20 breathtaking astronomy photos capture the best of space

Space and photography fans are in for a treat. The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has returned, with its sixteenth edition shortlist featuring a stunning array of photographs.

London's Royal Museums Greenwich received a whopping 3,500 entries from both amateur and professional photographers globally, each of whom captured a breathtaking glimpse of space. The 30 shortlisted entries range from visuals from the Geminid meteor shower to an aurora in the shape of a dragon to ancient supernova remnants. Categories cover everything from stars and nebulae to asteroids to lunar and solar images.

The official winners of the competition will be revealed in September, but for now the shortlist is an incredible first look at the intersection between art and astronomy. Take a look:

"Abandoned House" by Stefan Liebermann. Credit: Stefan Liebermann

"A Whale Sailing the Sun" by Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau. Credit: Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau

"Observations at Night" by Jakob Sahner. Credit: Jakob Sahner

"Earth and Milky Way Galaxy Show" by Yoshiki Abe. Credit: Yoshiki Abe

"SNR G156.2+5.7, a Faint Supernova Remnant in Auriga" by Bray Falls. Credit: Bray Falls

"A Night with the Valkyries" by Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis. Credit: Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis

"Arctic Dragon" by Carina Letelier Baeza. Credit: Carina Letelier Baeza

"The Galaxy Devourer" by ShaRA (Shared Remote Astrophotography) Team. Credit: ShaRA (Shared Remote Astrophotography) Team

"Serpentine" by Paul Haworth. Credit: Paul Haworth

"The Blue Details of M45: The Pleiades" by Sándor Biliczki. Credit: Sándor Biliczki

"Misty Mountains" by Bence Toth. Credit: Bence Toth

"Run to Carina" by Vikas Chander. Credit: Vikas Chander

"M100 (the Blowdryer Galaxy) and Ceres" by Damon Mitchell Scotting. Credit: Damon Mitchell Scotting

"International Space Station Daytime Moon Transit" by Kelvin Hennessy. Credit: Kelvin Hennessy

"Total Solar Eclipse" by Gwenaël Blanck. Credit: Gwenaël Blanck

"M81, a Grand Design Spiral Galaxy" by Holden Aimar. Credit: Holden Aimar

"Gigantic Solar Prominence in Motion" by Miguel Claro. Credit: Miguel Claro

"Martian Dementors" by Leonardo Di Maggio. Credit: Leonardo Di Maggio

"Saturn with Six Moons" by Andy Casely. Credit: Andy Casely

"The Fire-Spitting Dragon" by Moritz Telser. Credit: Moritz Telser

Want more Astronomy Photographer of the Year wonders? Check out 2023's list.