edition of The Southern Astronomer Magazine.