Out of this world!

Royal Museums Greenwich have announced the phenomenal winners of this year's ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Jessica Miller takes a look...

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Awe-inspiring scenes of the Milky Way, dancing aurorae and serene galaxies all feature in this year's ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. With over 5,500 entries received from amateur and professional photographers, submitted from 69 countries, this year's winner is a collaboration between three photographers - Weitang Liang, Qi Yang and Chuhong Yu - with 'The Andromeda Core'. Dr Ed Bloomer, Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomer and judge said, 'Once again, ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year offers up some of the best astrophotography in the world. This year I believe we're particularly strong on images which ask the observer to really think about what they're looking at and investigate just how the astrophotographer has achieved those particular results – this proved true for the judges as well! I think entrants have embraced the notion of being playful and bold and they continue to strike out in unexpected directions.’

Over 100 winning and shortlisted images are on display now in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 17 exhibition, at the National Maritime Museum, London, until 3 August 2026. To see more winning images, and find out more information about the competition and exhibition, visit rmg.co.uk/shortlist

The Andromeda Core by Weitang Liang, Qi Yang and Chuhong Yu Winner, Galaxies, and ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year PlaneWave Instruments CDK20 telescope, Baader LRGB and Chroma H-alpha filters, PlaneWave Instruments L500 mount, Moravian Instruments C3-61000 Pro camera, 3,450 mm focal length, 500 mm f/6.8, multiple 900-second R, G and B exposures, multiple 1,800-second H-alpha exposures, 38 hours total exposure