The Royal Observatory Greenwich Has Announced The Winners Of The 2019 Astronomy Photographer Of The Year Competition. The Images Sent Have A New Look, And Their Quality Is Unique.
Astrophotography is probably one of the most challenging and specialized types of photography. Still, if you can acquire the necessary skills to capture such images over time, the result will be outstanding works that may have never been seen.
According to BoredPanda, The Royal Observatory Greenwich has just announced the winners of its annual Astrophotographer of the Year 2019 competition. This course included 4,602 photos from 90 different countries that represented the world in a new way and competed for the best photo award.
Aurora sector
Aurora Is A Bird by Alexander Stepanenko
Hungarian photographer László Francsics was selected as the overall winner of Insight Investment Year 2019. His fascinating image titled “Into the Shadow” depicts the 35 phases of the total lunar eclipse that took place on January 21, 2019.
Laszlo told Bored Panda:
I started taking astrophotographs in 2003 at the age of 19. I had been doing photography for several years, and a friend turned me on to amateur astronomy, and I immediately put the two together.
I didn’t need to travel anywhere for this eclipse photo; I took this photo from my rooftop, But to record images of nebula and galaxy, we have to go to very dark places far from the town. Hungary is a good place in Europe for photography; Because light pollution is very low in certain areas.
Laszlo is very proud to win this prestigious award, But he explains that this was not unexpected for him.
He says that his wife knew that this award would be for him! He explained this:
When I started processing it on my system after capturing this photo, my wife saw the half-finished image on my computer screen. She confidently told me that this work would win the overall contest. Even though I have won 5 awards in photography competitions in the last seven years, my wife had never told me such a thing.
This style of photography is considered technical and complex, But it’s more accessible than you might think. Laszlo says that some people record astronomical images with their cell phones; You don’t need a hundred thousand dollar robotic photography telescope in the Atacama Desert! He said:
In Hungary, we have a strong community of astrophotographers. We organize annual exhibitions and frequent club events and go out together to take pictures under the starry sky. Our recent big challenge is to create an astrophoto observation website for ourselves in Hungary.
If you are interested in astronomical images, do not miss this report and watch it until the end; Because it is full of works that can amaze you. Following some pictures, some people’s opinions about the results are written. Friends of Zomit, please let us know in the comments section which is your favorite photo among the winners of this contest.
Stars and nebulae section
Deep In The Heart Of Mordor (Deep In The Heart Of Mordor) by Andrew Campbell
Honorary winner of our sun division
A Little Fireworks by Alan Friedman
Ivana Sandu, communications strategy officer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), said of the work:
This image is a view of the sun that is rarely seen. This scene reminds me of images seen through a microscope. A skilled photographer would only capture something the size of our star in such fine detail as if caught by a microscope.
Alan Sparrow, president of the Guild of Photo Editors of England and director of the Guild of Picture Editors of England Awards, also commented on “A Little Firework”:
Using a color palette that differs from our expectations offers us a new way to think about the sun.
Winner of the human and space section
Ben, Floyd & The Core by Ben Bush
Jon Culshaw, comedian, parody, and regular guest on The Sky at Night, said of Bush’s work:
The presence of clouds does not always make the stars invisible. As seen in this image, clouds can sometimes create a feeling of awe and greatness.
Rebecca Roth, image coordinator and social media specialist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
This work talks about a fateful moment! Very big but intimate and breathtaking; All these features are gathered together in one image.
Alan Sparrow, President of the Guild of Photo Editors UK and director of the UK Guild of Picture Editors Awards, commented on the image:
I love how Floyd, the dog, was persuaded to be a part of this extraordinary image.
Honorary winner of the sky section
Flower Power by Brandon Yoshizawa
BBC Sky at Magazine Night art editor Steve Marsh describes the photo as:
Timing is everything. There is no better example than this picture, But even the best timing requires an expert eye to record the best result. Recording and editing this photo has been done so wonderfully that one feels as if he is standing on the ground and witnessing this incredible event.
