The shortlisted astrophotos of the 2020 Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have been released, featuring beautiful images capturing a wealth of celestial phenomena from galaxies and nebulae to skyscapes and planetary portraits, and vistas of our Sun and Moon.
The 2020 winning images are due to be announced on 10 September, with the overall winner taking home the top prize of £10,000, and £1,500 going to those entrants who have have come first in the individual categories.
Runners-up will receive £500 and highly commended entrants will receive £250.
An exhibition of the winning images and a selection from the shortlist will be available to view at the National Maritime Museum from October 2020.
Stokksnes Aurora Ben Bush (UK). Category: Aurora. Equipment: Nikon Z7 camera, 14 mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 2500, 15 x 4-second exposures.
Northern Dragon's Eye Elena Pakhalyuk (Ukraine). Category: Aurora. Equipment Canon EOS 6D camera, 14 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 30-second exposure.
Hamnøy Lights Andreas Ettl (Germany). Category: Aurora. Equipment: Nikon Z7 camera, Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD 17 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 800, 10-second exposure.
Kynance Cove under the Milky Way Louise Jones (UK). Category: The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. Equipment Nikon D7100 camera, Sigma 10-20 mm lens at 10 mm f/3.5, ISO 3200, 5 x 25-second exposures.
Solar System Through my Telescope Vinicius Martins (Brazil). Category: The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. Equipment: ZWO ASI120MC-S camera, ZWO ASI290MC camera, Sky-Watcher 203 mm f/5 telescope, Sky-Watcher EQ5 mount.
NGC 253 - Starburst Galaxy in Sculptor Terry Robison (Canada). Category: Galaxies. Equipment: RCOS 10" telescope at f/9.1, AstroPhysics AP-900 mount, SBIG STL-11000 camera, L-RGB-Ha composite, 34 hours total exposure
NGC 2442 in Volans Martin Pugh (Australia). Category: Galaxies. Equipment: Planewave CDK 17" f/6.8 telescope at f/6.8, Software Bisque Paramount ME mount, SBIG STXL11002 camera, L-RGB-Ha composite, 23 hours total exposure
M33: The Triangulum Galaxy Rui Liao (China). Category: Galaxies. Equipment: GSO RC8 telescope at f/5.4 (with CCDT67 focal reducer), Sky-Watcher EQ8 mount, Atik One 6.0 camera, Ha-L-RGB composite, 26.5 hours total exposure.
Big Moon, Little Werewolf Kirsty Paton (UK). Category: Our Moon. Equipment:
Canon 6D camera, 600 mm f/13 lens, ISO 200, 1/30-second exposure
The Moon and the Shard Mathew Browne (UK). Category: Our Moon. Equipment: Nikon D850 camera, 550 mm f/10 lens, ISO 320, 3 x 1/80-second exposures
Some Moons are Close, and Some are Small and Far Away Andy Casely (Australia). Category: Our Moon. Equipment: Celestron C14 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope at f/11, Celestron GCX-L mount, ZWO ASI290MM camera.
Total Solar Eclipse, Venus and the Red Giant Betelgeuse Sebastian Voltmer (Germany). Category: Our Sun. Equipment: Nikkor 14-25 mm f/2.8 telescope at f/4, Manfrotto tripod, Nikon D800 camera.
Eruption.... Elena Pakhalyuk (Ukraine). Category: Our Sun. Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera, Sky: Canon 24mm f/2.8 lens, Foreground: Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens.
Comets Traffic in Constellations Perseus and Cassiopeia 1 Gerald Rhemann (Austria). Category: Planets, Comets & Asteroids. Equipment: ZWO ASI 1600 mono camera, 200 Canon Tele 200 mm f/2.8 lens, 16 hours 20 minutes total exposure.
Saturn - the Ringed Jewel of the Solar System Niall MacNeill (Australia). Category: Planets, Comets and Asteroids. Equipment: ZWO ASI 174MM camera, Celestron C14 Edge HD Schmidt Cassegrain, chroma RGB filters, Paramount MX mount.
