The 2018 Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest has nine main categories, Skyscapes, Aurorae, People and Space, Our Sun, Our Moon, Planets, Comets and Asteroids, Stars and Nebulae, Galaxies and Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
The winning images will be displayed in an annual exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, starting from October 24, 2018.
© Photo : Peter Ward/Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018Earth Shine by Peter Ward. During a solar eclipse, the brightness of the solar corona hides the details of the moon. By layering 9 exposures ranging from 2 seconds to 1/2000th of a second and with Extreme High Dynamic Range photography or XHDR the image shows not just the radiant solar corona, but the newest possible of new moons, seen here illuminated by sunlight reflecting off the Earth.
Earth Shine by Peter Ward. During a solar eclipse, the brightness of the solar corona hides the details of the moon. By layering 9 exposures ranging from 2 seconds to 1/2000th of a second and with Extreme High Dynamic Range photography or XHDR the image shows not just the radiant solar corona, but the newest possible of new moons, seen here illuminated by sunlight reflecting off the Earth.
© Photo : Jingpeng Liu/Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018Expedition to Infinity by Jingpeng Liu. The splendor of our galaxy captured in Badlands National Park, in South Dakota is a panoramic view of a 6-shot composite, three for the sky and three for the foreground, all of which were taken successively using the same gear and equivalent exposure settings, from the same location, within a short period. The raw files were initially processed in a lightroom for lens correction only, followed by merging to panorama in Photoshop. Final retouching was applied back in a lightroom, including WB correction, basic toning and local adjustments.
Expedition to Infinity by Jingpeng Liu. The splendor of our galaxy captured in Badlands National Park, in South Dakota is a panoramic view of a 6-shot composite, three for the sky and three for the foreground, all of which were taken successively using the same gear and equivalent exposure settings, from the same location, within a short period. The raw files were initially processed in a lightroom for lens correction only, followed by merging to panorama in Photoshop. Final retouching was applied back in a lightroom, including WB correction, basic toning and local adjustments.
© Photo : Miguel Angel García Borrella and Lluis Romero Ventura/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Mosaic of the Great Orion & Running Man Nebula by Miguel Angel García Borrella and Lluis Romero. The Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976, is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye during a clear night sky. M42 is 1270 light years from our planet and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. It is estimated to be 24 light years across and it has a mass of about 2,000 times more than that of the Sun.
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Mosaic of the Great Orion & Running Man Nebula by Miguel Angel García Borrella and Lluis Romero. The Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976, is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye during a clear night sky. M42 is 1270 light years from our planet and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. It is estimated to be 24 light years across and it has a mass of about 2,000 times more than that of the Sun.
© Photo : Nicolas Lefaudeux/Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018Color-Full Moon by Nicolas Lefaudeux. A phenomenal image depicting the incredible colors and details of the surface of the Moon. The photographer applied a similar procedure he used for capturing the solar eclipse and noted that this lit up the full Moon like a Christmas tree ornament, with a great variety of hues and shades.
Color-Full Moon by Nicolas Lefaudeux. A phenomenal image depicting the incredible colors and details of the surface of the Moon. The photographer applied a similar procedure he used for capturing the solar eclipse and noted that this lit up the full Moon like a Christmas tree ornament, with a great variety of hues and shades.
© Photo : Tianyuan Xiao/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Thunderstorm under milky way by Tianyuan Xiao. A glorious Milky Way looms over a thunderstorm that lights up the Florida sky. The great contrast showed between stable (Milky Way) and moving (thunderstorm) objects in the sky.
Thunderstorm under milky way by Tianyuan Xiao. A glorious Milky Way looms over a thunderstorm that lights up the Florida sky. The great contrast showed between stable (Milky Way) and moving (thunderstorm) objects in the sky.
© Photo : Łukasz Sujka/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018AR 2665 and Quiescent Prominence by Łukasz Sujka, entered the short list of the competition Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018.
AR 2665 and Quiescent Prominence by Łukasz Sujka, entered the short list of the competition Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018.
© Photo : Michael Zav'yalov/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Aurora Borealis on the coast of the Barents Sea by Michael Zav'yalov. From the city of Yaroslavl in Russia to the coast of the Barents Sea in the Arctic Circle, a party of three traveled 2,000 kilometers to capture the magnificent Northern Lights. After four days of bad weather, with heavy snow and thick clouds, the sky finally cleared on the last day and the Northern Lights appeared in all their glory.
Aurora Borealis on the coast of the Barents Sea by Michael Zav'yalov. From the city of Yaroslavl in Russia to the coast of the Barents Sea in the Arctic Circle, a party of three traveled 2,000 kilometers to capture the magnificent Northern Lights. After four days of bad weather, with heavy snow and thick clouds, the sky finally cleared on the last day and the Northern Lights appeared in all their glory.
© Photo : Péter Feltóti/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Andromeda Galaxy by Péter Feltóti. The dust lanes and bright star clusters in its arms, the emblematic galaxy shape of it, and the magnificent look of this great star city make it one of his most desired objects to photograph. This image was taken using a 200mm mirror and creating a three-panel mosaic.
