Celestial Wonders Shine in Astronomy Photographer of the Year Finalists

The night sky's grandeur is on full display as the Royal Observatory Greenwich unveils the finalists for its prestigious 2026 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. This year's contest, the 18th iteration, drew an impressive 769 entries from photographers in 66 countries, spanning 11 categories.

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Thanks to the luck of having exceptionally clear skies for two weeks in April 2025 in the UK, I was able to complete this long-desired work.

Among the standout finalists is a breathtaking image capturing a golden full moon illuminating the Seattle skyline, its light reflecting off skyscrapers to bathe the city in a warm glow. Another submission offers a detailed look at the Andromeda galaxy, M31, showcasing the swirling gas and dust around its supermassive black hole and the vibrant blue star-forming regions within its spiral arms. The juxtaposition of visible light and near-infrared captures highlights the galaxy's dynamic nature.

Further celestial wonders captured include a supermoon perfectly aligned with Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur Basilica, creating a dramatic sense of scale. A unique photograph titled 'Shadow Moon' uses a composite of lunar phases to reveal the moon's rugged topography in three dimensions, a feat made possible by exceptionally clear skies in the UK. The sun's fiery activity is also represented, with a finalist image showcasing the chromosphere, solar flares, and prominences captured from a home setup.

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The movement of the stars expressed the quiet and peaceful feeling of time passing while sitting on the beach listening to the sound of the waves.

The collection also features a fairytale-like scene of the Milky Way arching over traditional wooden houses in Slovenia's Velika Planina. Another finalist captures a partial solar eclipse, with clouds adding a mystical, soft red hue to the partially obscured sun. The competition celebrates not only the vastness of space but also the artistry in capturing fleeting terrestrial moments against celestial backdrops, such as a scallop shell sculpture on an English beach with star trails overhead, and a rare 'snow, moon, and flowers' (Setsugekka) composition in Japan, complete with a tangent arc phenomenon.

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Cherry blossoms bloom for only about ten days, so the combination of snow-covered mountains, atmospheric phenomena, and cherry blossoms is a miracle that happens perhaps once a season.