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)

A horse is paraded during the Arabian Horse Festival at the Bait al-Arab in Kuwait City on February 5, 2022. (Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP 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)

Jumbo-Visma team's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard holds his daughter Frida as he celebrates on the podium with the overall leader's yellow jersey after winning the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, after the 21st and final 115,6 km stage between La Defense Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, and the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France, on July 24, 2022. (Photo by Christian Hartmann/Reuters)

A cow carrying a bell and autumn flowers headgear walks by in front of spectators at the traditional cattle show in Schwellbrunn, Switzerland, 26 September 2022. The traditional show in the Appenzell region is held annually in autumn, when local farmers return from the alp with their groomed and cleaned cows to present them on a show ground. “The most beautiful and best performing cows are awarded prizes”, the Appenzellerland tourism office adds on their website. (Photo by Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA/EFE)

American actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens in the first decade of December 2022 decks herself out in Michael Kors. (Photo by vanessahudgens/Instagram)

Moroccans celebrate after their team won the Qatar 2022 World Cup round 16 football match between Morocco and Spain, in Rabat, on December 6, 2022. (Photo by Fadel Senna/AFP Photo)

A young macaque perches on a pole, observing nearby tourists while eating some seeds in Jigokudani Yaen-koen wild macaque monkey park on February 16, 2015 in Yamanouchi, Nagano, Japan. (Photo by Manuel Romaris/Getty Images)