Clowns pose for a picture during the International Clown Day in Guadalajara, Mexico, on December 10, 2019. (Photo by Ulises Ruiz/AFP Photo)

A girl wearing a Santa hat surfs at Bondi Beach on December 25, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. December is one of the hottest months of the year across Australia, with Christmas Day traditionally involving a trip to the beach and celebrations outdoors. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

A man raises his fist as a group of Black Lives Matter marchers approached Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza ast the beginning of a Caribbean-led rally, Sunday, June 14, 2020, in New York. Protests have grown since the May 25th death of George Floyd, a black man who died inn police custody in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. (Photo by Kathy Willens/AP Photo)

Gorgeous galaxies and stunning stars make up this selection of pictures from the shortlisted entries for this year’s Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The winners will be announced on 15 September, and an exhibition of the winning images will be will be displayed in a free exhibition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Centre from 17 September. Here: “Seven Magic Points”. The rusty red swirls of the circular, iron sculpture Seven Magic Points in Brattebergan, Norway mirror the rippling aurora above. (Photo by Rune Engebø/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum)

The Invasion. A quiet street in Macau. Modernization around is quickly changing the city, as documented by Paul Tsui. (Photo by Paul Tsui/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)

A woman poses with a grenade launcher at a weapons exhibition during festivities marking Marines Day in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, November 24, 2018. (Photo by Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo)

An instructor (C) adjusts the posture of students of flight attendant major during a training session at Anhui Foreign Languages University, in Hefei, Anhui province, China, May 25, 2015. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

American rapper Doja Cat performs on stage during the Balmain Festival as part of Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2022 at La Seine Musicale on September 29, 2021 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)