Winners of Astronomy Photographer of the Year announced

13 September 2024
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The UK's Royal Museums Greenwich has announced Ryan Imperio as the overall winner in the 16th Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, for his image Distorted Shadows of the Moon’s Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse.

The competition celebrates the best of space, the night sky and astrophotography, and had over 3,500 entries from 58 countries this year.

Distorted Shadows of the Moon’s Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse © Ryan Imperio (USA). Taken with a Nikon D810 camera, iOptron SkyGuider Pro mount, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens, 600 mm f/8, ISO 640, multiple 1/1,000-second exposures. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Distorted Shadows of the Moon’s Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse © Ryan Imperio (USA). Taken with a Nikon D810 camera, iOptron SkyGuider Pro mount, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens, 600 mm f/8, ISO 640, multiple 1/1,000-second exposures. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.

Imperio’s photo captures the progression of Baily’s beads during the 2023 annular eclipse. 

Baily’s beads are formed when sunlight shines through the valleys and craters of the Moon’s surface, breaking the eclipse’s well-known ring pattern, and are only visible when the Moon either enters or exits an eclipse. These are a challenge to capture due to their brevity and the precise timing needed.

Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn, judge and meteorologist said, ’This is an impressive dissection of the fleeting few seconds during the visibility of the Baily’s beads. This image left me captivated and amazed. It’s exceptional work deserving of high recognition.’

Imperio receives £10,000 ($19,500 AUD) while the category winners get £1500 ($2,900 AUD).

NGC 1499, A Dusty California © Daniele Borsari (Italy), aged 14. Taken with a ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera, Samyang 135 mm F2.0 lens, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer mount, 135 mm f/2.8, 263 × 300-second exposures, 228 × 180-second exposures (33 hours 19 minutes total exposure). Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
NGC 1499, A Dusty California © Daniele Borsari (Italy), aged 14. Taken with a ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera, Samyang 135mm F2.0 lens, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer mount, 135 mm f/2.8, 263 × 300-second exposures, 228 × 180-second exposures (33 hours 19 minutes total exposure). Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.

The Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award was won by 14-year-old Daniele Borsari for his image NGC 1499, A Dusty California.

Closer to home, Peter Ward was runner-up in the 'Our Sun' category for his image captured in Exmouth, WA. 

Runner Up – Our Sun. Coronal Choronograph by Peter Ward, Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia. This image shows the solar corona at solar maximum and solar minimum. The lower half of the picture was taken in 2017 at close to solar minimum. The upper half was taken approaching solar maximum, six years later. Trying to convey the contrasting aspects of the solar corona over the intervening period was a challenge. The photographer tried different colours and combinations before wrapping the normally circular coronal images into a rectangular format to simply visualise the changes over time within a single image.Taken with an Astro-Physics AP155 telescope, Astro-Physics Mach2 mount, Canon EOSR5 and 5D Mark II cameras, 1,085mm f/7.0, ISO 100, multiple 0.25 to 1/4,000-second exposures. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Runner Up – Our Sun. Coronal Choronograph by Peter Ward, Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia. This image shows the solar corona at solar maximum and solar minimum. The lower half of the picture was taken in 2017 at close to solar minimum. The upper half was taken approaching solar maximum, six years later. Trying to convey the contrasting aspects of the solar corona over the intervening period was a challenge. The photographer tried different colours and combinations before wrapping the normally circular coronal images into a rectangular format to simply visualise the changes over time within a single image.Taken with an Astro-Physics AP155 telescope, Astro-Physics Mach2 mount, Canon EOSR5 and 5D Mark II cameras, 1,085mm f/7.0, ISO 100, multiple 0.25 to 1/4,000-second exposures. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.

And in New Zealand, Larryn Rae won the Aurorae category with an image from Queenstown, and 19-year-old Tom Rae from Christchurch (no relation) was named the winner in the Skyscapes section with his striking image Tasman Gems.

Winner – Aurorae. Queenstown Aurora, by Larryn Rae,Queenstown, New Zealand. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Winner – Aurorae. Queenstown Aurora, by Larryn Rae,Queenstown, New Zealand. The image is a 19-shot panorama captured with an astro modified Canon R5. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Tasman Gems © Tom Rae (New Zealand). Winner, Skyscapes category. Taken with a Nikon Z 6 astro-modified and Nikon Z7 cameras, iOptron SkyGuider Pro mount, Sigma 40 mm / f/1.4 Art and Sigma 28mm f/1.4 Art lens, Sky: ISO 1,600, 40 mm f/1.8, 31 x 30-second exposures; Foreground: ISO 100, 28 mm f/10-14, 9 x 4-second exposures. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Tasman Gems © Tom Rae (New Zealand). Winner, Skyscapes category. Taken with a Nikon Z 6 astro-modified and Nikon Z7 cameras, iOptron SkyGuider Pro mount, Sigma 40mm / f/1.4 Art and Sigma 28mm f/1.4 Art lens, Sky: ISO 1,600, 40 mm f/1.8, 31 x 30-second exposures; Foreground: ISO 100, 28 mm f/10-14, 9 x 4-second exposures. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.

