This image showcases a vast plasma arc adjacent to the Andromeda Galaxy, which scientists are currently investigating, according to RMG. 

Scientists suggest that it could be the largest structure of its kind in the nearby cosmic environment.

“Scientists are now investigating the newly discovered giant in a transnational collaboration,” the photographers explained. “It could be the largest such structure nearest to us in the Universe.”

‘What does a discovery image look like? It is mostly a blurry black and white image that depicts an almost invisible faint dot or a spectrum that is incomprehensible to us,” stated László Francsics, competition judge. 

“However, that was not the case this time. This astrophoto is as spectacular as it is valuable. It not only presents Andromeda in a new way, but also raises the quality of astrophotography to a new level.”

This image was taken in Utsjoki, Lapland, Finland, representing ‘an abstract aurora in the shape of a brushstroke,’ RMG described. Interestingly, the photographer decided to capture the aurora in solitude.

“The judging panel loved the elegant simplicity of this abstract image. We are accustomed to seeing aurora from an earthly perspective with mountains, trees and humanmade structures framing the dancing lights,” said Katherine Gazzard, competition judge. 

She added that the photograph offered something different, showcasing the beauty of the aurora in isolation.

“The composition evokes the arts of brush-painting and calligraphy, which are practiced in many cultures around the world.”

Earlier in 2022, on December 8, Chappel captured an occultation event where the Moon passed in front of Mars, snapping both celestial bodies in a single image. 

The photograph shows Mars positioned behind the Moon’s southern side, showcasing detailed features of the red planet.

“The occultation of Mars by the Moon was one of the last and greatest celestial events of 2022. It was also one of the most challenging to image. To capture the level of detail on Mars that you see here takes a huge amount of skill and practice,” expressed Steve Marsh, competition judge.

“Combined with a crisp, clear, perfectly processed lunar limb, the result is like taking a gigantic telephoto lens into lunar orbit itself! This image is a technical marvel and a real treat to look at. Two factors which make it a worthy winner in this category.”

Sheila Kanani, competition judge, called the image “clever”, noting that while the granulation and surface of the Sun have been seen before, she has never seen a ‘filament shaped like a question mark.’

“If you zoom into the surface of the Sun, the image has a paint-like quality – I feel like I can see the brush strokes. There’s a sense of movement and you can almost see the question mark filament moving if you stare long enough,” she added.

This photo depicts the northernmost stretch of Namibia’s coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, renowned for its perilous conditions and has earned the moniker the Skeleton Coast.

According to RMG, the vessel depicted in this photograph, Zeila, ran aground on August 25, 2008, and remains remarkably well-preserved. The image showcases the subtle hues of various types of stars.

“I really love how the star trails poking through the grey sky provide a stunning backdrop for this stranded ship. It looks as though it’s floating on a sea of fog,” said Melissa Brobby, competition judge. 

“It is a hauntingly beautiful image that would be the perfect setting for a ghost story and is one of my favourites from this year’s competition.”

Williams captured Venus from a different perspective, highlighting its uniqueness using infrared or ultraviolet false color. The photo illustrates fine details within the upper atmosphere of the planet.

“Venus can be easily found with the naked eye or photographed with a small telescope, as it is the planet with the largest angular diameter that can be seen from Earth. But not like this. Capturing these atmospheric details from the sunlit side of the planet when it is so far from Earth is a remarkable achievement,” expressed László Francsics, competition judge.

A rare phenomenon that looks like fireworks captured from the highest ridge of the Himalayan mountains.

Ed Bloomer, competition judge, stated that this image is not, as it might first appear, an enormous extra-terrestrial, but the lower tendrils of a sprite (red lightning).

“This rarely seen electrical discharge occurs much higher in the atmosphere than normal lightning (and indeed, despite the name, is created by a different mechanism), giving the image an intriguingly misleading sense of scale,” he added.

“While the gradient of colours is beautiful by itself, impressively the image also reveals the delicate structure of the plasma. We really loved that the photographer didn’t capture the whole structure, which extends far beyond the top of the frame. It creates an unsettling, alien image that can’t help but draw your eye.”

Yuri Beletsky, competition judge, expressed: “This is an breathtaking image of the YY Hya star and its interstellar environment.”

The nebula captured in this image was found while exploring undiscovered galactic emission nebulae. Following over 360 hours of exposure, the photographer unveiled a stunning ultra-deep stellar relic.

“Not only is this image truly captivating, but it also serves as a fantastic illustration of how amateurs and professional astronomers can come together and achieve great results through collaboration,” added Beletsky.

Comprised of 70 hours of data, the photograph showcases the intricate interplay of various gases, offering a unique spectacle with each viewing.

The Sh2-132 complex is situated close to the boundary of the Cepheus and Lacerta constellations, boasting numerous deep sky formations. 

Steve Marsh, competition judge, expressed that astrophotographers’ perseverance and stamina make the image stand out in the photography field. 

“Here is an image that really brings home the application required, especially when focusing on the deep sky. This photographer has put in the hours and studied their craft to create a beautiful image of this field of nebulosity.”

“With subtle but varying colours across the whole palette, the dark twisting lanes of dust are resolved in exquisite detail and the stars are perfectly round with no hint of trailing. All this from a newcomer to the field. It shows that, even at the early stages of astrophotography, there are no limits to what we can achieve,” he added.

Yuri Beletsky, competition judge, described the image as a strikingly beautiful picture of the Running Chicken Nebula (IC2944), adding that the photographers managed to capture the vibrant colors of the nebula and the embedded star cluster.

“This cluster contains several hot, young stars whose intense radiation causes the surrounding nebula to glow. The interaction between the stellar winds from these stars and the denser pockets of material in the nebula leads to the creation of interesting features, such as Thackeray’s globules, which are potential sites of future star formation.”

Using audio data from NASA’s Chandra Sonification Project, White visually represented the sound emitted by the black hole at the center of the Perseus Galaxy Cluster. 

The photographer played the audio through a speaker attached to a petri dish, with the bottom blacked out and filled with approximately three millimeters of water. In a darkened room, he utilized a macro lens and halo light to experiment with different audio frequencies and volumes, observing the diverse patterns formed in the liquid.

Ed Bloomer, competition judge, stated: “Most of the information in the Universe is imperceptible to human senses (or delivered by mechanisms that would annihilate an observer), yet most modern astronomical developments are about capturing such information. Interpreting and presenting that information is vital as well.”

“Here, we are shown an interesting and playful visualisation of astronomical data that we could not ‘see’ by ourselves nor ‘hear’. This is an image of a sound generated by a source that is invisible. Stark, beautiful, rather weird, and certainly innovative!”