The winners of the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 have been announced at the Royal Observatory , and the judges had quite the challenge in plunk between the yard ofspectacular photographsentered in the challenger from around the humankind .
The overall victor is an unbelievable eclipse of the Sun picture by Chinese astrophotographer Yu Jun , shown above , which shows the so - call Baily ’s Beads . This is an effect where the rugged surface of the Moon lets some astragal of sunlight through during the occultation . Jun draw up the succeed slice by stack up several images of the full eclipse that pass on March 9 , 2016 in Luwuck , Indonesia .
“ This is such a visually striking image , with its successiveness of fiery spark all dead balanced around the pitching black R-2 of integrality , ” say competition jurist and Royal Observatory Public Astronomer Dr Marek Kukula in a statement .
“ It ’s even more impressive when you realize what it shows : the progress of a solar eclipse , all compact into a single frame with consummate skill and preciseness . A tremendous accomplishment that labour the boundaries of what modern astrophotography can achieve . ”
Yun ’s picture is in great company . Among the victor , in the categorySkyscape , we discover the " Binary Haze " by UK lensman Ainsley Bennet who captured a countryside tantrum where the mist amplify the brightness of Venus and the crescent Moon .
Binary Haze by Ainsley Bennet . Royal Observatory Greenwich ’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 / National Maritime Museum
In the categoryPeople and Space , the winner was Wing Ka Ho , from Hong Kong , with " City Lights " . This is a groovy picture of star - trails among skyscrapers , which shows that you’re able to engage in astronomy even in a light - polluted metropolis .
In the same category , there was “ A Wise Son Makes a Glad Father , ” where a Maasai warrior teaches astronomy to his Word . The picture , shot by Robin Stuart from Kenya , was highly commended by the pronounce jury .
City Lights by Wing Ka Ho . Royal Observatory Greenwich ’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 / National Maritime Museum
A Wise Son Makes a Glad Father by Robin Stuart . Royal Observatory Greenwich ’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 / National Maritime Museum
The winner ofStars & Nebulais British lensman Steve Brown with “ The Rainbow Star ” , a pop music - art inspired composition of telecasting frame of Sirius , which has the interesting habit of swank with hues of different color due to interference in the atmosphere .
“ The winning entries , and indeed the whole field , show that the fledgling ' technical abilities and creative eye have never been sharp . They enchant the hushed , olympian beauty of the dark sky above a world that ’s increasingly frenzied and light - contaminated . ”
The Rainbow Star by Steve Brown . Royal Observatory Greenwich ’s Astronomy lensman of the Year 2016 / National Maritime Museum
Another image worth observe is " Lunar Reversal " by Brendan Devine , who won theYoung Astronomy lensman of the Year 2016 . The Chicago stripling took a not bad picture of the Moon and then revoke it , producing a unique view of our artificial satellite that highlights several feature we often miss in traditional exposure .
Lunar Reversal by Brendan Devine . Royal Observatory Greenwich ’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 / National Maritime Museum
An exhibition with all the picture will take place within the Royal Observatory in Greenwich from September 17 , 2016 to June 28 , 2017 . More information is available on the Astronomy Photographer competitionwebsite .
