The shortlisted images for this year’s Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have been released by the Royal Observatory greenwich.


Giving a tantalising glimpse of what to expect from the 2019 competition winners, the shortlisted astrophotos include beautiful aurora over the east coast of Tasmania, noctilucent clouds as seen from the north of Scotland and a breathtaking Milky Way stretching across a mountainous Bavarian landscape.

View our gallery below to see this year’s shortlist, and keep an eye out for the announcement of this year’s winners via social media on 12 September 2019.

Follow the awards ceremony as it happens using #astrophoto2019, or by following BBC Sky at Night Magazine on Twitter and Facebook, or the Royal Observatory Greenwich on Twitter and Facebook.


The winning images and a selection of shortlisted images will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in London from 13 September 2019.