The beauty and majesty of the sky: 12 of the most mesmerizing astrophotographs of this year (13 photos)

The beauty of the sky and the grandeur of space through the lens of the best photographers.





The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is absolutely incredible. It is dedicated to nature, our world and what lies beyond it. Photographers' lenses capture the northern lights, star trails, sun and moon. To show the beauty of all this and convey it to the average person, you need to be a real professional.

But all the participants in the award are like that. This year, more than four thousand works from different countries entered the competition, and all of them are excellent. Selecting the winner usually takes place in several stages, and the very first step is for the jury to form a shortlist of participants. Winners will then be selected from these images. We show you the works that were included in this list.

Crescent moon during sunset



Solar flare in motion

A comet hovers over Mount Etna



Snapshot of the Sun



Aurora over Icelandic Vestrahorn beach with black sand



Star paths in the Vim Memorial Park in northern France



The Jellyfish Nebula, similar to the painting



Moon close up



Star trails over an abandoned radio telescope



Northern Lights over a giant stone sundial, Iceland



Street artist's drawing of Pandora and the Milky Way on a beach in Greece



Galaxy NGC 3521 from the constellation Leo