The prize-winning images combine art and science, passion and dedication. They remind us that the more we learn about our universe, the more beautiful it becomes.
Over the coming weeks we will feature each of the winners in the following 11 categories:
Aurorae
Galaxies
Our Moon
Our Sun
People & Space
Planets, Comets & Asteroids
Robotic Scope
Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer
Skyscapes
Stars & Nebulae
Young Competition
that were announced by Royal Museums Greenwich on 17 September.
The winning images are showcased at the Royal Observatory Greenwich in an exhibition opening today, 18 September.
This picture of Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy was taken from Market Harborough, Leicestershire by 15-year-old George Martin on 18 December 2014 using his new 8-inch f/5 Newtonian telescope and a Nikon D3200 camera — winning image of the Young Competition category in the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition 2015.
Nomination number seven from the prestigious Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, an annual celebration of the most beautiful and spectacular visions of the cosmos by astrophotographers worldwide. The 2015 competition received 2700 spectacular entries from over 60 countries and the winners will be announced 17 September.
This image is the last winner we have from the eleven categories in the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition 2015 — that of using a robotic telescope. It shows the power of remote imaging, since Sebastian Voltmer in Germany used the iTelescope at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia to capture Comet C/2013 A1 passing very close to Mars on 19 October 2014.