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.
9. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Runner-Up Sundown on the Terminator © Tom Williams
The Plato Crater is an almost perfectly circular crater that measures 109 km in diameter. This photograph was taken during a local lunar sunset in the last quarter, when approximately half of the Moon’s face is visible from Earth. The image captures dramatic shadows moving across the Moon. ‘The best part of lunar astrophotography is that the Moon is one of the only objects in the night sky that can truly convey a feeling of three dimensions. Nowhere is this better presented than when the rising or setting Sun casts shadows across its mountains and craters. The sharpness and clarity of the shadows in this image are breathtaking. There is also a staggering amount of detail resolved in Plato Crater itself with many tiny craterlets visible, some of which are less than a kilometre in diameter. The ripples and waves in the ancient lava-filled maria surrounding the crater are also exquisitely captured, making this one of the finest examples of close-up lunar astrophotography that we have seen this year.’ - Steve Marsh
Taken with a Sky-Watcher 400P (16") GoTo Dobsonian Reflector telescope, Player One Uranus-C (IMX585) camera, 8,750 mm f/21.5, Photo: Tom Williams
10. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Winner
Mars-Set © Ethan Chappel An occultation of Mars that took place on 8 December 2022. During the occultation, the Moon passes in front of the planet Mars, allowing the astrophotographer to capture both objects together. The image shows Mars behind the Moon’s southern side in impressive detail. ‘The occultation of Mars by the Moon was one of the last and greatest celestial events of 2022. It was also one of the most challenging to image. To capture the level of detail on Mars that you see here takes a huge amount of skill and practice. Combined with a crisp, clear, perfectly processed lunar limb, the result is like taking a gigantic telephoto lens into lunar orbit itself! This image is a technical marvel and a real treat to look at – two factors that make it a worthy winner in this category.’ - Steve Marsh
Taken with a Celestron EdgeHD 14 telescope, iOptron CEM70 mount, Astro-Physics BARADV lens, ZWO ASI462MC camera, 7,120 mm f/20, multiple 15-millisecond exposures Location: Cibolo, Texas, USA Photo: Ethan Chappel
11. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Highly Commended Neighbours © Paul Montague
A deep-space photograph showing galaxies NGC 5078 and IC879, to the left, and NGC 5101 on the right. The detailed image captures the hazy dust of the galaxies clearly. ‘These neighbouring galaxies have been beautifully photographed co-existing against a background of stars and more distant galaxies. The minute details of both galaxies have been perfectly captured, while the surrounding objects that make up this stunning scene have been imaged so clearly. There is so much more to look at that you find yourself wanting to explore the picture in greater detail.’ - Melissa Brobby
Taken with a GSO Ritchey-Chretien 8" telescope, Chroma LRGB 31 mm filters, Astro-Physics Mach1 mount, ZWO ASI294MM Pro camera, 1,200 mm f/6, multiple 3-minute Luminance and 5-minute RGB exposures, approx. 17 hours total exposure Location: Bendleby Ranges, South Australia, Australia Photo: Paul Montague
12. Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 Runner-Up The Eyes Galaxies © Weitang Liang
The Eyes Galaxies (NGC 4438) are the famous interacting galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. They’re small and require a large telescope to reveal their many components, such as the dust in the middle and the tiny flares on the left and right. Those tiny details have rarely been revealed on other amateur images.
‘Often considered as part of the larger Markarian’s Chain group of galaxies, these two are definitely worthy of their own close-up. This is a wonderful image, capturing the vibrancy of its targets but also managing to preserve lots of fine dusty detail along with stars and multiple other galaxies as smaller features in the background. NGC 4438, the dominant galaxy, has a wide disc distorted by gravitational interactions with other galaxies, including its companion NGC 4435. Astronomers differ even in their opinion of the galaxies’ classification and the part various physical mechanisms have played in producing what we now see. Watch this space!’ - Ed Bloomer
Taken with a ASA 1-meter Ritchey-Chretien telescope, ASA AZ1000 mount, FLI ProLine 16803 camera, 6800 mm 1 m, multiple 1,800- and 600-second exposures, 30 hours total exposure Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile Photo: Weitang Liang