Overall Winners 2019

For a single multiple-exposure image to capture this event with such positional precision, creative innovation and beauty is nothing short of masterful. The colours of our atmosphere projected onto the Moon’s disc during the eclipse are not only artistically pleasing, but also offer an understanding of such events and can reveal aspects of our own, thin, yet essential atmosphere. In a year that celebrates 50 years since the first lunar landings, is it fitting that this year’s overall winning image captures such a dynamic and captivating view of the Moon. A worthy winner indeed.

Ed Robinson, award-winning photographer, director, creative director and founder of OneRedEye Visual Communications

This is simply exquisite! I love the pastel aquamarine and rosy hues, the delicate wisps of gas and dust, the finely drawn features of the nebula.

Melanie Vandenbrouck, Curator of Art at Royal Museums Greenwich

This image presents a view of the Sun infrequently seen. It reminds me of images viewed through a microscope rather than a telescope. Taking something as huge as our star and presenting it in such fine detail as if observed under the microscope is a real feat of photography.

Oana Sandu, Community Coordinator for the European Southern Observatory

This is a brilliant sequence that not only communicates the all-consuming, Mars-wide scale of the dust storm, but also represents a poignant epitaph for the Opportunity rover. What incredible science it has given us. Opportunity will lie dormant for a time until a future Martian museum displays the plucky rover, alongside Beagle 2, Viking and all the others, for future settlers to observe with gratitude and amazement.

Jon Culshaw, comedian, impersonator and regular guest on The Sky at Night

I was immediately struck by the surrealist quality of this image. There is a calmness about the scene but also a great strength in the twisted form of the dead tree reaching out, both towards the Milky Way and the falling meteor, making a powerful connection between the Earth, near sky and deep sky. The tonal quality and range emphasize the detail, which I can easily lose myself in for quite some time.

Mandy Bailey, Astronomy Secretary for the Royal Astronomy Society

There is so much to enjoy about this picture: moonlight bathing the dunes in its silvery glow; the dramatic shadows seemingly sculpting the sand into cliffs and ravines; and the meeting of cosmic time and geological time.

Melanie Vandenbrouck, Curator of Art at Royal Museums Greenwich