Need some space? The Astronomy Photographer of The Year 2024 exhibition opens at the National Maritime Museum in London on Saturday, September 14. The winning images will be displayed, with pride of place going to 2023’s total solar eclipse.

Now in its sixteenth year, the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition is the highest-profile competition for astrophotographers in the world. It’s run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, supported by Liberty Specialty Markets and in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine. An expert panel of judges from art and astronomy judged the entries.

Overall Winner

Since the shortlist was revealed in July, an expert panel of judges has whittled down the incredible 31 images to an overall winning image, a winning image in each of nine categories, and two special prizes.

The overall winning image was this one (main image, above) from photographer Ryan Imperio for his photograph, Distorted Shadows of the Moon’s Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse, which captures the progression of Baily’s beads during the 2023 annular eclipse. He beat thousands of amateur and professional photographers from around the globe to win the $12,600 prize. This image will take pride of place in the exhibition alongside the other winning images, plus a selection of exceptional shortlisted images. They will be compiled in a book published on September 26.

Beads Of Light

Imperio’s image shows one of the most incredible sights during any total solar eclipse. Baily’s beads are tiny points of light that appear just seconds before and after the moon completely covers the sun. They are the last remaining drops of sunlight streaming through the moon’s valleys. The final one is known as the “diamond ring.” It was named after an English astronomer.

I witnessed this eclipse from a ship off the coast of Exmouth, Western Australia. It was my sixth totality. Baily’s beads begin and end every totality, but on this occasion, they went on so long that I wasn’t sure when it was safe to look properly with naked eyes. No sooner had totality begun than it was over, but the ending—usually a few more beads and a surge of light creating a powerful “diamond ring”—also seemed to go on forever.

‘Captivated And Amazed’

’This is an impressive dissection of the fleeting few seconds during the visibility of Baily’s beads,’ said Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn, judge and meteorologist. ‘This image left me captivated and amazed. It’s exceptional work deserving of high recognition.’

The 3,500 entries submitted from amateur and professional photographers in 58 countries include out-of-this-world images of the aurora borealis, the Milky Way, shooting stars and colorful supernova remnants.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.