BBC Sky at Night Magazine is proud to reveal the 2022 winners of the world’s biggest astrophotography contest
Once again, astrophotographers from across the globe have submitted their best work in a bid to win the prestigious title of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022. The panel of judges had their work cut out, picking from 3,204 incredible images submitted by 649 entrants from six continents. After lengthy and detailed deliberations, they have selected the best of the best, and we have the pleasure of presenting the winners of the 14th contest here, across all eight main categories. You can also see winners of the competition’s special prizes for astrophotography newcomers and for imagers who have processed professionally taken data, as well as the special prize for entrants younger than 16. You can see the winning photos for yourself at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London from 17 September. Visit https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/astronomy-photographer-year/exhibition for details.
OVERALL WINNER / Planets, Comets & Asteroids
Disconnection Event
Gerald Rhemann
Location: Khomas, Namibia, 25 December 2021
Equipment: ASA 12-inch astrograph, ASA DDM85 mount, ZWO ASI6200MM Pro camera, 1076mm f/3.6, mosaic of two LRGB composite panels, 400-second exposure per panel
Judge’s verdict: “Astronomy, myth and art come together beautifully in this shot. It holds great value to scientists, as it elegantly captures a disconnection event. Yet this photograph, which was taken on Christmas Day, seems to tell an otherworldly story too – it could be the Star of Bethlehem, an angel or a fairy soaring through the night sky.” – Imad Ahmed
MORE ONLINE
A gallery of these and more stunning images from the 2022 competition
www.skyatnightmagazine.com/bonus-content/IRIVOWL
FREE 2023 CALENDAR
If you want to see these stunning images throughout next year, pick up the December issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine for our free 2023 calendar. As well as listing all the unmissable astronomical events throughout the year, each month features one of the winners from Astronomy Photography of the Year 2022. It’ll be on sale from 17 November 2022.
Aurorae
In the Embrace of the Green Lady
Filip Hrebenda
Location: Hvalnes, Iceland, 10 April 2021
Equipment: Sony ILCE-7RM3A camera, 16mm lens, f/2.8 aperture, ISO 2500, Sky: 5-second exposure, foreground: 20-second exposure
Judge’s verdict: “I love this – it sums up aurorae for me: the green ‘swoosh’ reflected in the icy lake, the clarity of the edges of the ice blocks and the looming shadow of the mountain.” – Sheila Kanani
Galaxies
Majestic Sombrero Galaxy
Utkarsh Mishra, Michael Petrasko, Muir Evenden
Location: New Mexico, USA, 5 May 2021
Equipment: ATEO 16-inch f/3.7 Dreamscope Newtonian astrograph, Paramount ME II mount, Baader LRGB filter, FLI Proline 16803 CCD camera, 1,558mm f/3.7, 56x 300 seconds
Judge’s verdict: “The Sombrero is a well-documented galaxy, yet astrophotographers still find ways to tease more majesty from it. To see the misty remnants of previous collisions surrounding the galaxy, itself floating alone in the void, is just exquisite.” – Steve Marsh
People and Space
The International Space Station transiting Tranquility Base
Andrew McCarthy
Location: Arizona, USA, 19 January 2022
Equipment: Celestron C11 and Explore Scientific AR127 telescopes, iOptron CEM70 mount, UV/IR Cut filter, ZWO ASI174MM and Sony A7 II cameras, 2,800mm f/10, 0.3-millisecond exposure
Judge’s verdict: “The symbol of man, the tiny silhouette of the ISS, is dwarfed by the vast and detailed lunar surface, coloured by mineral deposits. It shows us just how fragile we are.” – László Francsics
Our Sun
A Year in the Sun
Soumyadeep Mukherjee
Location: West Bengal, India, 31 December 2021
Equipment: Nikon D5600 camera, Sigma 150–600c lens, Thousand Oaks filter (White-Light), 600mm lens, f/6.3 aperture, ISO 100, 365 individual exposures (1/80-second to 1/500-second)
Judge’s verdict: “The commitment and diligence (not to mention luck) needed to image the Sun every day for a year is a feat within itself. But, more than just a matter of hard work, this photographer has achieved a fascinating and unique look at the progression of sunspot bands across its disc.” – Steve Marsh
