Children attend a war safety awareness class conducted by civil defence members, in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret al-Numan town in Idlib province, Syria May 14, 2016. (Photo by Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

Russia's Ekaterina Birlova casts a shadow on the sand as she serves to Poland during a women's beach volleyball match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, August 9, 2016. (Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)

In this Thursday, May 16, 2013 file photo, Finland's Krista Siegfrids, second right, kisses a dancer as she performs her song “Marry Me” during the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden. That was the first girl-on-girl kiss in the history of the annual competition. Previously, organizers had sought to prevent similar embraces citing the competition's status as a family event. (Photo by Alastair Grant/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)

Women jump into the water during a traditional New Year bath in the Adriatic sea in Portoroz, Slovenia on January 1, 2018. (Photo by Jure Makovec/AFP Photo)

A Palestinian youth sets a beach umbrella on the shore off of Gaza City, on January 12, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed Abed/AFP Photo)

A person makes faces as they march in the Societe de Sainte Anne parade during Mardi Gras on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in New Orleans. (Photo by Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

People participate in the Winter Snow Sports Festival in Kalam, about 99 km from Mingora in the northern upper reaches of Swat valley on February 12, 2022. (Photo by Abdul Majeed/AFP Photo)