These are among the best space images we've ever seen. The world's biggest astro-imaging competition has just released its shortlisted photos

The shortlisted images of the 2026 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have been announced by the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year is the biggest astrophotography competition in the world, welcoming thousands of entries every year from photographers across the globe.

This year, the competition had nearly 4,000 entries from amateur and professional astro-imagers alike, submitted from 66 different countries.

The shortlisted images for 2026 include the partial solar eclipse of 29 March 2025, a full Moon over the Paris skyline, eagle-shaped aurora and vivid views of planets, galaxies and distant cosmic clouds.

The winners of the 2026 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition are set to be announced on Thursday 17 September 2026.

Then the winners and a selection of shortlisted images will be displayed in a public exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in London, UK from 18 September.

Keep up to date with the competition by following Royal Museums Greenwich on social media or via the hashtag #APY18.

In the meantime, here are this year's shortlisted images in their respective categories.

Are you an astrophotographer? Share your best images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com