Every year, Greenwichs Royal Observatory considers photos of the cosmos for its Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
The 16th rendition of the contest does not disappoint.
But if youre not, you’ve got the option to check out the shortlisted finalists below.
A sunspot is shown here erupting on the surface of the Sun.Image: Wenlian Li
The Milky Way also appears in the background.
A Whale Sailing the Sun
This strikingly detailed image reveals the Suns surface.
The shot reminds me a bit of the landscapes in Courage the Cowardly Doganyone else?
© Jakob Sahner
Ancestral Rocks
These rock formations are located in a caldera in the Canary Islands Teide National Park.
Behind the formations is the arc of the Milky Way.
Arctic Dragon
Per the title, the aurora above Icelands Arctic Henge resembles a bright green dragon.
© Kevin Morefield
Earth and Milky Way Galaxy Show
A volcanic crater in Japan, the Milky Way above it.
Hunters Moon and the ISS
Octobers full moon is also called a Hunters Moon.
In the foreground of the natural satellite is the International Space Station (bottom right).
© Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis
Misty Mountains
The Pelican Nebulas dust and gas structures, seen through a telescope in Hungary.
Martian Dementors
The Martian landscape as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The image abstracts the landscape to the point that the terrain looks like a chunk of some menacing creature.
© Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau
Saturn with Six Moons
Behold Saturn, the ringed planet, accompanied by six of its moons.
To the left, you’re free to spot Rhea, Enceladus, and Mimas as tiny specks.
Solar Pulsation
A sunspot is shown here erupting on the surface of the Sun.
© Stefan Liebermann
Sunspots are darker regions on the Suns surface associated with the stars magnetic field.
The Dance of Jupiters Moons
Jupiter with its moons Io and Ganymede.
Io is a compelling research target for scientists, given itsdesolate and volcano-covered landscape.
© Andrea Curzi
The Fire-Spitting Dragon
Heres another aurora reminiscent of a mythical flying serpent.
Total Solar Eclipse
An arguably obligatory image of a total solar eclipse.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
© Carina Letelier Baeza
Starliner Is Back on Earth, but Its Crew Remains in Space.
Whats Next for Boeing and NASA?
© Chester Hall-Fernandez
© Jianfeng Dai
© Yoshiki Abe
© Charles Pevsner
© Tom Glenn
© Holden Aimar
© Damon Mitchell Scotting
© Yann Sainty
© Bence Tóth
© Leonardo Di Maggio
© Jakob Sahner
© Vikas Chander
© Andy Casely
© Paul Haworth
© Sándor Biliczki
© Marco Lorenzi
© Moritz Telser
© ShaRa
© Kevin Morefield
© Kelvin Hennessy
© Geshuang Chen
© Gwenaël Blanck