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The Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023 is an annual, large-scale competition showcasing works of space photography, organized by the Royal Greenwich Observatory in the UK. This year, the competition received over 4,000 entries from astronomical photographers in more than 64 countries.
An image of a giant plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy (the largest spiral galaxy closest to the Milky Way) won the 2023 Astronomy Photography Contest from a team of amateur astronomers led by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty under the title "Andromeda, a surprise".
The photograph "Andromeda, Surprise" by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty won the overall prize.
Judge and astrophysicist László Francsics noted that the image appears blurry in black and white with an inexplicable, almost invisible dot or spectrum. "However, this astronomical photograph is spectacular and valuable. It not only shows Andromeda in a new way but also elevates the quality of astrophysicism to a higher level," he said.
The "Running Rooster Nebula" photographed by two Chinese boys, Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang, won the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The Running Rooster Nebula, IC2944, is located in the constellation Sagittarius, 6,000 light-years from Earth.
According to NASA's website, Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang's "Running Chicken Nebula" (resembling a giant chicken running across the sky) won the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award for two 14-year-old boys from China. According to the release, the nebula is located in the constellation Sagittarius, approximately 6,000 light-years from Earth.
Judge and professional astronomer Yury Beletsky described the image: "Absolutely stunning. The photographers captured the vibrant colors of the nebula as well as the star cluster within it. This cluster contains several other stars and has extremely strong radiation that makes the surrounding nebula glow," he continued.
Below are some of the stunning photographs that were honored in various photography categories at the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023 awards:
A photograph by Marcel Drechsler of a newly discovered galactic nebula surrounding the star YY Hya. A group of amateur astronomers has discovered a previously unknown galactic nebula.
"Great Cosmic Fireworks" by Angel An, winner of the Skyscapes award. Sprites are extremely rare atmospheric luminescence phenomena similar to fireworks. This photo was taken from the highest peak of the Himalayas.
"Mars' moon obscuration" photographed by Joshua Harwood-White
Galactic runner-up – A photograph of LDN 1448, closer to the more spectacular and more frequently photographed NGC 1333.
Andrew McCarthy's visit to Tycho – runner-up in the Human and Space category. In this photo, the International Space Station (ISS) is aligned with the lunar crater Tycho.
Aurora Borealis on Skagsanden beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway, by photographer Andreas Ettl.
Vikas Chander's work depicts the northernmost Atlantic coast of Namibia – one of the world's most dangerous coastlines.
The second-place winning photograph in the Skyscapes category, "Star trails above World War I trenches," is preserved at a memorial in northern France. It took over five hours for the camera to capture the rotating movement of the sky, revealing a multitude of colorful stars.
Haohan Sun's moon at night, a photograph of the moon rising over Xinghai Bay Bridge in Dalian.
"Roses Blooming in the Darkness: NGC 2337" by Yanhao Mo
The flames on the horizon of Chester Hall-FernandezAurorae, photographed in New Zealand – a place where auroras are frequently seen, but due to its distance from the magnetic poles, they are often not particularly brilliant for observers.
Aaron Wilhelm's work, Blinded by the Light. The Sh2-132 complex is located near the boundary of the constellations Cepheus and Lacerta and contains many deep-sky structures.
Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau won the Sun Prize with his photograph of the sun alongside a "huge filament" shaped like a question mark.
John White's Dark Echo
