Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2020

- Amazing astrophotography
- Guaranteed entry time
- More space to explore
Prices
Adult: £10
Child: £5
See all the stunning winning images in the Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition
Prices
Adult: £10
Child: £5
Unlimited entry all year from £49, including Planetarium shows
Direct Debit
Individual: £50
Family: From £60
One-off
Individual: £60
Family: From £70
The winners of Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 have been revealed.
UPDATE: the 2020 competition shortlist has now been revealed. Click here to see this year's entries
Hungarian photographer László Francsics has been named the overall winner of Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019. His bewitching image, 'Into the Shadow', depicts the 35 phases of the total lunar eclipse that occurred on 21 January 2019.
Learn more about the winning image in the video below
The gallery below features all the main category winners from this year's competition. Click through to each category to find out more about the winners, runners-up and shortlisted entries.
All the images are on display at the National Maritime Museum in London. Visit now.
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
© László Francsics
250 mm Newtonian reflecting telescope at f/4, Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro mount, Sony Alpha 99 camera, HDR composite of 35 exposures
If an image is worth a thousand words, this one definitely encompasses that. The amount of elements to explore in this frame is impressive. Even more impressive is the way the elements come together in a balanced composition: the Milky Way arch above intersects with the aurora and the human presence points towards the landscape below, which puts up a light show of its own. I especially liked spotting the footprints in the snow
Oana Sandu, Community Coordinator for the European Southern Observatory
© Nicolai Brügger
Nikon D600 camera, 15 mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 12 x 13-second exposures
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
© Ignacio Diaz Bobillo
Astro-Physics 167 mm apochromatic refractor telescope at f/7.2, Astrodon SII, H-alpha and OIII 3 nm filters, Astro-Physics 1100GTO mount, pogee Atlas U16M camera, narrowband, SII-Ha-OIII composite, 16-hour total exposure
Being used to images from space-based telescopes such as the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope or ground-based images such as those of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), I often get the jaw-drop effect seeing such detailed deep-sky images coming from much smaller telescopes. This is definitely one of those cases.
Oana Sandu, Community Coordinator for the European Southern Observatory
© Rolf Wahl Olsen
Homebuilt 12.5” Serrurier Truss Newtonian telescope at f/4, Losmandy G-11 mount, QSI 683wsg-8 camera, L-RGB composite, 41 hours 38 minutes total exposure
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
© Alan Friedman
Astro-Physics Stowaway 90 mm apochromatic refractor telescope at f/20, Coronado SolarMax 90 mm etalon filter, Astro-Physics German equatorial mount, Point Grey Research Grasshopper camera, 33-millisecond exposure
Cloud cover doesn’t always scupper astronomy. It can complement and frame the sense of awe so long as it keeps in the right place, as captured here.
Jon Culshaw, comedian, impersonator and regular guest on The Sky at Night
© Ben Bush
Nikon D810 camera, 24 mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 4000, 10-second exposure
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
© Andy Casely
Celestron C14 355 mm Schmidt-Cassegrain reflecting telescope at f/26, Astronomik RGB filters, Celestron CGX-L mount, ZWO ASI290MM camera, mosaic of multiple stacked exposures
Colourful, abstract, creative and accomplished. I commend the photographer for their exploration and experimentation into colour and light to reveal a spectacular view of Saturn, one that I have never seen in this way before. An inspirational use of robotic scope and a reminder to amateurs that it’s a great and accessible tool to push your imaging, techniques and creativity further.
Ed Robinson, award-winning photographer, director, creative director and founder of OneRedEye Visual Communications
© László Francsics
Chilescope T1 ASA 1000 mm Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope at f/16, Baader R, IR 685, IR 742 filters, Alt-Azimuth fork mount, ZWO ASI174MM camera, R-IR composite, multiple stacked exposures
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
© Wang Zheng
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera, 20 mm f/2 lens, ISO 6400, 10-second exposure
A familiar target is made wonderfully vivid by a careful study of the most cutting-edge astrophotography methods. Even with modest equipment this photographer shows tremendous aptitude for the art form.
Tom Kerss, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
© Ross Clark
Canon 450D astro-modified camera, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer mount, Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L USM lens at 200 mm f/3.5, ISO 800, two-panel mosaic, 3-hour total exposure
Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer 2019: see the full shortlist
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
© Shuchang Dong
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera, 50 mm f/1.8 lens, ISO 250, 60 x 25-second exposures
Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer 2019: see the full shortlist
This shot was my favourite in the category. The quality and detail of the final image are simply stunning considering the limited experience photographers in this category have. If 11-year-olds are so interested in space, and are willing to put in the time and effort to produce such images, I can only be optimistic, not just about the astronomy of the future, but science and technology in general. Well done!
Oana Sandu, Community Coordinator for the European Southern Observatory
© Davy van der Hoeven
TMB92SS 92 mm apochromatic refractor telescope at f/5.5, Sky-Watcher NEQ-6 mount, QSI 583ws camera, Ha-OIII-SII composite, 16 hours 15 minutes total exposure