Astronomy: best night sky photos of the year

The Royal Observatory of Greenwich revealed the winners of the best astronomy photography of 2012 last week. Have you been gazing at the stars this summer? These shots will dazzle.

More participants than ever before entered this year’s competition to find the best night sky photography. Entries came from around the world. The transit of Venus, comets, nebulae, the northern lights… The winner’s photographs are now on display at the Royal Museums Greenwich and will take you to our solar system and beyond into deep space.

Good news: The photography exhibition is completely free to visit so don’t miss the chance if you’re on holidays in London or if you call London home. These photos are not to be missed and are way more impressive when seen up close.

When stars turn to ice in Japan

Photographed by Japanese artist Masahiro Miyasaka, he adds a hint of poetry as a caption to this photo,

“The stars fell from the heavens.
The stars transformed themselves into an icicle.
Stars sleep eternally here.”

 The Milky Way from Reunion Island

Luc Perrot, the photographer to capture this shot, recounts how he photographed the Milky Way from the Piton de l’Eau, an ancient crater filled with water. At the bottom of the photo you can spot the Piton de Neige, the highest mountain on Reunion Island.

 “I waited two years for all the conditions to come together in order to get this photo.”

From Uludag National Park in Turkey

The credit for this beautiful shot goes to Turkish photographer Tunc Tezel.

“In the evening of 12th August 2010, I went up to Uludag National Park. My destination was the glacial lakes area, just north of the 2543-meter-high summit of Uludag. My first aim was to catch the evening planets and the Moon before they set early in the evening and then watch the Perseids as the meteor shower peaked. It was a delight to be up there, escaping from the perpetual hot weather of Bursa.”

 Practical info for visiting the Royal Museums Greenwich

• The exhibition is free to visit and open daily from 10am to 5pm.
• Find the Observatory and Planetarium in Greenwich Park, SE10 8QY.

The Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2012 exhibit runs until February 17th, 2013. Interested in photographing the night sky? Try star gazing in the world’s Dark Sky Reserves.

Are you ready for a trip to space right from London?