The cosmos has always inspired awe, but few things capture its wonder as powerfully as astrophotography. The 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious competitions dedicated to space imagery, has once again delivered breathtaking results. On Thursday, 11 September, the winners were announced in an online ceremony that brought together photographers, astronomers, and enthusiasts from across the globe.
This year’s competition showcased extraordinary talent, with submissions capturing everything from swirling galaxies millions of light-years away to the intimate beauty of our own Moon. The 11 breathtaking winning photos highlight not just technical mastery, but also the passion and patience required to reveal the hidden marvels of the universe. Each image stands as a reminder of humanity’s unending curiosity and our deep connection to the night sky.
Among the winning entries are striking portraits of nebulae glowing in vivid colors, star clusters that seem like celestial jewels, and long-exposure shots that reveal the grandeur of the Milky Way. Some photographers turned their lenses closer to home, capturing planetary alignments and lunar landscapes with stunning clarity. Others ventured into deep space, showcasing galaxies and interstellar clouds rarely seen with such detail outside professional observatories.
The diversity of styles and perspectives speaks to the universal appeal of astrophotography. Whether taken with advanced telescopes or carefully adapted cameras, these winning shots push the boundaries of what’s possible in capturing the cosmos. More importantly, they invite us all to look upward, to marvel, and to reflect on our place in the vastness of space.
The 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards not only celebrate artistic achievement but also inspire future generations to explore the stars. These images remind us that beyond the darkness lies a universe filled with light, wonder, and endless discovery.
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#1. The overall winner and Galaxies category winner: "The Andromeda Core" by Weitang Liang, Qi Yang, Chuhong Yu
The Andromeda Galaxy is one of the most photographed targets in the night sky. Despite this, three photographers have succeeded in presenting this familiar favourite in a striking new light.
Weitang Liang, Qi Yang and Chuhong Yu’s photo The Andromeda Core focuses on revealing the intricate structure of the luminous core of the galaxy.
The photographers say, “This image is not just about capturing Andromeda’s beauty – it is an effort to bring out the dynamic processes shaping its evolution, from the birth of new stars to the influence of interstellar structures near its core.”
#2. Skyscapes category winner: "The Ridge" by Tom Rae
“There is so much to love in this image. It is absolutely breathtaking. The vibrant colours of the landscape, the night sky and the individual stars are all remarkable. The photographer has captured impressive depth in the Milky Way, including the added hydrogen regions, without overdoing it. I appreciate how the airglow appears to cradle the sky, and the landscape contributes to a very balanced composition. Truly eye-catching and dreamy.”
– Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn, competition judge
#3. Our Sun category winner: "Active Region of the Sun’s Chromosphere" by James Sinclair
“I found this amazingly detailed view of one tiny portion of the Sun’s surface totally mesmerising. Its abstract beauty wonderfully conveys constant movement and it screams pure fusion energy!”
– Martin Lewis, competition judge
#4. Our Moon category winner: "The Trace of Refraction" by Marcella Giulia Pace
"We often see pictures of the Moon setting, the distortion of the atmosphere playing with its contours. But this image vividly shows just how much distortion is possible at the very edge of the horizon, stretching and wrinkling the lunar limb as if the ground is a black hole drawing the Moon towards it. A single sliver from it would be beautiful in its own right but when part of a well-crafted sequence it becomes a fascinating montage of a daily occurrence we never get to see in this way.”
– Steve Marsh, competition judge
#5. Aurorae category winner: "Crown of Light" by Kavan Chay
“This breathtaking panoramic image, taken during an intense G5 storm, captures the vibrant Aurora Australis piercing through clouds above a rugged coastline. Its strength lies in the balance of technical precision and emotional resonance. The rocky coastline anchors the scene, contrasting with the ethereal glow of the aurora. The photographer’s expertise is clear in the seamless stitching of the panorama and refined processing of the sky. Taken after hours of effort, the image conveys both the aurora’s natural beauty and the photographer’s dedication. Congratulations to the photographer on a remarkable achievement.”
– Yuri Beletsky, competition judge
#6. Planets, Comets and Asteroids category winner: "Comet 12P-Pons-Brooks Taking a Final Bow" by Dan Bartlett
“This fine cometary image is dramatically composed and exceptionally crisp and detailed. Its blue tones contrast beautifully with the brilliant orange star nearby. The billowing tail evokes the sense of the comet roaring across the night sky – reminiscent of the fiery trail of the rocket ship in the 1936 film Flash Gordon.”
– Martin Lewis, competition judge
#7. People and Space category winner: "ISS Lunar Flyby" by Tom Williams
“It is good to be reminded that people are on board the ISS as it traverses the Moon. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made the first space flight in 1961. I wonder if, today, we’ve become complacent about our presence in space. This image shows us that we are still space explorers and pioneers at the very beginning of our journey. A picture of great hope.”
– Alan Sparrow, competition judge
#8. Stars and Nebulae category winner: "M13 – An Ultra-Deep Exposure of the Popular Cluster" by Distant Luminosity group
“It’s the incredible balance of detail at different distances that makes this a truly impressive image. Subtle grey clouds of interstellar dust and a field of local stars make up the foreground. In the middle distance is the Great Hercules Cluster itself, beautifully captured right to its luminescent core. But it’s the background that makes this image complete. Dozens of galaxies pepper the scene. More are revealed the longer you look to the point that it begins to do the Hubble Deep Field proud. With razor sharp focus and beautiful bursts of colour, this is a worthy winner of the category. ”
– Greg Brown, competition judge
#9. The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer: "Encounter Across Light Years" by Yurui Gong, Xizhen Ruan
“Happenstance created this alluring comparison. Our view of Andromeda is fixed (at least over the course of a human lifetime), whereas rocky material burning up in our atmosphere flares up as a fireball for just a few seconds. Though the distant galaxy is home to phenomenally energetic processes, the transitory streak across the sky seems even more powerful. For just a moment, the annihilation of an object no bigger than a football steals the attention from the home of over a trillion stars.”
– Ed Bloomer, competition judge
#10. The Annie Maunder Open Category: "Fourth Dimension" by Leonardo Di Maggio
“This image unites two phenomena that are typically hidden from view: the gravitational lensing captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, which magnifies distant galaxies, and the intricate internal structure of a meteorite. Together, they form a striking composite that bridges the vastness of the cosmos with the minuteness of the microscopic.”
– Victoria Lane, competition judge
#11. ZWO Young Competition: "Orion, the Horsehead and the Flame in H-alpha" by Daniele Borsari
“It never ceases to amaze me how the quality of images in the Young category can rival those in the overall competition – and few demonstrate that more clearly than this one. Choosing black and white over bright colours and focusing purely on the shapes and contours of the nebulae is a bold decision that has paid off. The Orion, Horsehead and Flame nebulae have rarely looked so dynamic and it’s easy to imagine these vast gas clouds roiling and billowing through space.”
– Greg Brown, competition judge