I bring you... the glorious Messier 31, the most prominent galaxy in Earth's sky. The galaxy is six times wider than the full moon (but a lot fainter). I have seen the bright core with my naked eyes on a couple of dark nights. #astrophotography #astronomy #transJoy
I bring you... the glorious Messier 31, the most prominent galaxy in Earth's sky. The galaxy is six times wider than the full moon (but a lot fainter). I have seen the bright core with my naked eyes on a couple of dark nights. #astrophotography #astronomy #transJoy
NOIRLab image of the week
A Lunar Delight Deep in the Desert
Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2544a/
#Moon #NOIRLab #Astronomy #Astrodon #photography #moonphotography #astrophotography
Stars and nebulae, highly commended: Electric Threads by Shaoyu Zhang
This full-spectrum image of the Spaghetti nebula unveils the faint and elusive nature of this supernova remnant, hidden behind a vast cloud of dust that obstructs its emission light. To enhance its visual appeal, Shaoyu Zhang dedicated considerable time to intensifying the blue and green hues and achieving added depth.
Stars and nebulae, runner-up : Veil of Stars by Zixiong Jin
This image showcases the iconic NGC 6960, also known as the Veil nebula. To capture its intricate details and vivid colours, Zixiong Jin used a telescope, a cooled monochrome camera, an equatorial mount and a motorised filter wheel. Taken at the Marathon Sky Park in Texas last November.
Stars and nebulae, runner-up : Veil of Stars by Zixiong Jin
This image showcases the iconic NGC 6960, also known as the Veil nebula. To capture its intricate details and vivid colours, Zixiong Jin used a telescope, a cooled monochrome camera, an equatorial mount and a motorised filter wheel. Taken at the Marathon Sky Park in Texas last November.
Aurorae, highly commended: Aurora Over Mono Lake by Dan Zafra
This photograph captures the rare occurrence of northern lights in California, US. Vibrant ribbons of magenta and green light up the sky, reflecting in the still waters among the rock formations.
Aurorae, runner-up: Celestial Arch by Luis Vilariño
This image shows an intense aurora, forming an immense arc that spans more than 180 degrees. The gigantic and perfect green neon sign illuminates the entire sky in Iceland last December.
Our moon, runner-up: Saturnrise by Tom Williams
This image shows the tail-end of the lunar #occultation of Saturn in August last year. Although rare for any one location on Earth, 2024 saw 10 occultations – where the moon passes in front of a star or planet. Taken in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK
Our sun, winner: Active Region of the Sun’s Chromosphere by James Sinclair
This photograph from Utah in the US shows the #chromosphere, the most picturesque part of the sun. Composed of hydrogen and helium plasma, it is manipulated by the intense and tangled magnetic fields of the sun. The chromosphere does not just change day by day, it changes second by second, which is why solar astrophotographers become obsessed with it.
People and space, winner: ISS Lunar Flyby by Tom Williams
This image taken in Wiltshire in the UK shows the International Space Station making a close pass of the moon, with the station’s solar arrays backlit by the rising sun.
Stars and nebulae, highly commended: Electric Threads by Shaoyu Zhang
This full-spectrum image of the Spaghetti nebula unveils the faint and elusive nature of this supernova remnant, hidden behind a vast cloud of dust that obstructs its emission light. To enhance its visual appeal, Shaoyu Zhang dedicated considerable time to intensifying the blue and green hues and achieving added depth.
Our sun, winner: Active Region of the Sun’s Chromosphere by James Sinclair
This photograph from Utah in the US shows the #chromosphere, the most picturesque part of the sun. Composed of hydrogen and helium plasma, it is manipulated by the intense and tangled magnetic fields of the sun. The chromosphere does not just change day by day, it changes second by second, which is why solar astrophotographers become obsessed with it.
Stars and nebulae, highly commended: Electric Threads by Shaoyu Zhang
This full-spectrum image of the Spaghetti nebula unveils the faint and elusive nature of this supernova remnant, hidden behind a vast cloud of dust that obstructs its emission light. To enhance its visual appeal, Shaoyu Zhang dedicated considerable time to intensifying the blue and green hues and achieving added depth.
Sir Patrick Moore Prize winner: Encounter Across Light Years by Yurui Gong and Xizhen Ruan
This photograph captures a lucky moment when a brilliant fireball from the Perseid meteor shower appears to graze the Andromeda galaxy.
Planets, comets and asteroids, winner: Taking a Final Bow by Dan Bartlett
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks reacts to intensified solar winds, creating a spectacle of tail dynamics and colourful hues expelled by the bright cloud of gas around its centre. The photograph was taken at June Lake, California, US 
Galaxies, runner-up: Cosmic Coincidences by Deep Sky Collective
The Deer Lick region, home to NGC 7331 and the famous Stephan’s Quintet, makes for a stunning display of galactic interaction. Over six months, 12 photographers and a dedicated processing team worked to integrate nearly 600 hours of exposure to reveal these faint details at the Dark Sky New Mexico observatory in the US
Astronomy photographer of the year 2025
Skyscapes, winner: The Ridge by Tom Rae
This is the largest panorama that Tom Rae, of New Zealand, has ever captured, with the full resolution image containing over a billion pixels from 62 images stitched together. The photograph captures the twin glacial rivers with the Milky Way core off to the left of the image, as well as the Southern Cross and other pointers high in the centre sky.
I imaged C/2025 A4 (Lemmon) again last Wednesday from Blewett Pass, Washington. I shot this with a Canon R8 and a 363mm lens, and it's a stack of fifty 10-second exposures.
I have never tried stacking comet images before, and this, my friends, proved to be A Journey™️. I also have a pile of Seestar subs, but I might need a break before I dive back into the exciting world of comet post-processing. #astrophotography
I imaged C/2025 A4 (Lemmon) again last Wednesday from Blewett Pass, Washington. I shot this with a Canon R8 and a 363mm lens, and it's a stack of fifty 10-second exposures.
I have never tried stacking comet images before, and this, my friends, proved to be A Journey™️. I also have a pile of Seestar subs, but I might need a break before I dive back into the exciting world of comet post-processing. #astrophotography
 
      
  
             
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
             
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
             
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
             
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
                            
                        
                         
      
  
            