Edward Bloomer, a planetary astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said:
This image, which looks more like the special effects of some science fiction spacecraft, shows a rocket launcher’s hot exhaust touching cooler air.
Although the primary column is thin, as the rocket ascends, changes in atmospheric conditions cause a strong release of smoke from the exhaust, creating shapes similar to flower petals.
Under the right conditions, tiny ice crystals form and reflect and scatter light from the surface of the horizon; In this way, color is injected into the scene. The apparent stillness of this natural scene and the addition of artificial activity are wonderfully contrasted and framed in the most beautiful way possible.
Stars and nebulae section
Blue silk doily (Ngc 6164, The Blue Doily) by Josep Droids
Honorary winner of the Galaxies section
Andromeda Galaxy by Raul Villaverde Friel
BBC Sky at Magazine Night art editor Steve Marsh said of the image:
This subject is considered one of the popular deep sky targets and is depicted in great detail in this image. The bright halo around M31 shines here. It is impossible to capture this image without bleaching out the details in the more colorful parts of the central galaxy. The photographer of this image has managed to show the paths of spiral spirals towards a galactic core.
Aurora sector
To The Flying Aurora by Zhijun Yan
Stars and nebulae section
Depth And Height, Ngc 7822 Devil’s Head Nebulae Complex by Laszlo Bagi
Robotic field of view
Dolphin Head (Sh2-308 Dolphin Head) by Tian Li
Winner of the sky view section
Across The Sky Of History by Wang Zheng
Mandy Bailey, Astronomy Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society, said:
The surreal quality of this image immediately struck me. The quality and tonal range emphasize the image’s details and these qualities attract med to this artwork. There is a certain peace in this scene, But there is great power in the twisted form of the dead tree, bent towards the Milky Way and the meteors, creating a powerful connection between the earth, the near sky, and the deep sky.
Steve Marsh, the art editor of BBC Sky at Magazine Night, wrote ab, out the photo:
From the movement of the trees to the trail of the meteorite, there is symmetry and drama in this photo as if it had always been there. Taking colors from this image gives it a sense of agelessness.
Sky view section
Deadvlei by Stephen Lieberman
Polar section
Aurora Like Phoenix by Wang Zheng
Sir Patrick Moore Award for Best New Photographer
From Bloodborne by Kijo Laitala
Our team of the month
Mineral Moon – Aristarchus Quadrangle by Alan Paulo
Aurora sector
Aurora Outside The Tiny Cave by Suttie Young
Second place in the human and space section
Above The Tower by Sam King
Melanie Vandenbroek, curator of art at the Royal Museums of Greenwich, said after seeing the work:
Night fog, ancient ruins, celestial light, and the quiet expression of human presence all these scenes make me remember the romantic landscapes of the German painter Caspar David Friedrich.
Our section of the month
Sunlight Versus Earthshine by Laszlo Franciszek
Second place in the stars and nebulae section
A Horsehead Curtain Call by Bob Frank
Steve Marsh, the art editor of BBC Sky at Magazine Night, said of the work:
It takes skill to render monochrome images of such colorful objects as the subject in this photo. It also takes a lot of talent to produce a fully processed shot of a thing that is notoriously difficult to photograph.
Second place in the sky section
Galactic Lighthouse by Ruslan Merklyakov
Tom Kress, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said after seeing the work:
First of all, this composition’s range, balance, and framing are incredible; But some intangible features of this image take it to dizzying heights of surreal beauty. The essence of exploration, from the terrestrial shore to the cosmic coast, is mesmerizing, with both terrestrial and celestial lights.
Sky view section
Worimi (Worimi) by Jay Evans
Winner of the Stars and Nebulas section
Statue Of Liberty Nebula by Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
Melanie Vandenbroek, curator of art at the Royal Museums of Greenwich, said:
This work is excellent. I love the pastel aquamarine and rosy colors, the subtle trail of gas and dust, and the overall unique features of this nebula.
