The Royal Observatory just announced its Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2013 winners. Australian photographer Mark Gee was chosen among a thousand amateur and professional photographers around the globe to win the top title. His work is part of an exhibition of the winning photographers, which opened on Sept. 19 at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The Royal Observatory shared with us the winners and notable mentions of the competition. Their descriptions of the prizewinners can be found below the images.

Kirsty Mitchell is a former fashion designer who worked under both Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan as a student. However, she found her ultimate calling in photography. Her imaginative series 'Wonderland' takes you to alternate worlds where umbrellas drip with lavenders, backs sprout wings and limbs get lost in tree branches

Sarel Theron is a freelance digital matte painter and concept artist from Cape Town, South Africa. Theron has worked on numerous projects for local and international clients, including book cover illustrations, matte paintings for commercials, concept art for various pitches, and tutorials for digital art magazines.

Chris Guise is an artist, mechanical engineer and bonsai enthusiast from Maidenhead, England; and is interested in bonsai, Stirling engines, cathedrals, trees etc.
‘Bag End Bonsai Trayscape’: A Bonsai Baggins Hobbit Home is an amazing and creative creation by Artist Chris Guise. See the images below for extensive detailed work.

Looking at the photos taken by Aaron Groenom, very easy to get lost in this starry wonderland. A series of photos Dark Places - a collection of works in which the artist from South Dakota contrasts the beauty of the universe to various natural or man-made forms on Earth. Using long exposures, it captures the magical landscape filled with fabulous atmosphere, striking color palettes and far-distant galaxies.

Vadim Voitekhovitch was born in a small town of Mozyr, Belarus. He spent most of his life Belarus and he graduated from Bobruisk Art College. From 2004 he lives and works in Germany. His style is quite diverse, but he dedicates most of his time to watercolor and oil. Voitekhovitch likes to draw pictures on history subjects and especially subjects coming from XVIII-XIX centuries.

Employees wear "No-Face" masks during working hours at a service company in Handan, Hebei Province of China. As a service company, staff must smile to customers every day. On “No-Face Day”, staff wore masks to hide their facial expressions and allow them to relax. No-Face is a character in the 2001 animated movie “Spirited Away”, a silent masked creature who has no facial expressions.