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The very bright blue and green line of a fireball cuts through the starry sky next to a galaxy.
© Yurui Gong, Xizhen Ruan

Category winner

Encounter Across Light Years by Yurui Gong and Xizhen Ruan

"This photograph captures a serendipitous moment when a brilliant fireball from the Perseid meteor shower appeared to graze M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. 

Originally, I only wanted to capture a close-up of the M31 galaxy, so I set up my equipment and went to sleep after adjusting the settings. When I retrieved the camera the next morning, I discovered this wonderful surprise."

Taken in Zhucheng City, Shandong, China, 12 August 2024

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