Run by the Royal Museums of Greenwich in the UK, the shortlist of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year has been announced. Here are some of them:
The Milky Way reflected in the Snake River at the famous Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park. The galaxy is poised just above the horizon mimicking a glowing cloud. (David Kingham; USA)
Situated 7500 light years away in the ‘W’-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia, the Heart Nebula is a vast region of glowing gas, energised by a cluster of young stars at its centre. The image depicts the central region, where dust clouds are being eroded and moulded into rugged shapes by the searing cosmic radiation. (Ivan Eder; Hungary)
A father and his young son watch the evening display of Comet PanSTARRS on First Encounter Beach, Eastham, Massachusetts, USA. (Chris Cook; USA)
In-flight Entertainment: Resplendent aurora seen from the window of a transatlantic flight between London and New York in February 2014. The photographer balanced his camera on his backpack to capture this image of the greatest natural light show on earth from a rare perspective.(Paul Williams; UK)
The Milky Way reflected in the Snake River at the famous Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park. The galaxy is poised just above the horizon mimicking a glowing cloud. (David Kingham; USA)
Three Planets in Conjunction: Sunset and flora of the African savannah afford a unique background for the planetary alignment of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury (Lóránd Fényes; Hungary)
Flamboyant flare-up A flamboyant flare-up of the aurora over Steinsvik beach, in Nordreisa, Troms, Norway. (Tommy Richardsen; Norway)
You can see more of the photographs on the shortlist on London’s Telegraph website.
