Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2017 reveals its shortlist

The shortlist of images in the running to win awards in the 2017 Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has been released, now in its ninth year, with some incredible looking entries – including the first time images of Uranus and asteroids have ever been submitted to the judges.

Images this year include an impressive shot of the Super Moon illuminating the night sky as it sets behind the Marmarole in the heart of the Dolomites in Italy, the Northern Lights dancing above a rainbow cast in the waters of the harbour in Trømso, Norway, and a shooting star flashing across the sky over Portland, Dorset as our neighbouring planet Venus looks on.

The photographers have also captured sights from across our Solar System, the galaxy and the wider universe; from the distant ice giant Uranus, the seventh furthest planet from the Sun, some 2.6 billion kilometres away from our own planet, to the galactic supernova remnant of IC443, a star that exploded as many as 30,000 years ago.

This year, the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition received around 3,800 entries from over 90 countries, with shortlistees honoured from around the globe. Rebecca Roth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center was welcomed to the judging panel this year, joining renowned comedian and keen amateur astronomer Jon Culshaw, Editor of BBC Sky at Night Magazine Chris Bramley, the Royal Observatory’s Public Astronomer Dr Marek Kukula and a host of experts in the worlds of art and astronomy.

The winners of the competition’s nine categories and two special prizes will be announced on Thursday 14 September at a special ceremony at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The winning images will be displayed in a free-of-charge exhibition at the Observatory’s Astronomy Centre from Saturday 16 September.

The overall winner will receive £10,000. Winners of all other categories and the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year will receive £1,500. There are also prizes for runners-up (£500) and highly commended (£250) entries.

Winners and shortlisted entries will also be published in the competition’s official book, available on 2 November from bookstores and online.

Some more of our favourite shots from the shortlist are below – enjoy.