In addition to the four main competition categories, this year the judges have also awarded three special prizes:

Best Newcomer – for photos taken by people who have taken up the hobby in the last year and have not entered an image into the competition before. The judges have given special consideration to those using simple and inexpensive start-out kit.

People and Space – for photos that include people in a creative and original way.

Robotic Scope – for images that have been taken by robotic or remote telescopes and then processed by the entrant.

Winners 2011 | Earth and Space | Our Solar System | Deep Space | Young astronomy photographer

Zodiacal Light on the Farm by Harley Grady (USA)

25 February 2011

What the photographer says:

‘Growing up far away from the city lights, I was always fascinated with the night sky. When I began college I had the opportunity to take some astronomy classes. I soon began to combine my love of photography with astronomy and began documenting the night sky.’

Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera with 16-35mm lens

What it shows:

The faint glow reaching into the sky from the horizon to the right of the barn in this scene is known as zodiacal light. Visible only in extremely dark skies, it results from sunlight reflecting off dust particles in our Solar System.

What the judges say:

Chris Lintott says: ‘I love the calm of this image but there’s a lot going on, from the gentle glow of zodiacal light, to the starlit night sky and even a couple of satellites. A memorable shot!’

What Flickr members say:

Omri Suissa says: ‘perfect’

V-a-h-e says: ‘Nice!!’

Stargazing by Jeffrey Sullivan (USA)

30 June 2011

What the photographer says:

‘This is a self-portrait under the Milky Way. I was having too much fun pursuing the Milky Way and star-trail photos to sleep, but after catching sunrise I eventually caught a couple of hours of sleep.

Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera; 525 separate exposures

What it shows:

In remote locations, dark skies make it is possible to see thousands of stars using just your eyes. When the sky is lite by the Sun, Moon or artificial lights on Earth, it blocks the view of all but the brightest stars..

What the judges say:

Graham Southorn says: ‘Jeffrey Sullivan’s image is striking in its grandeur, showing off both the Milky Way and the spectacular scenery on the ground. It puts humankind in perspective, reminding us how small a part of the Universe we are, and how much of it is inhospitable to humankind.’

What Flickr members say:

Lexpix says: ‘Nice shot. Love the yellow glow. See, light pollution has its uses eh?’

2redhead2 says: ‘I like how you are tilted, just like the rocks!’