Updated
Updated · My Modern Met · Jul 20
ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Names 29 Finalists From Nearly 4,000 Entries
Updated
Updated · My Modern Met · Jul 20

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Names 29 Finalists From Nearly 4,000 Entries

3 articles · Updated · My Modern Met · Jul 20

Summary

  • Judges for the 2026 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition cut nearly 4,000 submissions from 66 countries to 29 shortlisted works across multiple categories.
  • The finalists span auroras, galaxies, the Moon, Sun and skyscapes, including Samuel Morse’s Utah aurora, Martin Giraud’s supermoon over Paris and Jakob Sahner’s comet image from the Swiss Alps.
  • Royal Observatory Greenwich runs the contest in its 18th year with support from ZWO and BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
  • £10,000 will go to the overall winner, while category winners receive £1,500; the winners will be announced on September 17 and exhibited from September 18 at London’s National Maritime Museum.

Insights

Are today’s top astrophotography awards honoring the night sky itself, or the travel, technology, and processing needed to reveal it?
Which 2026 finalist image best balances scientific truth, artistic drama, and the rising use of composites in modern astrophotography?