The other category winning images include the Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer which was awarded to Xin Feng and Miao Gong for their image of the Dolphin Head Nebula.

Winner – Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. SH2-308: Dolphin Head Nebula, by Xin Feng, Miao Gong, : Ruo'ergai County, Aba County, Sichuan Province, China. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner – Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. SH2-308: Dolphin Head Nebula, by Xin Feng, Miao Gong, : Ruo'ergai County, Aba County, Sichuan Province, China. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Aurora Borealis over Brighton Seafront © Michael Steven Harris (UK) . Taken with a DJI Mini 3 Pro built-in camera, 6.7 mm f/1.7, Sky: ISO 6,400 2-second exposure, Foreground: ISO 200, 0.5 and multiple 1-second exposures.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Aurora Borealis over Brighton Seafront © Michael Steven Harris (UK) . Taken with a DJI Mini 3 Pro built-in camera, 6.7 mm f/1.7, Sky: ISO 6,400 2-second exposure, Foreground: ISO 200, 0.5 and multiple 1-second exposures. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Winner – Galaxies. Echoes of the Past, Bence Tóth, Péter Feltóti, Isabis Farm, Namibia.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner – Galaxies. Echoes of the Past, Bence Tóth, Péter Feltóti, Isabis Farm, Namibia. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Galaxies. A Very Deep Look at the Markarian’s Chain, by Jakob Sahner, e-EyE (Entre Encinas y Estrellas) Astronomical Complex, Extremadura, Spain.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Galaxies. A Very Deep Look at the Markarian’s Chain, by Jakob Sahner, e-EyE (Entre Encinas y Estrellas) Astronomical Complex, Extremadura, Spain. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner – Planets, Comets and Asteroids. On Approach, by Tom Williams, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner – Planets, Comets and Asteroids. On Approach, by Tom Williams, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner – Stars and Nebulae. SNR G107.5-5.2, Unexpected Discovery, by Marcel Drechsler, Bray Falls, Yann Sainty, Nicolas Martino, Richard Galli, various locations.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner – Stars and Nebulae. SNR G107.5-5.2, Unexpected Discovery, by Marcel Drechsler, Bray Falls, Yann Sainty, Nicolas Martino, Richard Galli, various locations. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Highly Commended – Skyscapes. Like Blue Lava, by Petr Horalek, Medhufaru, Maldives.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Highly Commended – Skyscapes. Like Blue Lava, by Petr Horalek, Medhufaru, Maldives. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Stars and Nebulae. Serpens: A Mosaic, by Mukund Raguram, Throckmorton, Texas, USA.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Stars and Nebulae. Serpens: A Mosaic, by Mukund Raguram, Throckmorton, Texas, USA. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Aurora. The Green Kingdom, by Filip Hrebenda, Laugavegur, Iceland. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Runner Up – Aurora. The Green Kingdom, by Filip Hrebenda, Laugavegur, Iceland. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Winner – Our Moon. Shadow peaks of Sinus Iridum, by Gábor Balázs, Budapest, Hungary.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Winner – Our Moon. Shadow peaks of Sinus Iridum, by Gábor Balázs, Budapest, Hungary. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Our Moon. Venus and the Moon in Infrared, by Lóránd Fényes, Érd, Pest, Hungary.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Our Moon. Venus and the Moon in Infrared, by Lóránd Fényes, Érd, Pest, Hungary. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Planets, Comets and Asteroids. Methane Lights of Jupiter, by Sophie Paulin and Tom Williams, Edelweissspitze, Salzburg, Austria.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Planets, Comets and Asteroids. Methane Lights of Jupiter, by Sophie Paulin and Tom Williams, Edelweissspitze, Salzburg, Austria. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – People and Space. Parallel Lines Over the City, by Ran Shen, Shanghai, China.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – People and Space. Parallel Lines Over the City, by Ran Shen, Shanghai, China. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Skyscapes. Symphony of the Night Sky, by Fei Xue, Minqin, Gansu Province, China.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Runner Up – Skyscapes. Symphony of the Night Sky, by Fei Xue, Minqin, Gansu Province, China. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation. Anatomy of a Habitable Planet, by Sergio Díaz Ruiz. Original data from GOES-18 ABI from 18 February 2024 and Suomi-NPP VIIRS from 2012–2020.Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation. Anatomy of a Habitable Planet, by Sergio Díaz Ruiz. Original data from GOES-18 ABI from 18 February 2024 and Suomi-NPP VIIRS from 2012–2020. Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Tom Williams (UK), High-Tech Silhouette (People and Space winner). Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Tom Williams (UK), High-Tech Silhouette (People and Space winner). Image: Astronomy Photographer of the Year


The images here will be on display alongside the winners of the other categories in the accompanying exhibition, opening at the National Maritime Museum on Friday 13 September 2024. 

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