Stunning night sky pictures shortlisted for astronomy photo prize

Images of the night sky taken from an Australian cave and a desert in Jordan are among the shortlisted entries for the 2020 Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year

By Gege Li

Photographers
Stefan Liebermann, Marcin Zajac

THESE ethereal images showcase the beauty and spectacle of our universe. They are among the thousands of photos shortlisted for this year’s Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, a global contest organised by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, UK.

Galactic Portal was taken by Polish photographer Marcin Zajac during a visit to the coastal town of Kiama in New South Wales, Australia. Zajac waited in a small cave for the splendour of the Milky Way to emerge, and was surprised to glimpse Jupiter among the constellations, which can be seen in the shot as the brightest spot to the left of the central rock stack.

Stefan Liebermann

Above is Desert Magic by Stefan Liebermann from Germany, featuring the Wadi Rum desert valley in Jordan, also known as the Valley of the Moon. Its otherworldly sandstone and granite rock formations, arching mountains and canyons are highly reminiscent of a Martian landscape.

The winners of the competition will be announced in an online ceremony on 10 September.