35 ‘Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2019’ Finalists That Took Massive Amounts Of Planning And Precision | Bored Panda
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Let's fight boredom together! Continue with Facebook Become a member Email Password reminder Please provide your email address and we will send your password shortly. Email Please enter your email to complete registration Email Activate to continue Your account is not active. We have sent an email to the address you provided with an activation link. Check your inbox, and click on the link to activate your account. I have already activated my account The Royal Observatory Greenwich has just revealed the winners of its annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, and the quality of the entrants was nothing short of spectacular. This year the competition attracted 4,602 entries from 90 different countries across the world, all presenting the universe in a new light and vying for the coveted prize of best picture. 121points 13 13points reply "I started taking astrophotos in 2003 at the age of 19 at the very moment I looked into a small telescope," László told Bored Panda. "I had already been into photography for several years, and one of my friends pulled me into amateur astronomy. I put the two things together immediately." "For this moon eclipse shot I did not need to travel anywhere, I took this photo at home from the roof-terrace over my house. But for deepsky images (nebulas, galaxies) we have to go to extremely dark places far from settlement, also in Hungary. Hungary is actually a fairly good location in Europe for astrophotography as the light pollution is quite low at certain areas." László is incredibly proud and honored to win the prestigious award, however he explains that it was not entirely unexpected. His wife knew it was coming! "When I started to process the image after my sleepless night of the capturing, she saw halfready image on my computers screen and told me confidently that it will be the next overall winner, he told us. "She has never said it before, despite I have already took 5 awarded images at the IAPY competition during the past 7 years." The style of photography, while techincal and difficult, is more accessible than you might think. László says that people are trying it with their mobile phones - you don't need a hundred thousand dollar robotic photo-telescope in the Atacama desert! "In Hungary we have a strong community of astrophotographers, he said. "In 2018, we founded the Hungarian Astrophotographers' Association, of which I became the chairman, and already have 90 members. We organise annual exhibitions, frequent club events, and most of all we go out together to take photos under the starry sky. Our recent great challenge to establish our own astrophoto observing site in Hungary." 88points 6 6points reply This image presents a view of the Sun infrequently seen. It reminds me of images viewed through a microscope rather than a telescope. Taking something as huge as our star and presenting it in such fine detail as if observed under the microscope is a real feat of photography. The use of a different colour palette to our expectations gives us an alternative way to think about the Sun. 85points 13 13points reply Cloud cover doesn’t always scupper astronomy. It can complement and frame the sense of awe so long as it keeps in the right place, as captured here. Talk about a ’decisive moment!’ Vast yet intimate, breathtaking and touching all in one beautiful image. I love the story of how Floyd the dog was persuaded to be a part of this fantastic image. 84points 9 9points reply Timing is everything. There is no better example of that than this image. However, even the best timing needs an expert eye to make the most of it. The perfect execution of capturing and processing here makes me feel as if I’m standing on the ground witnessing this incredible event. Looking rather like a special effect from some imaginary spacecraft in a science-fiction story, this image shows hot exhaust from a launching rocket making contact with colder air. Though the initial plume is thin, the changes in atmospheric conditions as the rocket climbs cause the exhaust to surge dramatically outwards, creating the ‘petals’ of the flower. Under the right conditions, minute ice crystals form, reflecting and scattering light from over the horizon, injecting colour into the scene (including rainbow effects). The apparent stillness of the natural landscape and the man-made activity overhead contrast wonderfully, and are dramatically framed. 82points 2 2points reply 69points 9 9points reply This is a popular deep-sky target imaged to an intensely detailed degree. The bright halo around M31 really shines here. This is not easy to capture without bleaching out detail in the brighter parts of the main galaxy, but the photographer has managed to display fine dust lanes spiralling all the way into a beautifully balanced galactic core. 67points 4 4points reply 63points 11 11points reply 62points 10 10points reply 61points 6 6points reply I was immediately struck by the surrealist quality of this image. There is a calmness about the scene but also a great strength in the twisted form of the dead tree reaching out, both towards the Milky Way and the falling meteor, making a powerful connection between the Earth, near sky and deep sky. The tonal quality and range emphasize the detail, which I can easily lose myself in for quite some time. From the movement of the trees to the streak of the meteor, there is symmetry and drama in this shot that feels like it was always there. The decision to de-saturate the image gives it an ageless feel. 60points 4 4points reply 58points 2 2points reply 51points 3 3points reply 49points 4 4points reply 49points 6 6points reply 48points 4 4points reply 46points 6 6points reply Night-time mist, ancient ruins, ethereal light and the quiet expression of the human presence all make this contemplative scene remind me of the romantic landscapes of the German painter Caspar David Friedrich. 46points 2 2points reply It takes control to present monochrome images of such colourful objects such as this one. Even more control to produce one as perfectly processed as this of an object notorious for its imaging difficulty. 44points 8 8points reply 41points 1 1point reply This is simply exquisite! I love the pastel aquamarine and rosy hues, the delicate wisps of gas and dust, the finely drawn features of the nebula. The choice of palette and attention to colour balance lend a fairy-tale quality to this image. Pools of light are perfectly balanced, inviting the eye to explore the abstract sculptural beauty of the nebulae. A superb result. 40points 2 2points reply I commend the creative and artistic choices made by the photographer in both the colour palette and the highlighting of the prominence with an enhanced atmospheric layer. The final image is spectacular. 40points Li Nefas 0 0points reply The range, balance and framing of this composition are already incredible, yet some intangible ingredient further elevates this image to dizzying heights of surreal beauty. The essence of exploration, from the terrestrial shore to the cosmic shore, with beacons of light both grounded and celestial, is utterly spellbinding. 39points 1 1point reply An image of swathes of the universe under construction conveying a grace and beauty at vast distance, which contrasts with the cataclysms and ‘late heavy bombardments’ which are likely taking place at the heart of it. 38points 3 3points reply 37points 0 0points reply 34points 2 2points reply 34points 2 2points reply This is a fascinatingly unusual image in its texture and patterns, like endless backlit smoke rings in the corner of a celestial jazz bar. 33points 0 0points reply This is an incredible portrait of the Sun’s untameable fury – a maelstrom of seething plasma we so seldom consider as we bask in its warm rays on a peaceful day. 32points 9 9points reply I’ve loved the monochrome images in this year’s competition and this view of Saturn is no exception. Capturing an image using a methane filter to reveal this type of detail is technically challenging. It gives us a very different view of Saturn and one I found fascinating to explore, wondering what caused the methane to form into such bands. 32points 1 1point reply 32points 1 1point reply 31points 2 2points reply 31points 1 1point reply I love the detail in the foreground. It puts a perspective on the aurora and gives a scale to this phenomenon. If an image is worth a thousand words, this one definitely encompasses that. The amount of elements to explore in this frame is impressive. Even more impressive is the way the elements come together in a balanced composition: the Milky Way arch above intersects with the aurora and the human presence points towards the landscape below, which puts up a light show of its own. I especially liked spotting the footprints in the snow. 29points 0 0points reply 29points 5 5points reply Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app! 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