Royal Observatory – Insight Investment – Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2020 Shortlist

Shortlisted images from this year’s entrants also include a Full Moon illuminating the jagged peak of The Shard, London, a mesmerising aurora over Stokksnes headland on the Icelandic coast and a remarkable scene of a total solar eclipse, the planet Venus and the star Betelgeuse, captured at ESO’s La Silla ESO Observatory, in the Atacama Desert, Chile.

Competition judge and Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomer, Dr Emily Drabek-Maunder said of the competition: “Astronomy is one of the most accessible sciences and everyone has looked up at the night sky at one time or another and wondered what is out there in the cosmos. Astrophotography bridges the gap between art and science, highlighting the natural beauty of our Universe. The goal of the Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is to use these powerful photographs of space to engage the public with the big questions science is trying to answer, from the inner workings of a galaxy to how our Solar System came to be.”

The competition’s judges also include renowned comedian and keen amateur astronomer, Jon Culshaw; Art Editor of BBC Sky at Night Magazine Steve Marsh and a host of experts from the worlds of art and astronomy. The winners of the competition’s nine categories and two special prizes will be announced on Thursday 10 September 2020. The winning images will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, alongside a selection of exceptional shortlisted images. Winners and shortlisted entries will also be published in the competition’s official book, available in September from bookstores and online, and to pre-order from the Royal Museums Greenwich online shop.

 Website:         www.rmg.co.uk/shortlist

Twitter:          @RMGreenwich

Instagram:      @royalmuseumsgreenwich

Facebook:       Royal Museums Greenwich

Astrophotography Facebook Group:    facebook.com/groups/astrophotos