Stars and Nebulae 2026

Brown nebula in the vague shape of a shark pointing left with its mouth open, with glowing patches of blue stars within it and millions of stars around

Category winner and overall winner

The Quiet Predator by Ali Alobaidly

"The Shark Nebula (LDN 1235) prowls 650 light years away in the constellation Cepheus, its silhouette carved not from flesh and teeth, but from interstellar dust dense enough to block starlight," Ali says.

"This image is proof that even in the vacuum of space, the Universe never misses a chance to make things look terrifyingly familiar."

Taken in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, 21–22 August 2025

Learn more about this image

Close up of blue core of the Helix Nebula

Runner-up

Beyond the Wormhole by Kfir Simon

"This image of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) showcases the galaxies that sit many millions of light years beyond it, as if we are looking at them through a wormhole," Kfir says.

"The picture is a crop of the central core of the nebula and has been processed in order to reveal the tiny galaxies. To my surprise, there are many more than I had imagined."

Taken in Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm, Windhoek Rural, Namibia, 23 June 2025

Close up of a spherical red supernova remnant

Highly commended

Abell 85 by Cédric Humbert

"Abell 85, also known as LBN 576 or CTB 1, is an extremely diffuse supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation Cassiopeia, about 9,780 light years away," Humbert says.

"This image was taken with SHO filters. I primarily wanted to highlight the OIII (doubly ionised oxygen) signal, which was obtained with 30 hours of exposure, in order to achieve a slightly different image, and to work on the S-channel to bring out the filaments of the ‘ball’ of matter."

Taken in Coleman County, Texas, USA, 12 December 2025