The overall winners of the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 are Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty for their photograph Andromeda, Unexpected that captures a surprising discovery – a huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). Scientists are now investigating the giant object in a transnational collaboration. It could be the largest such structure nearest to us in the Universe. The image will be on display alongside the winners of the other categories in the accompanying exhibition, opening at the National Maritime Museum on Saturday 16 September 2023.
5. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Winner
The Running Chicken Nebula © Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang
The Running Chicken Nebula, IC2944, is located in the constellation of Centaurus, 6,000 light years away from the Earth. Embedded in the nebula’s glowing gas the star cluster Collinder 249 is visible.
‘This is a strikingly beautiful picture of the Running Chicken Nebula (IC2944). The photographers have managed to capture the vibrant colours of the nebula as well as the embedded star cluster.
This cluster contains several hot, young stars whose intense radiation causes the surrounding nebula to glow. The interaction between the stellar winds from these stars and the denser pockets of material in the nebula leads to the creation of interesting features, such as Thackeray’s globules, which are potential sites of future star formation.’ – Yuri Beletsky Taken with an ASA N20 f/3.8 Newtonian telescope, ASA DDM85 mount, FLI Proline 16803 camera, 1,900 mm f/3.8, 5.5 hours total exposure Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile Photo: Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang
6. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Highly Commended Close Encounters of The Haslingden Kind © Katie McGuinness
Haslingden’s Halo is an 18-meter diameter sculpture located in the hills of Lancashire. McGuinness took inspiration from the Close Encounters of The Third Kind film poster to create her image. More than 150 images, taken over an hour and with exposures of 25 seconds each, were combined to show the apparent rotation of stars around Polaris. ‘Positioned just above the town of Haslingden is a sculpture, one of four designed to encourage people to walk in the countryside and enjoy the marvels of Lancashire. This sculpture is known as the Halo and it is illuminated by hundreds of LED lights. The photographer has been very creative taking over 150 images in an hour, which were then merged in Photoshop to produce this masterpiece. The category of People and Space is a marvellous opportunity for talented photographers to get creative and this is an example of what can be achieved by being aware of your surroundings and being alert to the potential for award-winning photography.’ - Alan Sparrow Taken with a Sony ILCE-7M4 camera, 20 mm f/4, ISO 160; Sky: 151 x 25-second exposures; Foreground: 5-second exposure Location: Haslingden, Lancashire, UK Photo: Katie McGuinness
7. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Highly Commended
Lunar Occultation of Mars © Joshua Harwood-White
The lunar occultation of Mars was one of the most interesting celestial events of 2022. Here, an iPhone was used with a Celestron Astromaster 102az Refractor Telescope to capture the moment just before the Moon blocked our view of Mars. ‘This image showcases the capabilities of modern technology. Just a smartphone and modest telescope have been used to beautifully capture a fantastic celestial showcase from 2022. Often in astrophotography, the key to success is being able to react quickly to an event. With occultations this is even more important as they happen fast and require timing and preparation. In addition, the processing and presentation of the image is fantastic and it really feels like a moment snapped in time.’ - Steve Marsh Taken with a Celestron Astromaster 102AZ Refractor telescope, 102 mm Achromatic lens, Manual Alt Azimuth mount, Apple iPhone SE Photo: Joshua Harwood-White
8. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Highly Commended
Moon at Nightfall © Haohan Sun
A photograph of a moonrise over the Xinghai Bay Bridge in Dalian. Atmospheric extinction alters the hue and brightness of the Moon when it is low on the horizon. In this photo, you can see the Moon appears brighter and less red as it rises in the sky.
‘The composition of this photograph is superb, capturing the striking contrast between urban construction and the ineffable mystery of the natural world: the imposing mist, the moody sea and the motion of the Moon. While the bridge spans the horizon, the Moon also seems to stand as a bridge, or perhaps stepping stones, into the sky. I particularly liked the progression of colours on the rising Moon, from a molten red to a more familiar rocky silver, reminding us of the profound connection between human industry and the cosmos, and yet the vast expanse that separates them. A great shot from our young astronomy photographer!’ - Imad Ahmed Moon: Canon 24-105mm camera, 5 x ISO 1600, 6 x SO3200, 2 x 1/100-second exposures, 3 x 1/50-second exposures, 6 x 1/30-second exposures; Foreground: Canon EOS 6D Mark II camera, 150 mm f/4, ISO 1600, 40 x 1/125-second exposures Location: Dalian, Liaoning, China Photo: Haohan Sun