Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2016 – The Shortlist

Flash Point
The Perseid Meteor Shower shoots across the sky in the early hours. This composite image features roughly 65 meteors captured by the photographer between 12:30am and 4:30am. (Brad Goldpaint)

Here are some of the brilliant photos that are shortlisted for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016.

Please click the photos for larger images:

Fork, A Spoon And The Moon A royal spoonbill perches on the forked branch of a tree, lit from behind by a glowing moon. (Andrew Caldwell)

Flash Point The Perseid Meteor Shower shoots across the sky in the early hours. This composite image features roughly 65 meteors captured by the photographer between 12:30am and 4:30am. (Brad Goldpaint)

Above The World Star trails swirl across the New Zealand sky in this long-exposure shot taken from Sefton Bivouac, the oldest hut in Mount Cook National Park. (Lee Cook)

Moon Reflection A brilliant moon is reflected in the water of Paraty Bay, Brazil. (Rafael Defavari)

Seven Magic Points The rusted swirls of the iron sculpture ‘Seven Magic Points’ in Brattebergan, Norway mirror the rippling aurora above. (Rune Engebø)

Celestial Veil Light pollution from a fishing village blurs the edges of the Milky Away as it glows over Batu Pahat, Malaysia. (Yuyun Wang)

Lagoon Nebula New stars are formed in the clouds of M8, also known as the Lagoon Nebula, situated some 5,000 light years from our planet. (Ivan Eder)