Tom Kress, Head of Public Astronomy at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, wrote about the image after seeing it:
Choosing the palette and paying attention to the color balance gives a legendary quality to this image. The pools of light are perfectly balanced and invite the eye to discover the abstract sculptural beauty of the nebula. The artist has managed to record an excellent result.
Honorary winner of the stars and nebulae section
The Elegant Elephant’s Trunk by Luis Romero Ventura
Jon Culshaw, comedian, parody, and regular guest on The Sky at Night, said after seeing the work:
An image of the narrow way of the world being built shows a beautiful space in the far distance; Of course, this conveyed sentiment is at odds with the catastrophes and “late heavy bombing” likely to take place at its heart.
Honorary winner of our sun division
The Sun – Atmospheric Detail by Jason Cancel
Ed Robinson, award-winning photographer, creative director, visual consultant, and founder of OneRedEye Visual Communications, describes the beauty of this image:
I am happy with the creative and artistic choices made by the photographer in the color palette and highlighting of some points with an enhanced atmospheric layer, and I appreciate the artist’s efforts. The final image is truly spectacular.
Sir Patrick Moore Award for Best New Photographer
The Perseid Fireball 2018 (The Perseid Fireball 2018) by Zhengyi Teng
Stars and nebulae section
Fiery Lobster Nebula by Suvi Lipinski
Stars and nebulae section
The Running Man Nebula by Stephen Moore
Second place in the Planets section
Hydrogen Sculptures In The Large Magellanic Cloud (Hydrogen Sculptures In The Large Magellanic Cloud) by Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
Jon Kershaw said about the “Hydrogen sculptures in the Large Magellanic Cloud” work:
The image has unusual textures and patterns and looks like endless backlit smoke rings in the corner of a heavenly jazz cafe.
The second place of our sun department
The Active Area Ar12714 (The Active Area Ar12714) by Gabriel Korban
Tom Kress, Head of Public Astronomy at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said:
This is an incredible image of the unconquerable fury of the sun. The maze of beautiful plasma that we rarely pay attention to when resting under the sun’s warm rays.
Honorary winner of the Planets, Comets, and Asteroids category
Black Saturn by Martin Lewis
Mandy Bailey, Astronomy Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society, said about the “Black Swan” effect:
I loved the monochrome images in this year’s competition, and this shot from Saturn is no exception. Capturing an image using a methane filter to reveal this kind of detail is technically challenging. This gives us a completely different view of Saturn, and it should be interesting to discover what causes methane in such groups.
Sir Patrick Moore Award for Best New Photographer
The Horsehead Nebula by Rob Mugford
Our section of the month
Hubble Space Telescope Transits Across The Moon Between Lunar X and Lunar V by Michael Marston
Stars and nebulae section
Ngc 2070 – The Tarantula Nebula (Ngc 2070 – The Tarantula Nebula) by Thomas Clemmer
Aurora section winner
The Watcher by Nikolai Bruger
Alan Sparrow, Chairman of the Guild of Photo Editors of England and director of the Guild of Picture Editors of England Awards, said of The Viewer:
I love the background detail in this piece. The presence of elements in front of the image puts the aurora borealis in perspective and adds depth to this phenomenon.
Oana Sandu, Communications Strategy Officer at the European Southern Observatory, said after seeing the work:
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this picture encapsulates it. The number of elements that can be explored in this image is impressive. Even more interesting is the way different parts are put together in a balanced composition; The arch of the Milky Way intersects with the aurora above, and the human presence is felt on the ground below. I enjoyed observing the footprints in the snow among all the exciting features of this photo.
Sky view section
Mars Above The Keck Lasers by Sean Gobel
Friends of Zomit, we hope you enjoyed viewing these mesmerizing images. Now that you have seen the list of 35 best astronomical works submitted by artists from all over the world, please write the name of the best photo in your opinion in the comments section.