SCIENCE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition Reveals Dazzling Images of the Cosmos
WHY IT MATTERS
The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition highlights the beauty and complexity of the cosmos, inspiring new generations of astronomers and photographers to explore and understand the universe.
What happened
The 2026 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has unveiled its winning images, showcasing the diversity of the cosmos from our solar system to distant nebulae. The overall winner, The Quiet Predator, was taken by Ali Alobaidly in Kuwait and depicts a dense nebula 650 light years away.
The runner-up, Beyond the Wormhole, was captured by Kfir Simon in Israel and features the centre of the Helix nebula. Other notable images include Venusian Pearl on the Moon, Anatomy of the Chromosphere, and Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon).
The winning images will be exhibited at the National Maritime Museum in London from 18 September.
PRIMARY SOURCES
See the dazzling images that won Astronomy Photographer of the Year
New Scientist · Leah Crane · Discovery and factual synthesis only; publisher copyright and subscription terms apply