Best space photos of 2022: Astronomy Photographer of the Year finalists announced

The Association of the Royal Museums Greenwich holds an annual competition among astrophotographers. In 2022, the jury received over 3,000 entries from 57 countries. Of them selected short list for each category, winners will be announced in September. Here are some photos competing for the title of the best.

galaxies

The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy in the constellation Hydra, which was discovered on February 23, 1752. The picture above was taken exactly 270 years later, and it details the ruby-like areas of this spiral galaxy with jumper.

NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 are similarly sized spiral galaxies that have intertwined in a dance. Their interaction, which is called Arp 27, is expected to continue for tens of millions of years.

Another pair of interacting galaxies, this time in the southern constellation Eridanus. They are so close together that gravitational forces have distorted one of the spiral arms of the larger galaxy, NGC 1532. These forces triggered bursts of star formation in both galaxies, but more so in NGC 1532, where a new generation of massive stars appeared.

Sun

Clouds of hydrogen gas - their unusual shape is caused by the influence of a magnetic field.

A partial eclipse that a photographer was able to capture on June 10, 2021 in Italy. On this day, there was low solar activity, which made it possible to take a clear photo of the Moon passing in front of the Sun.

The sun looks different in every image as new sunspots are constantly forming, growing, and eventually disappearing. The photographer has filtered out all wavelengths of light except for part of the visible dark red spectrum (H-alpha spectral line) to show the Sun's active region of change.

Stars and nebulae

The Crescent Nebula in the constellation Cygnus is the result of shock waves emanating from the Wolf-Rayet star WR 134.

The main object in this image is the nebula RCW 53c, which rarely comes into the hands of astrophotographers.

An area on the edge of the constellation Velas that is rarely photographed: usually photographers aim at the remnant of a local supernova, and this region is deprived of attention.

People and space

A combination of a stack of stones, which have been used since antiquity as a navigation and territory marking tool, and the bright Milky Way in the background.

China's National Highway 219, the world's highest highway, meanders in the foreground, almost mirroring the majestic image of the Milky Way above. They are separated by Kula Kangri, a mountain in Tibet.

The combination of a bright moon, mountains and skyscrapers of Los Angeles after a storm on December 18, 2021.

Planets, comets and asteroids

Comet Leonard, discovered in January 2021, made its closest approach to the Earth on December 12 of the same year. On Dec. 27, a photographer used the robotic telescope at the Skygems Observatory in Namibia to capture a rare glimpse of a comet before it leaves the solar system.

Another case where the photographer successfully caught the moment: the moons around Saturn are located almost symmetrically.

Jupiter and its three largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto and Io. The image also clearly shows the Great Red Spot, the largest atmospheric vortex in the solar system. The spot changes color and size, and the speed inside exceeds 500 km/h.

auroras

Northern Lights over the famous Icelandic mountain Vestrahorn. The image is stitched together from three separate photographs.

The radiance is reflected in the still waters of a Canadian lake.

The bright aurora corona behind the wind turbine looks like it's powered by the solar wind. The picture was taken during a strong aurora in northern Finland.

Moon

Two photos of the south pole of the moon, taken on different days, were combined into one. The result is one of the most detailed amateur maps of this region, which is extremely difficult to observe from Earth.

The image gives a clear view of the southern craters and mountains at the south pole of our satellite.

The lunar surface, although it appears gray and monochrome, actually hides the colors of various minerals in the soil. They are too faint to see with the naked eye, but astrophotography makes it possible to look at the Moon from an unusual angle.

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What picture do you think will bring the author the title of photographer of the year? The museum will reveal the correct answer at an online ceremony on February 15, at which time the winners in individual categories will be announced.