Amateur astronomer Damian Peach has become the first British entrant to win the title of Astronomy Photographer of the Year, beating hundreds of photographers from around the globe in the 2011 competition. As well as securing the £1,500 top prize, his image takes pride of place in the exhibition of winning photographs opening at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich on 9 September 2011.

The judges were impressed by the incredible detail captured in Peach’s winning shot which depicts Jupiter along with two of its 64 known moons, Io and Ganymede, showing the surface of the gas giant streaked with colourful bands and dotted with huge oval storms. Peach photographed the planet from Barbados where the excellent atmospheric clarity allows for exceptionally clear astronomical pictures. The Sky at Night’s Sir Patrick Moore who is a judge in the competition said: ‘The standard of this year’s entries was first class, as always, but this picture is a very worthy winner against extremely strong competition.’ Competition judge and Royal Observatory Public Astronomer, Dr Marek Kukula, said: ‘There were so many beautiful images this year but this one really stood out for me. It looks like a Hubble picture. The detail in Jupiter’s clouds and storms is incredible, and the photographer has also managed to capture detail on two of the planet’s moons which is remarkable for an image taken from the ground. An amazing photo.’

Competition for the 2011 prize was fierce with more pictures received than ever before; over 700 entries from all around the world. Winners of the other categories and special prizes include: the rich star fields of the Milky Way stretching across a tropical skyline of palm trees by Tunç Tezel (Turkey); the spectacular aftermath of a supernova explosion showing the bright red and blue wispy remnants of the dead star by Marco Lorenzi (Italy); and American newcomer Harley Grady’s image of Zodiacal Light reaching into the sky above a barn in Texas. The Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year accolade was won by 15-year-old Jathin Premjith from India who impressed the judges with his skilfully executed image of the coppery-red Moon taken during a lunar eclipse.

Two prizes in the competition were scooped by a father and daughter from the USA who both took their striking photos on a family trip to California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range earlier this year. Jeffrey Sullivan won the People and Space special prize for a self-portrait silhouetted on a hilltop under the glittering band of the Milky Way; whilst his 15-year-old daughter, Nicole Sullivan, was the runner-up in the Young Astronomy Photographer category with her photo of star trails above the Nevada range.

Other outstanding winners include: the dazzling green curtain of the Aurora Borealis over glimmering ponds in Norway; clouds of swirling purple, green and orange gas and dust that appear as ‘fighting dragons’, shaped by the recent birth of large stars; and a perfectly timed photograph capturing the International Space Station and docked space shuttle Endeavour as they pass in front of the Sun for less than half a second.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year is now in its third year and is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich and Sky at Night Magazine. The best of these striking and often thought-provoking photographs – winners, runners-up or highly commended in the competition’s different categories – are showcased in a free exhibition in the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Centre which is open to the public from 9 September 2011 until 5 February 2012.

For information about entering next year’s competition visit www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto

Exhibition information for visitors

Venue: Astronomy Centre, Royal Observatory, Greenwich
Dates: 9 September 2011–5 February 2012
Opening times: Every day, 10.00–17.00 (closed 25-26 December)
Visitor enquiries: 020 8312 6565
Admission: Entry to the Astronomy Centre and to the exhibition is free
Website: www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto

Notes to Editors

Full details of winners in 2011:

Deep Space

• Marco Lorenzi (Italy) with Vela Supernova Remnant (Winner)
• Edward Henry (USA) with Leo Triplet (Runner-up)
• Michael Sidonio (Australia) with Fighting Dragons of Ara (NGC 6188 and 6164) (Highly Commended)
• Rogelio Bernal Andreo (USA) with Orion, Head to Toe (Highly Commended)
• Steve Crouch (Australia) with Planetary Nebula Shapley 1 (Highly Commended)

Earth and Space

• Tunç Tezel (Turkey) with Galactic Paradise (Winner)
• Ole C. Salomonsen (Norway) with Divine Presence (Runner-up)
• Örvar Atli Þorgeirsson (Iceland) with Volcanic Aurora (Highly Commended)
• Andrew Steele (UK) with Red Moon rising over Oxford (Highly Commended)
• Mike Kempsey – DT6 Photographic (UK) with Meteor at Midnight, Glastonbury Tor (Highly Commended)

Our Solar System

• Damian Peach (UK) with Jupiter with Io and Ganymede, September 2010 (Winner and overall competition winner)
• Paul Haese (Australia) with Dragon Storm (Runner-up)
• Dani Caxete (Spain) with ISS and 'Endeavour' Crossing the Sun (Highly Commended)
• George Tarsoudis (Greece) with Crater Petavius, 8 February 2011 (Highly Commended)
• Peter Ward (Australia) with May 7th Hydrogen-Alpha Sun (Highly Commended)

Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year

• Jathin Premjith (India, aged 15) with Lunar Eclipse and Occultation (Winner)
• Nicole Sullivan (USA, aged 15) with Starry Night Sky (Runner-up)
• Peter Pihlmann Pedersen (UK, aged 15) with Crescent Moon (Highly Commended)
• Tom Chitson (UK aged 15) with First-Quarter Moon (Highly Commended)
• Jessica Caterson (UK aged 15) with Winter’s Moon (Highly Commended)

Special Prize: People and Space

• Jeffrey Sullivan (USA) with Stargazing (Winner)
• Jean-Baptiste Feldmann (France) with Hunting Moon (Runner-up)

Special Prize: Best Newcomer

• Harley Grady (USA) with Zodiacal Light on the Farm (Winner)

Robotic Scope Image of the Year

• Marco Lorenzi (Italy) with Shell Galaxies (NGC474 and NGC467) (Winner)

The judges for the competition are Will Gater, Melanie Grant, Rebekah Higgitt, Dan Holdsworth, Olivia Johnson, Marek Kukula, Pete Lawrence, Chris Lintott, Sir Patrick Moore and Graham Southorn.

All entries to the competition were submitted via a dedicated Flickr group (www.flickr.com/groups/astrophoto). The award ceremony can be followed live on Twitter: #Astrophoto11.

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Media interviews

The ROG's Modern Astronomy team is dedicated to the Public Understanding of Science and its experts are available to give radio and TV interviews on astronomy – at the historic Observatory site or in the studio.

The Observatory offers a short notice service to media stations looking for comment / interviews on any aspect of modern astronomy – discussing new discoveries and space missions, telling people what to look for in this month's night sky, or talking about old favourites like black holes, is there ‘life’ and the origins of the universe.

For studio quality and interviews at short notice an ISDN line is available.

For further information, images, please contact:
Jenny Orton
National Maritime Museum Press Office
Tel: 020 8312 6545/6732/6790 | 07960 509 802 or email: press@rmg.co.uk