Spectacular stars in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist

Our Sun. ‘Total Solar Eclipse, Venus and the Red Giant Betelgeuse’. In a very long process, the photographer calibrated, aligned and stacked 96 frames together, revealing the streamers and the faint corona. Sebastian Voltmer

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By Rich Haridy

2020 Jul 25
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The Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year is one of the world’s top astrophotography competitions, and the 2020 shortlist offers a sublime selection of this year’s best entries, from some mind-bending close-ups of the sun’s surface to a series of magnificent Milky Way skyscapes.

The contest is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, an iconic scientific institution founded nearly 400 years ago. There are eight key categories in the contest, spanning a broad spectrum of astrophotography styles, from skyscapes incorporating land perspectives, to more focused categories looking at galaxies and aurorae.

Aurorae. 'Stokksnes Aurora'. In order to get the shot, the photographer ended up knee-deep in the North Atlantic in -6 degrees Celsius. The challenge was to capture the reflections in the water, on the black sand beach, and also not to over-expose the aurora — Aurorae. ‘Stokksnes Aurora’. In order to get the shot, the photographer ended up knee-deep in the North Atlantic in -6 degrees Celsius. The challenge was to capture the reflections in the water, on the black sand beach, and also not to over-expose the aurora. *BEN BUSH*
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As with previous years, the contest illustrates the incredible skill and determination these photographers display to create these images. UK photographer Ben Bush’s shot of an aurora over Iceland’s famous Vestrahorn is a great example. To get the perfect shot of the aurora reflecting over the water, Bush waded out into the freezing North Atlantic ocean in the middle of night.

Our Moon. 'The Moon And the Shard'. After three failed attempts, the photographer finally got to shoot an image of London's iconic Shard skyscraper with a full moon behind it — *Our Moon. ‘The Moon And the Shard’. After three failed attempts, the photographer finally got to shoot an image of London’s iconic Shard skyscraper with a full moon behind it.* *Mathew Browne*
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Other shortlisted images highlight the patience and timing needed to compose the ideal frame. Matthew Brown’s shot of the Moon passing behind London’s Shard skyscraper is an example of a fleeting moment in time that took the photographer days to catch.

Our Moon. 'Big Moon, Little Werewolf'. This charming shot was three years in the making. The photographer struggles to get her dog to sit still for a photo at the best of times — *Our Moon. ‘Big Moon, Little Werewolf’. This charming shot was three years in the making. The photographer struggles to get her dog to sit still for a photo at the best of times.* *Kirsty Paton*

The winning photographs will be revealed later in the year, sharing £10,000 in prize money.

Take a look through our gallery at more shortlisted images from this year’s contest.

Source: RMG

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Rich Haridy

With interests in film, new media, and the new wave of psychedelic science, Rich has written for a number of online and print publications over the last decade and was Chair of the Australian Film Critics Association from 2013-2015. Since joining New Atlas Rich’s interests have broadened to encompass the era-defining effects of new technology on culture and life in the 21st century.

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(For the source of this article, to see many other equally interesting articles, and to see all 33 images, please visit: https://newatlas.com/photography/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-2020-shortlist-gallery/)