Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 shortlist

The shortlist for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition has been unveiled, showcasing a stunning collection of celestial images from around the world.

Backed by Liberty Specialty Markets, this prestigious competition, organized by the Royal Museums Greenwich, is now in its 16th year. It drew thousands of entries from top space photographers globally. The shortlisted images highlight the beauty of the cosmos, featuring star-studded skyscapes, magnified moons, and streaming suns.

Photo credit: Miguel Claro

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 shortlist

The competition offers significant prizes, including a top cash award for the overall winner and recognition in various categories. With the entry period now closed, the anticipation builds as participants and enthusiasts await the announcement of the winners.

 

A Night with the Valkyries by Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis

• Location: Hvalnesviti, Iceland
• Description: Jose captured a panoramic view of the Eystrahorn Mountain during a KP7 geomagnetic storm. The vibrant colors in the sky created a spectacle that was difficult to describe.
• Image: Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis
   

A Whale Sailing the Sun by Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau

• Location: Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
• Description: Eduardo observed an extraordinary filament resembling a plasma whale traversing the solar surface. He captured this photo by stacking frames and adding color in Photoshop.
• Image: Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau
   

Abandoned House by Stefan Liebermann

• Location: Garub, Namibia
• Description: Stefan photographed an abandoned house in the Namib Desert with the Milky Way rising above it. The sky was captured with a star tracker, creating a dream-like effect with halos around the stars.
• Image: Stefan Liebermann
   

Observations at Night by Jakob Sahner

• Location: Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
• Description: Jakob's photograph features the Isaac Newton Telescope with the Cygnus region of the Milky Way. The panorama was created with a 135mm lens, highlighting the vibrant star-forming regions.
• Image: Jakob Sahner
   

Earth and Milky Way Galaxy Show by Yoshiki Abe

• Location: Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
• Description: Yoshiki captured the reflection of Mount Aso's volcanic crater with the Milky Way. The image shows the ancient witness of Earth's activity, using PixInsight and Photoshop for processing.
• Image: Yoshiki Abe
   

SNR G156.2+5.7, a Faint Supernova Remnant in Auriga by Bray Falls

• Location: Auberry, California, USA
• Description: Bray photographed the faint supernova remnant SNR G156.2+5.7 in Auriga, showcasing the H-alpha blow-out feature forming a delicate, laced bubble.
• Image: Bray Falls
   

Arctic Dragon by Carina Letelier Baeza

• Location: Raufarhöfn, Iceland
• Description: Carina's aurora panorama resembles a dragon over the rock pyramids during a geomagnetic storm. The photo was taken at the Arctic Henge, which had the only clear skies in Iceland that night.
• Image: Carina Letelier Baeza
   

The Galaxy Devourer by ShaRA (Shared Remote Astrophotography) Team

• Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile
• Description: The ShaRA team captured CG4 (Cometary Globule 4), a nebulous and dusty complex resembling a galactic worm. The image was a collaborative effort processed using PixelMath.
• Image: ShaRa group: Marcella Botti (Italy), Vikas Chander (India), Massimo Di Fusco (Italy), Aygen Erkaslan (Switzerland), Marco Firenzuoli (Italy), Vincenzo Fiore (Italy), Vincenzo Fermo (Italy), Antonio Grizzuti (Italy), Andrea Lorio (Italy), Vittorio Liberti (Italy), Rolando Ligustri (Italy), Donato Lioce (France), Antonio Loro (Italy), Giampaolo Michieletto (Italy), Gianluigi Pazienza (Italy), Christian Privitera (Italy), Alessandro Ravagnin (Italy), Francesco Tiano (Italy), Cristiano Trabuio (Italy), Egidio Vergani (Italy)
   

Serpentine by Paul Haworth

• Location: Snettisham Beach, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK
• Description: Paul photographed a dilapidated jetty during a new moon, with tidal mudflats and trailing stars creating a serpentine effect. The image captures the ambiance of the migrating birds' sounds.
• Image: Paul Haworth

The Blue Details of M45: The Pleiades by Sándor Biliczki

• Location: AstroCamp Nerpio, Albatece, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
• Description: Sándor's photograph of the Pleiades reveals intricate details. He started astrophotography recently and captured this image despite light pollution and atmospheric conditions in Budapest.
• Image: Sandor Biliczki
   

Misty Mountains by Bence Toth

• Location: Szödliget, Pest, Hungary
• Description: Bence's close-up of the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) uses narrowband filters and the Hubble Palette method to showcase the nebula's fine dust and gas structures.
• Image: Bence Toth
   

M100 (the Blowdryer Galaxy) and Ceres by Damon Mitchell Scotting

• Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile
• Description: Damon captured the dwarf planet Ceres transiting the Blowdryer Galaxy (M100). The image highlights the difference in scale and speed between the galaxy and Ceres.
• Image: Damon Mitchell Scotting
   

Run to Carina by Vikas Chander

• Location: Kunene Region, Namibia
• Description: Vikas photographed a stone sculpture in the Kaokoland desert with the Carina arm of the Milky Way. The long exposure and light painting create a smooth transition between ground and sky.
• Image: Vikas Chander
   

International Space Station Daytime Moon Transit by Kelvin Hennessy

• Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Description: Kelvin captured the ISS transiting the half-illuminated Moon. He used various tools to find a suitable location and timing for the shoot, showcasing the ISS's passage.
• Image: Kelvin Hennessy
   

Total Solar Eclipse by Gwenaël Blanck

• Location: Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia
• Description: Gwenaël's collage of the total solar eclipse shows the corona, chromosphere, prominences, and Baily’s beads. The 62 seconds of totality were captured in April 2023.
• Image: Gwenaël Blanck
   

M81, a Grand Design Spiral Galaxy by Holden Aimar

• Location: Brownstown, Michigan, USA
• Description: Holden's photograph of M81 (Bode’s Galaxy) reveals Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN) illuminated by Milky Way stars. M81 is located about 11.75 million light years away.
• Image: Holden Aimar
   

Gigantic Solar Prominence in Motion by Miguel Claro

• Location: Dark Sky Alqueva, Évora, Portugal
• Description: Miguel captured a solar prominence stretching thousands of kilometers across the Sun's limb. The image is part of a time-lapse sequence revealing the prominence's motion.
• Image: Miguel Claro
   

Martian Dementors by Leonardo Di Maggio

• Description: Leonardo's project involved images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, creating a spooky, atmospheric Martian landscape. The image was abstracted to enhance the eerie effect.
• Image: Leonardo Di Maggio
   

Saturn with Six Moons by Andy Casely

• Location: Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
• Description: Andy captured Saturn with its six moons, including Titan, Rhea, Enceladus, and others. The image shows Saturn’s rings and the Cassini and Encke divisions prominently.
• Image: Andy Casely
   

View the full shortlist here