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 northern lights as seen from from Yell in the Shetland Islands, Scotland on January 15, 2023. The aurora borealis is caused by collisions between electrically charged particles released from the sun that enter the Earth’s atmosphere and collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. (Photo by Ryan Nisbet/Capture Media Agency)

Ellesse Janda welcomes a spring rainbow at Cresswell in Northumberland, United Kingdom on March 17, 2023. (Photo by Ian Sproat/Picture Exclusive)

A security guard tries to separate a boy who hugs India's captain Rohit Sharma, right, after invading the field of play during the second one-day international cricket match between India and New Zealand in Raipur, India, Saturday, January 21, 2023. (Photo by Aijaz Rahi/AP Photo)

A United aircraft rolls over the highway to its parking position after landing at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, February 15, 2024. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

M42 Subtle V1 cropped. One of the most well-known astronomical objects in our universe is the Orion Nebula and this image depicts the wider region of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex that is its home. This complex also includes another popular target for astrophotographers, the Horsehead Nebula, as well as Barnard’s Loop and the Running Man Nebula, which can be seen to the left of this photograph. (Photo by Patrick Gilliland)

The MS Princess Seaways battles through the waves off Tynemouth pier as gale force winds hit the North east UK on September 25, 2020. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

Denmark's Katrine Veje, left, is comforted by Australia's Charlotte Grant, right, after the Women's World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Australia and Denmark at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Monday, August 7, 2023. (Photo by Rick Rycroft/AP Photo)