Dragons in the sky? See the breathtaking finalists for Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024

The Royal Observatory Greenwich‘s Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has revealed the shortlist for its 16th edition. Like every year, it shares with us incredible astronomical wonders, captured by passionate photographers from all over the world.

This year’s competition saw over 3,500 entries from 58 countries, featuring breathtaking skyscapes, mesmerizing auroras, and distant galaxies. Shortlisted images include an aurora borealis that resembles a dragon, supernova remnants from over 10,000 years ago, and the Geminid meteor shower alongside the Milky Way, to name just a few.

An expert panel of judges will select the winners from nine categories, including:

• Skyscapes
• Aurorae
• People and Space
• Our Sun
• Our Moon
• Planets, Comets and Asteroids
• Stars and Nebulae
• Galaxies
• Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year (for photographers under 16)

The overall winner and category winners will be announced on September 12, 2024, alongside two special prizes:

• Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer: Awarded to new photographers
• Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation: Recognizing exceptional processing of open-source astronomical data.

The winning images will be displayed at a stunning exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in London, opening on September 14, 2024. Visitors can also view a selection of shortlisted photos.

The official competition book, Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Collection 13, will be available at the exhibition and online starting September 14. This beautiful hardcover book features all the shortlisted images with detailed information about each photograph.

If you’re in London, don’t miss this opportunity to witness the universe’s wonders through the lens of talented astrophotographers. And if you’re far, far away, enjoy the gorgeous shortlisted photos below. Make sure to visit the contest’s website for more photos and information.