4,000 Photos Compete for Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Imagine a pink Paris skyline with the full moon's complete path arcing overhead, or a solar eruption shaped exactly like an acacia tree. These breathtaking images are among the finalists in the 18th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich received nearly 4,000 submissions from 769 photographers across 66 countries. The entries showcase everything from shimmering auroras to distant galaxies to detailed landscapes of Earth's moon.

Some finalists pushed technical boundaries while creating art. Photographer Tom Williams combined several views of Mars taken throughout 2025 into one stunning composite image. Rafael Schmall captured a solar prominence erupting from the sun's surface, creating what looks remarkably like a tree made of plasma.

"It's a very stunning, very striking image," said Greg Brown, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory and competition judge. "It gives the viewer a feeling of motion and movement of the active nature of the sun."

Another photographer traveled just four miles from the Eiffel Tower to capture the full moon's journey across the Parisian sky. Meanwhile in China, a different artist photographed a night sky filled with falling stars.

Why This Inspires

Brown describes the competition as a wonderful blend of cutting-edge science and pure artistry. The images don't require deep astronomical knowledge to appreciate their beauty.

"The beauty of the images, the wonderful array of colors and compositions, can be appreciated regardless of your understanding of what it is exactly that you're looking at," Brown explained. The competition proves that science and art aren't separate worlds but deeply connected ways of seeing our universe.

The judges will select winners across nine categories plus two special prizes and one overall champion. The process moves quickly because exceptional images naturally stand out. "There'll always be something about it that makes it stand out," Brown said.

The overall winner receives 10,000 pounds (about $13,300), while category winners get 1,500 pounds (about $2,000). Runners-up and highly commended photographers also receive smaller cash prizes.

Winners will be announced on September 17. The winning images will be displayed at London's National Maritime Museum alongside other shortlisted photographs, giving visitors a chance to experience the universe's beauty through the eyes of passionate photographers worldwide.