Key Takeaways
- The 2026 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition showcases the best images of the cosmos.
- The overall winner, 'The Quiet Predator,' captures a dense nebula 650 light years away.
- Other notable images include a day-time moon occultation and a star trail over baobab trees.
The 2026 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, organized by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, has unveiled a collection of breathtaking images that capture the astonishing diversity of the cosmos. These photographs, taken by amateur and professional astronomers alike, showcase the wonders of our universe from the comfort of Earth.
The overall winner of the competition is 'The Quiet Predator,' an image taken by Ali Alobaidly in Kuwait. This photograph, which took over 28 hours of observing, depicts a dense nebula known as the Shark nebula, located 650 light years away in the constellation Cepheus. The nebula's dark dust cloud is illuminated by a few bright stars, creating a stunning visual effect.
Runner-up in the competition is 'Beyond the Wormhole,' an image by Kfir Simon from Israel. This photograph, which may appear to depict a hole in space-time, actually captures the centre of the Helix nebula, approximately 650 light years away in the constellation Aquarius. The image reveals the central star and the extraordinarily distant galaxies shining through the dust and gas.
In the 'Our Moon' category, 'Venusian Pearl on the Moon' by Petr Horalek from the Czech Republic won the prize. This photograph was taken during a rare day-time moon occultation, where Venus passed in front of the moon. Horalek captured this event just as Venus slipped behind the crescent moon, showcasing the relative positions of the two celestial bodies.
The runner-up in the 'Our Sun' section is 'Anatomy of the Chromosphere,' an image by Peter Ward from Australia. This photograph, which is not a simple image but a composite of two different wavelengths of light, reveals the structure of the sun's chromosphere. The red represents hydrogen emission along the sun's edges, while the lilac shows calcium emission, providing a detailed view of this layer just above the visible surface.
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) jets across the sky in a highly commended image by Julien DeWinter and Landon Boehm from Texas. Captured in October 2025, the comet was at its closest point to the sun, about 101 million kilometres from Earth. The proximity to the sun caused remarkable activity, creating two long plumes: one made of dust and the other of electrically charged plasma.
The winner of the Skyscapes category is 'Botswana Star Trail,' taken by Stefano Pellegrini from Italy. This photograph captures the movement of stars above a grove of baobab trees over 340 camera exposures, each lasting 30 seconds. The image provides a mesmerizing view of the night sky's beauty, intertwined with the natural landscape.
These images, selected from thousands of submissions, highlight the incredible talent and dedication of amateur and professional astronomers. They offer a glimpse into the vast and beautiful universe, reminding us of the endless mysteries that await exploration.