Stargazing Giant Dai Jianfeng (China). Category: People & Space. Equipment: Canon EOS 6D Mark camera, Sigma art 14 mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 12800, 10 x 15-second exposures
Meeting Nicolai Brügger (Germany). Category: People & Space. Equipment: Nikon D810 camera, Sigma 14 mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 4000, 33 x 20-second exposures.
Beautiful Persian Gulf Nights Mohammad Sadegh Hayati (Iran). Category: People & Space. Equipment: Nikon d750 camera, 24 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 8000, 60 x 15-second exposures
Milky Way and Meteor at Porthgwarra Jennifer Rogers (UK). Category: People & Space. Equipment: Canon 5D Mk IV camera, ISO 1250 Sky: 17mm f/4 lens, boat and foreround: 17mm f/8 lens, cliffs and meteor: 17 mm f/4 lens.
Something Old, Something New Jay Evans (Australia). Category: Skyscapes. Equipment: Sony ILCE-7RM4 camera, Sony Alpha 7R IV (ILCE-7RM4) and Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens at 12mm f/4.
The Red Lake of Stars Bryony Richards (USA). Category: Skyscapes. Equipment: Sony a7R III camera, sky: 50 mm f/2 lens, foreground: 50mm f/1.4 lens, reflection: 50mm f/1.4 lens.
The Cave of the Wild Horses Bryony Richards (USA). Category: Skyscapes. Equipment: Sony a7R III camera, Sky: 50mm f/2.2 lens, Foreground: 50 mm f/1.4 lens.
Cold Night on the Yellowstone Jake Mosher (USA). Category: Skyscapes. Equipment: Nikon D850 camera, 35 mm f/4 lens, ISO 1600, 26 exposures of 17-185 seconds
Beyond the Fog Michael Zav'yalov (Russia). Category: Skyscapes. Equipment: Nikon D750 camera, Samyang 14 mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC lens, ISO 320, 1.6-second exposure.
Galactic Portal Marcin Zajac (USA). Category: Skyscapes. Equipment: Nikon D600 camera, Sky: 24mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 6400, 15-second exposure, Foreground: 24mm f/8 lens, ISO 200, 30-second exposure.
Statue of Liberty Nebula Martin Pugh (Australia). Category: Stars & Nebulae. Equipment: Planewave CDK 17" telescope at f/6.8, Bisque Paramount ME mount, SBIG STXL11002 camera, RGB-Ha-SII-OIII composite, Total exposure 35.5 hours.
The Bat Nebula Josep Drudis (USA). Category: Stars & Nebulae. Equipment: 24" reflector telescope at f/6.5, L600 mount, Finger Lakes Instruments (FLI) PL16803 camera, RGB-Ha-OIII-NII composite, 22 hours 20 minutes total exposure.
The Magnificent: Rho Ophiuchi Complex Mario Cogo (Italy). Category: Stars & Nebulae. Equipment: Takahashi FSQ106 ED APO refractor telescope at f/5, Astro-Physics Mach1 GTO mount, Canon EOS 6D Cooling CDS Mod camera.
Clouds Across The Moon Casper Kentish (UK). Category: Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Equipment: Skywatcher 200P telescope, super 25 wide angel lens, Dobsonian mount, Apple iPad camera, 3.3mm f/2.4 lens.
Startrails in Namib Desert Qiqige (Nina) Zhao (Australia). Category: Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Equipment:Canon EOS 6D camera, 24 mm f/1.6 lens, ISO 500, 20-second exposure.
This year the competition received over 5,200 entries from amateur and professional astrophotographers from nearly 70 countries across the world.
Keep up with the awards on social media and find out who has won the top prize this year via the hashtag #astrophoto2020 or by following Royal Museums Greenwich on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
BBC Sky at Night Magazine will also be revealing the winners as they are announced. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
