The shortlist for the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year brings together striking views of the night sky from around the world. This year, 769 photographers and astronomers from 66 countries submitted more than 4,000 images, reflecting both technical precision and creative vision.
The selected works span aurorae, comets, nebulae, the Moon, planets, and the Milky Way. Some images place celestial events beside familiar landscapes and cityscapes, while others reveal deep-space structures through telescopic detail and carefully composed astrophotography.
Among the standout entries are a moonrise over rock formations in New Zealand, the Teapot Nebula in Chile, a comet above the Swiss Alps, aurora over Iceland and Norway, and a supermoon path over Paris. The shortlist also includes a young photographer's solar image from China, showing how the field continues to inspire new generations.
The winners will be announced on September 17, followed by a public exhibition at London's National Maritime Museum. The competition is also accompanied by Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Collection 15, extending the reach of these images beyond the contest itself. In the years ahead, projects like this may continue to deepen public curiosity about space and expand the role of visual storytelling in science.
