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.

Getting her tongue pierced was “exciting and scary” says a teen who succumbed to pressure from her best friend in Austin, Texas, February 22, 2008. This image is featured in National Geographic's exhibition “Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment”, on view at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, Jan. 22 - Mar. 22, 2015. (Photo by Kitra Cahana/National Geographic)

In this Tuesday July 12, 2016 photo, an elephant is lifted by a crane in an upside down position in Lilongwe, Malawi, in the first step of an assisted migration of 500 of the threatened species. African Parks, which manages three Malawian reserves is moving the 500 elephants from Liwonde National Park, this month and next, and again next year when vehicles can maneuver on the rugged terrain during Southern Africa's dry winter. (Photo by Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP Photo)

Two models sit in an acrylic “ZF-Car” from the German manufacturer of the same name at the Automechanika automotive service industry trade fair in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 12 September 2016. The Automechanika Fair runs from 13 to 17 September 2016. (Photo by Boris Rössler/EPA)

A huge wave crashes against Castlerock pier as professional surfer Al Mennie waits on a break in the swell on December 22, 2016 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Storm Barbara is expected to cause major travel disruption when it hits northern parts of the UK later with 90mph winds predicted. The Met Office has issued an amber warning with the worst effects of the storm expected on Friday and Saturday. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

A woman walks with her baby past a PM militarized police soldier in position and aiming his rifle in Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 23, 2017. Although shooting was reported in the early hours of Saturday in Rocinha – for the seventh day running – officials said that Friday's deployment of 950 soldiers to reinforce police had brought the crisis under control. (Photo by Carl De Souza/AFP Photo)

People watch police destroy confiscated illegal firecrackers in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China, January 29, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

A baby pangolin sits with its mother inside a cage prior to their release into the wild in Sibolangit, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, April 27, 2015. The anteaters are part of dozens of live pangolins and around five tons (11,000 lbs) of pangolin meat ready to be shipped abroad confiscated in a police a raid last week. (Photo by Binsar Bakkara/AP Photo)