The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer
This special prize is awarded to an astrophotographer who started the hobby in the last two years
The Milky Way Bridge Across Big Snowy Mountains
Lun Deng
Location: Sichuan, China, 21 February 2021
Equipment: Nikon D810 camera, 35mm lens, f/1.6 aperture, ISO 2000, multiple 30-second exposures
Judge’s verdict: “The icy, ragged mountaintop is contrasted beautifully with the Milky Way, the lighter pink and indigo hues of which offer us a mesmerising, warm glow. I also have to commend the photographer’s dedication – standing in the snow in freezing conditions – to capture this picture!” – Imad Ahmed
Skyscapes
Stabbing into the Stars
Zihui Hu
Location: Tibet, China, 24 December 2021
Equipment: Sony ILCE-7R3 camera, Tamron 150–500mm lens at 150mm, f/5.6 aperture, 75x 30-second exposures
Judge’s verdict: “I love the juxtaposition of the star trails against the clear peak of the mountain. The motion of the clouds adds to the drama.” – Sheila Kanani
Stars and Nebulae
The Eye of God
Weitang Liang
Location: Coquimbo region, Chile, 8 August 2021
Equipment: ASA N20 Newtonian telescope, ASA DDM85 mount, FLI Proline 16803 camera, 500mm f/3.8, 22.5 hours total exposure
Judge’s verdict: “The colours in this photograph make for a stunning composition – from the fiery red to the defiant, moody blue at the centre of the ‘eye’. It’s easy to see how the ancients used to stargaze into the heavens and imagine that the cosmos was looking back, keeping a watchful eye over us.” – Imad Ahmed
Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Andromeda Galaxy, The Neighbour
Yang Hanwen and Zhou Zezhen, aged 14
Location: Yunnan Province, China, 7 October 2021
Equipment: Sky-Watcher 150/750P Newtonian telescope, iOptron CEM70 mount, Antlia LRGB, HYO H-alpha filter, ZWO ASI294MM Pro camera, 750mm f/5, 17 hours total exposure
Judge’s verdict: “From the dark dust lanes to the HII regions, these young photographers have expertly bought out the galaxy’s stunning details to produce a vibrant image. One of my favourite pictures from the competition!” – Melissa Brobby
The Annie Maunder Prize for Digital Innovation
Entrants were invited to put a unique spin on data taken by professional observatories
Solar Tree
Pauline Woolley
Location: UK
Data source: Solar Dynamics Observatory
Equipment: Original images from the AIA 0131 Angstrom channel of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), 1 January 2020 to 1 February 2022
Judge’s verdict: “Dendrochronology – the scientific method of calculating dates based on tree rings – is used by art historians and conservators to date wood panel paintings, but here the technology has been utilised to create an unusual and beautiful composition. This is an innovative photograph that immediately astonished all the judges.” – Hannah Lyons
Our Moon
Shadow Profile of Plato’s East Rim
Martin Lewis
Location: Hertfordshire, UK, 20 April 2021
Equipment: Home-built 444mm Dobsonian Newtonian reflector telescope, home-built equatorial tracking platform mount, Astronomik 642nm IR filter lens, ZWO ASI174MM camera, 12.8m f/29, multiple 29-millisecond exposures
Judge’s verdict: “This close-up of the Plato crater has become one of my favourite photographs of the Moon. This image of the east rim being hit by the Sun’s rays is wondrously unique and proves that, no matter how often we look at the Moon, it always has many more wonderful sights for us to observe.” – Melissa Brobby
THE JUDGES
Imad Ahmed: Director of the New Crescent Society, celebrating Islam’s rich astronomy heritage.
Yuri Beletsky: Professional astronomer and nightscape photographer based in Chile.
Ed Bloomer: Public Astronomy Manager at Royal Museums Greenwich.
Melissa Brobby: Science communicator and Social Media Officer for the Institute of Physics.
László Francsics: Architect and chair of the Hungarian Astrophotographers’ Association.
Shelia Kanani: Planetary scientist and Education, Outreach and Diversity Officer at the Royal Astronomical Society.
Hannah Lyons: Assistant Curator of Art at the Royal Museums Greenwich.
Steve Marsh: Art Editor of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Alan Sparrow: Chair of the UK Picture Editors’ Guild and Director of the UK Pictures Editors’ Guild Awards.