Andromeda Galaxy by Péter Feltóti. The dust lanes and bright star clusters in its arms, the emblematic galaxy shape of it, and the magnificent look of this great star city make it one of his most desired objects to photograph. This image was taken using a 200mm mirror and creating a three-panel mosaic.
© Photo : Brandon Yoshizawa/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Cave Man by Brandon Yoshizawa. Battling the light pollution in Malibu, California the photographer brilliantly framed our galaxy, the Milky Way, inside a sea cave, 25 miles away from the heart of downtown Los Angeles. In order to achieve this outstanding shot planning it ahead and waiting for the perfect conditions of low tide and clear skies was very important. The image required two exposures; one to capture the details of the dark cave and one for the Milky Way. Both exposures were taken back to back without moving the camera or changing the composition.
Cave Man by Brandon Yoshizawa. Battling the light pollution in Malibu, California the photographer brilliantly framed our galaxy, the Milky Way, inside a sea cave, 25 miles away from the heart of downtown Los Angeles. In order to achieve this outstanding shot planning it ahead and waiting for the perfect conditions of low tide and clear skies was very important. The image required two exposures; one to capture the details of the dark cave and one for the Milky Way. Both exposures were taken back to back without moving the camera or changing the composition.
© Photo : Qiqige Zhao/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Stars over the Sacred Mongolian Ovoo by Qiqige Zhao. Taken during a summer night in Mingantu in Inner Mongolia, star trails are sweeping over the colorful and extraordinary sacred altars, called Ovoo, creating a spectacular picture.
Stars over the Sacred Mongolian Ovoo by Qiqige Zhao. Taken during a summer night in Mingantu in Inner Mongolia, star trails are sweeping over the colorful and extraordinary sacred altars, called Ovoo, creating a spectacular picture.
© Photo : Marcel Drechsler/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018The Eagle Nebula, by Marcel Drechsler, also known as Messier 16, is a young open cluster of stars, surrounded by hot hydrogen gas in the constellation Serpens and lies at a distance of 7,000 light-years from Earth. Taken at the Baerenstein Observatory in Germany, the photo is an RGB-Ha-OIII image and shows off the radiant red and blue colors of the nebula. In the center there are the famous Pillars of Creation.
The Eagle Nebula, by Marcel Drechsler, also known as Messier 16, is a young open cluster of stars, surrounded by hot hydrogen gas in the constellation Serpens and lies at a distance of 7,000 light-years from Earth. Taken at the Baerenstein Observatory in Germany, the photo is an RGB-Ha-OIII image and shows off the radiant red and blue colors of the nebula. In the center there are the famous Pillars of Creation.
© Photo : Paul Wilson/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Empyreal by Paul Wilson. A flared up Aurora reflects bright pink and yellow colors on the water at Southern Bays near Christchurch, New Zealand. The incredible combination of the radiant Aurora colors, the wide green fields, and the dark blue, starry night sky paint a spectacular picture and accentuates the wonders of our galaxy.
Empyreal by Paul Wilson. A flared up Aurora reflects bright pink and yellow colors on the water at Southern Bays near Christchurch, New Zealand. The incredible combination of the radiant Aurora colors, the wide green fields, and the dark blue, starry night sky paint a spectacular picture and accentuates the wonders of our galaxy.
© Photo : Avani Soares/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018A Magnificent Saturn by Avani Soares. In high-resolution planetary photography having a good view of a planet is a key factor but also completely out of a photographer’s control. The photographer was lucky to capture our second largest planet, Saturn, in all its glory. After stacking 4,000 out of 10,000 frames we can admire details such as the beautiful polar hexagon, the Encke Division and even the crepe ring.
A Magnificent Saturn by Avani Soares. In high-resolution planetary photography having a good view of a planet is a key factor but also completely out of a photographer’s control. The photographer was lucky to capture our second largest planet, Saturn, in all its glory. After stacking 4,000 out of 10,000 frames we can admire details such as the beautiful polar hexagon, the Encke Division and even the crepe ring.
© Photo : Mark Gee/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Cable Bay by Mark Gee. The magnificent Milky Way stretches across the night sky reflecting on the Cable Bay near Nelson, New Zealand. The photographer had to take the picture before the light washed out the sky. 42 individual images were stitched into a large multi-row panorama to create this image.
Cable Bay by Mark Gee. The magnificent Milky Way stretches across the night sky reflecting on the Cable Bay near Nelson, New Zealand. The photographer had to take the picture before the light washed out the sky. 42 individual images were stitched into a large multi-row panorama to create this image.
© Photo : Jingyi Zhang/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Magic by Jingyi Zhang. The magical Aurora Borealis explodes from the clouds and looms over the mountains in Stokknes on the south coast of Iceland. Snow has melted and created pools of water between the dunes, creating a perfect foreground for this image.
Magic by Jingyi Zhang. The magical Aurora Borealis explodes from the clouds and looms over the mountains in Stokknes on the south coast of Iceland. Snow has melted and created pools of water between the dunes, creating a perfect foreground for this image.
