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Astronomy Photographer of the Year
This is the world's largest annual exhibition showcasing space photography, organized by the Royal Greenwich Observatory (part of the Royal Greenwich Museum). Over 100 outstanding photographs are displayed at the National Maritime Museum in the UK each year. In 2021, the 13th year of the award, more than 4,500 entries were submitted from 75 countries worldwide.
The competition has nine main categories and two special prizes: one for the best work utilizing open-source data from telescopes, and another for first-time participants.
This year, due to the pandemic, the Royal Greenwich Museum held an online awards ceremony, giving everyone the opportunity to admire incredible works of art and observe the universe from unique perspectives, whether at home or anywhere else. Below are the stunning photographs that were honored in 11 photography categories of The Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021.
Our Sun
The photograph "The Golden Ring" by Chinese photographer Shuchang Dong.
The winner of the Our Sun category, and the overall winner of the award, for Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021, was Shuchang Dong, a Chinese photographer.
The beauty of simplicity and superb technique in Dong's photograph captivated all the judges of the competition. The image depicts an annular solar eclipse that occurred on June 21, 2020, in Tibet, China. Laszlo Francsics, a judge of the competition, shared: “Perfection and simplicity… have won this year. This is a true masterpiece.”
Photographer Shuchang Dong recounted: “This place has warm, sunny weather year-round, but before the annular eclipse, I saw dark clouds covering the sky. We waited anxiously. Within a minute of the eclipse beginning, a ray of sunlight emerged from the clouds, creating a ring of fire, and then was suddenly sucked back into the thick clouds. We were so lucky to capture this moment.”
The judges praised the photograph as a combination of science, art, and skillful astronomical photography techniques.
Our Moon
The photograph "Beyond the Limb" by French photographer Nicolas Lefaudeux.
This isn't an image of Earth rising above the Moon taken by an observatory orbiting a satellite, but rather an image of Venus just before it's obscured by the Moon, as observed from Earth during the day. The image was taken in France on June 19, 2020.
Aurora
The photograph "Polar Lights Dance" is by Russian photographer Dmitrii Rybalka.
As a Third Officer on guard aboard a ship approaching the Kara Strait on November 30, 2020, Russian photographer Dmitrii Rybalka noticed a white band of light appearing in the sky, swirling like a snake. He sensed that some kind of atmospheric change was occurring and something extraordinary was about to happen. So, he grabbed his camera, went to the pier, and began to wait. He wasn't disappointed; within a few minutes, the sky was filled with brilliant green lights, swirling through the darkness and illuminating almost everything in the ship's path.
Galaxies
The photograph "The Milky Ring" by Chinese photographer Zhong Wu.
A band of cosmic dust, twinkling stars, and ethereal nebulae have formed a stunning circle in the distant galaxy as seen from Earth. This is a 360-degree mosaic that photographer Zhong Wu spent two years completing, and it is also the result of collecting image data from the Northern Hemisphere in China and the Southern Hemisphere in New Zealand.
Stars and Nebulae
The photograph “California Dreamin’ NGC 1499” by American photographer Terry Hancock.
The California Nebula, also known as NGC 1499, was photographed in Whitewater, Colorado (USA) over seven nights in early 2021. This emission nebula is approximately 100 light-years long and located about 1,000 light-years from Earth. It was named the California Nebula because it closely resembles the California State border.
Skyscapes
The painting "Luna Dunes" (Moon on the Sands) by American photographer Jeffrey Lovelace.
A crescent moon hung suspended in the clear blue sky above the sand dunes, gradually fading into the hazy twilight. Photographer Jeffrey Lovelace had walked the sands for a long time in Death Valley National Park in California (USA) and finally found the moment he had been waiting for.
Planets, Comets, and Asteroids
The photograph "A Colorful Quadrantid Meteor" is by American photographer Frank Kuszaj.
Initially, photographer Frank Kuszaj and two friends intended to set up their camera to photograph galaxies and nebulae in the distance. However, while waiting, they spotted a brilliant green meteor streaking across the sky. They were all incredibly awestruck as they witnessed a meteor fireball before it flew past Earth. The photograph was captured due to a technical error—Frank Kuszaj didn't zoom in—but this very mistake resulted in an incredible image that earned him the Astronomy Photographer of the Year award.
People and Space
The photograph "Lockdown" by British photographer Deepal Ratnayaka.
With the UK completely shut down and travel restricted for months due to the pandemic, photographers had no choice but to focus on their astronomical photography. This photograph serves as a summary of 2020, constrained by limitations but still radiating a glimmer of hope.
The photographer Deepal Ratnayaka's 6-year-old daughter was by his side throughout the photoshoot. She sat by the window, engrossed in her toy under a brilliant starry sky. This image provided the perfect opportunity for Deepal Ratnayaka to capture the moment and has been praised by experts for the message it conveys.
Overall Youth Category Winner
The photograph "Family Photo of the Solar System" is by young Chinese photographer Zhipu Wang.
This photograph of the planets in the Solar System was taken in Fujian, China. Surprisingly, it was captured by a 15-year-old boy who had only been learning photography for about a year.
The Manju Mehrotra Family Trust Prize For Best Newcomer
The photograph "Falcon 9 Soars Past the Moon" was taken by American photographer Paul Eckhardt.
Four hours before the Falcon 9 rocket launched into the sky, photographer Paul Eckhardt prepared everything necessary to capture this moment in Florida (USA). Although the process wasn't entirely smooth, he eventually managed to capture the rocket soaring straight up into the sky, slightly tilted towards the Moon.
Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation Joint
The photograph "Another Cloudy Day on Jupiter" is by Spanish photographer Sergio Diaz Ruiz.
The photograph "Celestial Fracture" by British photographer Leonardo DiMaggio.
The two winning entries in this category were Another Cloudy Day by photographer Sergio Diaz Ruiz and Celestial Fracture by photographer Leonardo Di Maggio. Both images showcase the best processing of open-source data from telescopes, creating new perspectives on the universe. While Another Cloudy Day depicts the clouds surrounding Jupiter, creating complex yet stunning shapes, Celestial Fracture is a composite of several views of the Solar System formed by Saturn, its rings, and moons, in the typical color palette associated with science fiction.
