Top 15 Contenders of the 2025 Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition
“Fireworks” by Bence Tóth, Péter Feltóti, Bertalan Kecskés
The photograph captures M33, the Triangulum Galaxy from a fresh viewpoint. Due to gravitational interactions with M31, there’s notable star formation activity in M33, leading to a stunning arrangement of emission nebulae. During processing, a distinct SHO image was generated featuring a pronounced SII/H-alpha presence, the luminous red formations in the image, and merged with a high-definition LRGB processing of the continuum data, representing the ‘background’ illumination.
Location: Sződliget, Pest and Törökkoppány, Somogy, Hungary, 2–4, 9, 23,30 November, 1, 27 and 28 December 2024
Brilliant galaxies, vibrant Northern Lights, and the blazing sun are just a few of the celestial entities and natural occurrences that secured a spot on the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist. Hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, backed by ZWO and in collaboration with BBC Sky at Night Magazine, the event drew over 5,500 submissions from both amateur and seasoned astrophotographers.
Although the winners will be revealed in September, the competition has treated us to an advance look at what to anticipate by unveiling its shortlist of finalists. From astonishing solar prominences to solar eclipses, the images document this year in astronomy. In an exciting change, the annual Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation has been rebranded. The Annie Maunder Open Category is a platform for photographers to play around with and display their inventive methods in astrophotography.
Now entering its 17th year, the competition will again recognize winners in nine categories, in addition to two special awards and an overall champion. Scroll down to view our favorite images from the 2025 shortlist, and then visit the official website to explore all the finalists.
The ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest has published the shortlist for its 17th annual competition.
“500,000-km Solar Prominence Eruption” by PengFei Chou
On 7 November 2024, the Sun witnessed a gigantic solar prominence eruption, stretching over 500,000 km (311,000 miles). The eruption persisted for roughly one hour from the onset to its end. This eruption phase consists of more than 20 layered data sets, showcasing the complete sequence of this remarkable event.
Location: Eastern New District, Xinxing County, Guangdong province, China, 7 November 2024
“Aurora Over Mono Lake: A Rare Dance of Light” by Daniel Zafra
This image captures the exceptional sight of Northern Lights in California. Vibrant strands of magenta and green illuminate the sky, reflecting in the calm waters surrounded by rocky formations.
Location: US 395, Mono Lake, Mono County, USA, 10 October 2024
“Moonrise Perfection Over the Dolomites” by Fabian Dalpiaz
The full moon ascends above the rugged Dolomites. With clear skies and perfect conditions, the golden sunset light enchants the mountains, fostering a beautiful connection between Earth and sky.
Location: Santuario di Pietralba, Deutschnofen, South Tyrol, Italy, 15 November 2024
“Solar System Portrait” by Sophie Paulin
This photograph showcases all the planets in our Solar System, excluding Earth, highlighting their distinct features. Mercury, closest to the Sun, is a desolate, crater-filled planet, while Venus is enveloped in dense clouds. Mars, known as the Red Planet, features expansive deserts and boasts the largest volcano in the Solar System. The gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, command attention with their vastness and swirling storms, with Saturn’s rings adding to its allure. Uranus and Neptune, the ice giants, are abundant in methane, granting them their blue coloration.
Location: Bobingen, Bavaria, Germany, 11 September 2023, 7 September, 29 August, and 28 December 2024
“Eight-Panel Mosaic of M31: Stars, Nebulae, and Central Bulge” by Chuhong Yu, Jingyao Hong, Xi Zhu, Yaguang Wan
This photograph showcases innumerable resolved stars, emission nebulae, and an enigmatic central bulge. The image is exceptionally detailed, with the haze surrounding the galaxy comprising tens of thousands of tiny yellow stars.
Location: Daocheng County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China, 30–31 October, 1–6, 20–30 November, 1–10 and 20–31 December 2024
“Dragon Tree Trails” by Benjamin Barakat
A solitary dragon tree rises majestically in the middle of Socotra’s Dragon Blood Tree forest – an alternative