Astrophotography enthusiasts, prepare for the grand return of the largest global competition in 2025! Discover the entry methods here.
Get ready to gaze upon some cosmic masterpieces! The 2025 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has officially opened its doors, inviting astrophotographers worldwide to show off their3 night-sky photography skills and potentially claim the title of the year's top stargazer.
The prestigious event, orchestrated by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, offers an exciting opportunity for photography enthusiasts to compete for a main prize of £10,000, as well as multiple category prizes, including £1,500 for the best entry in each of eight main categories. Additionally, newcomers and creatively-inclined photographers can vie for two special prizes worth £750 apiece.
If you're under 16, you're in luck! Astronomy enthusiasts aged 15 and younger can take part in the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, with the chance to win £1,500 for their efforts.
To participate, here's what you need to know:
- Dates: Entries can be submitted from January 6, 2025, through March 3, 2025.
- Fees: A £10 fee grants you 10 entries.
- Rules: All the rules and regulations can be found on the Astronomy Photographer of the Year website.
- Exhibition: Winning images will be displayed at the National Maritime Museum in London in the autumn of 2025.
Categories
Schmooze through the cosmos with these tantalizing categories:
- Planets, Comets, and Asteroids: This year has been bountiful for observing the Solar System, with comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and other celestial bodies gracing the sky. If you have a spectacular shot, make sure you submit it to this section.
- Aurorae: Aurorae displays have brought magnificent light shows to both the poles and the Caribbean this year. Submit your photos of either the northern or southern lights to showcase their ethereal beauty.
- People and Space: From our earliest days, humans have felt a connection to the night sky. This category honors this bond by seeking images that place our human experience within the broader context of the universe.
- Stars and Nebulae: To the naked eye, stars and nebulas often appear as shades of white and grey. But the magic of astrophotography allows these celestial wonders to be transformed into vibrant spectacles of color and detail.
- Skyscapes: The night sky feels distant at times, but adding an earthly foreground helps bring the two realms together. Skyscapes is one of the competition's most fiercely contested categories, calling for any image featuring both the cosmos and a terrestrial landscape.
- Our Moon: The Moon captivates us all, especially with humanity's renewed focus on returning to its surface. If you have a breathtaking image admiring our celestial companion from afar, submit it in this category.
- Our Sun: With the Sun hitting the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, it's the perfect time to snap some fabulous flares or spectacular sunspots.
- Galaxies: The light from galaxies has traveled for millions of years to reach us here on Earth. If you've captured the light of one of these distant star cities, be sure to submit the image to the Galaxies category.
For all you young astrophotography prodigies out there, don't miss the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest, an exclusive opportunity to vie for a £1,500 prize.
Are you a newcomer to astrophotography? You still have a chance to shine! Enter the Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer category, which honors remarkable images taken by those who have just started their night-sky photography journey in the last year.
Lastly, get creative with data in the Special Prize: Annie Maunder Open Category, awarded for novel and imaginative use of astronomical data. Utilize any data you have the rights to, whether it's data you captured yourself or data from open-source professional observatories.
For more information, check out the Royal Museums Greenwich website, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
No matter your age, skill level, or passion for the cosmos, this competition offers an unparalleled opportunity to share your love for the night sky and capture the enchantment of the stars for all to see. So, pick up your camera and start exploring the cosmos—the universe awaits!
- The 2025 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition invites astrophotographers worldwide to showcase their night-sky photography skills and potentially claim the title of the year's top stargazer.
- The event, orchestrated by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, offers a main prize of £10,000 and multiple category prizes, including £1,500 for the best entry in each of eight main categories.
- If you're under 16, you can take part in the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, with the chance to win £1,500 for their efforts.
- Submissions for the competition can be made from January 6, 2025, through March 3, 2025, with a £10 fee granting 10 entries.
- Categories include Planets, Comets, and Asteroids, Aurorae, People and Space, Stars and Nebulae, Skyscapes, Our Moon, Our Sun, Galaxies, and a special Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest.
- For newcomers to astrophotography, there's the Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer category, and a creative Special Prize: Annie Maunder Open Category for novel use of astronomical data.
