Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) soldiers and firefighters make rescue works among mountain lodges, covered with volcanic ash near the peak of Mt. Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures in this September 28, 2014 photo taken and released by Kyodo. More than 30 people were feared dead on Sunday near the peak of the Japanese volcano that erupted a day earlier, sending a huge cloud of ash and rock tumbling down its slopes, while packed with hikers. (Photo by Reuters/Kyodo News)

June 21: “World War Z”. Brad Pitt battles zombie apocalypse in $170 million film by “Quantum of Solace” director Marc Forster. This publicity photo released by Paramount Pictures shows, center, Brad Pitt as Gerald Lane in a scene from the film, “World War Z”, from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions in association with Hemisphere Media Capital and GK Films. (Photo by Jaap Buitendijk/AP Photo/Paramount Pictures)

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.

A woman looks out of a dusty window after boarding a bus to be transported to see the casket of Nelson Mandela at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday December 11, 2013. On Thursday, December 5, 2013, Mandela died at the age of 95. (Photo by Markus Schreiber/AP Photo)

Engine driver Josef Kowatsch (top L) steers a train through the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel during a media visit near the town of Erstfeld August 24, 2015. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016, consisting of two parallel single track tunnels, each of a length of 57 km (35 miles). (Photo by Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

An Zi, is squashed amongst other commuters in a subway train on his way to work in Beijing, China, November 12, 2015. An, a movie producer, moved to Dongsanqi village in Changping this year. His commute to work can take about 2 hours, with transportation costs topping 200 yuan a month, or about a fifth of his monthly rent. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)

Models kiss the back of another model, with a message on her back, during the grand finale of Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week based on “Rainbow” theme, an emblem for the LGBTQ community, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, October 14, 2018. According to Fashion Design Council of India, the “Rainbow” show, wherein 40 designers showcased their creations, was a tribute to mark the historic judgement by the Supreme Court of India which struck down a colonial-era law that made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison. (Photo by Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)

A member of the wingsuit flyers duo, known as the Soul Flyers, is seen in mid-air as he catches up and flies into the open door of Pilatus Porter plane, piloted by Philippe Bouvier, after B.A.S.E. jumping off the Jungfrau mountain, 4158 meters, in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, October 13, 2017. French athletes Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet had 2.45 minutes and a free fall distance of 3200 meters to complete their project “Door In The Sky”, coordinated by Yves Rossy know as the “Jetman”. (Photo by Thibault Gachet/Reuters)