© Photo : Dani Caxete/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018ISS sunspots (clip) by Dani Caxete. The International Space Station (ISS) was captured between two massive sunspots, the AR 12674 and AR 12673, during its solar transit. The image was taken in Madrid and it took ISS less than a second to cross the solar disk.
ISS sunspots (clip) by Dani Caxete. The International Space Station (ISS) was captured between two massive sunspots, the AR 12674 and AR 12673, during its solar transit. The image was taken in Madrid and it took ISS less than a second to cross the solar disk.
© Photo : James Stone/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Keeper of the Light by James Stone. The Milky Way rises above an isolated lighthouse in Tasmania. The photographer planned his position to shoot the perfect composition positioning the Milky Way in conjunction with the lighthouse and observing how to best light the tower for artistic effect. This image is part of a time-lapse sequence, allowing the photographer some time to climb the tower into the lantern room of the lighthouse and reflect on the hard and lonely, yet incredible life the former lighthouse keepers would have lived.
Keeper of the Light by James Stone. The Milky Way rises above an isolated lighthouse in Tasmania. The photographer planned his position to shoot the perfect composition positioning the Milky Way in conjunction with the lighthouse and observing how to best light the tower for artistic effect. This image is part of a time-lapse sequence, allowing the photographer some time to climb the tower into the lantern room of the lighthouse and reflect on the hard and lonely, yet incredible life the former lighthouse keepers would have lived.
© Photo : Arild Heitmann/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Ice Castle by Arild Heitmann. A remarkable display of the Northern Lights reflecting shades of green and yellow on the snow. Squeezed into a tiny cave on Lake Torneträsk, in Swedish Lapland, in minus 26 degrees with the camera lens just a few centimeters away from the icicles, it was a challenge well worth it for the photographer.
Ice Castle by Arild Heitmann. A remarkable display of the Northern Lights reflecting shades of green and yellow on the snow. Squeezed into a tiny cave on Lake Torneträsk, in Swedish Lapland, in minus 26 degrees with the camera lens just a few centimeters away from the icicles, it was a challenge well worth it for the photographer.
© Photo : Mark Hanson, Warren Keller, Steve Mazlin, Rex Parker, Tommy Tse, David Plesko, Pete Proulx/JiInsight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018NGC 6726 and NGC 6727 by Mark Hanson, Warren Keller, Steve Mazlin, Rex Parker, Tommy Tse, David Plesko, Pete Proulx (USA).
These spectacular reflection nebulae in the Corona Australis constellation depict the characteristic vivid blue color produced by the light of hot stars, reflected by silica-based cosmic dust. A rare high-resolution view of the cores NGC 6726 and 6727 is captured on camera. The data was acquired by Star Shadows Remote Observatory at CTIO's PROMPT2, using LRGB filters, stacked with CCDStack and post-processed in Photoshop and PixInsight.
These spectacular reflection nebulae in the Corona Australis constellation depict the characteristic vivid blue color produced by the light of hot stars, reflected by silica-based cosmic dust. A rare high-resolution view of the cores NGC 6726 and 6727 is captured on camera. The data was acquired by Star Shadows Remote Observatory at CTIO's PROMPT2, using LRGB filters, stacked with CCDStack and post-processed in Photoshop and PixInsight.
NGC 6726 and NGC 6727 by Mark Hanson, Warren Keller, Steve Mazlin, Rex Parker, Tommy Tse, David Plesko, Pete Proulx (USA).
These spectacular reflection nebulae in the Corona Australis constellation depict the characteristic vivid blue color produced by the light of hot stars, reflected by silica-based cosmic dust. A rare high-resolution view of the cores NGC 6726 and 6727 is captured on camera. The data was acquired by Star Shadows Remote Observatory at CTIO's PROMPT2, using LRGB filters, stacked with CCDStack and post-processed in Photoshop and PixInsight.
These spectacular reflection nebulae in the Corona Australis constellation depict the characteristic vivid blue color produced by the light of hot stars, reflected by silica-based cosmic dust. A rare high-resolution view of the cores NGC 6726 and 6727 is captured on camera. The data was acquired by Star Shadows Remote Observatory at CTIO's PROMPT2, using LRGB filters, stacked with CCDStack and post-processed in Photoshop and PixInsight.
© Photo : Jake Mosher/Insight Investment Astronomy Photography of the Year 2018Holding Due North by Jake Mosher. A weathered juniper tree in Montana's the northern Rocky Mountains is filled with arced star trails and in the center sits Polaris, the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It took several test frames of long exposures to make sure that Polaris was in the right position, but eventually, things lined up and the Moon provided enough light to the foreground, yet plenty of dark skies to allow a high enough ISO to capture lots of stars.
Holding Due North by Jake Mosher. A weathered juniper tree in Montana's the northern Rocky Mountains is filled with arced star trails and in the center sits Polaris, the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It took several test frames of long exposures to make sure that Polaris was in the right position, but eventually, things lined up and the Moon provided enough light to the foreground, yet plenty of dark skies to allow a high enough ISO to capture lots of stars.