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)

In this picture taken Thursday, August 4, 2016, seal Tristan looks out of a basket while being released into the North Sea together with others at the beach of the island Juist, Germany. He is part of the first group of released seals of the seal breeding station Norddeich this year. (Photo by Carmen Jaspersen/DPA via AP Photo)

A visitor takes a picture of goldfish at the Art Aquarium exhibition in Tokyo Friday, August 12, 2016. The exhibition, featuring around 8,000 goldfish in tanks themed on Japan's Edo Period. (Photo by Koji Sasahara/AP Photo)

A boy collects drinking water from a hand pump in Kutubdia, Bangladesh on March 30, 2016. Kutubdia is one of many islands affected by some of the fastest recorded sea-level rises in the world. The island has halved in size in 20 years. (Photo by SIipa/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A man photographs the main engines of the space shuttle orbiter Discovery on display at the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian National Air and Space Annex Museum in Chantilly, Virginia August 28, 2015. Shuttle Discovery had 27 years of service and flew 39 times before being retired in 2011. (Photo by Gary Cameron/Reuters)

Transgender model and musician Jessica Cortez reacts as she is prepared before walking in the CHULO underwear show during New York Fashion Week, which raised money for transgender and cisgender young women victims of violence, in New York, U.S., February 7, 2019. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

A model presents a creation from the Chromat collection during New York Fashion Week in New York, U.S., February 8, 2019. (Photo by Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)

A day-old lamb exploring new surroundings on the vernal equinox, considered the first day of spring, on March 20, 2019 at Coombes Farm in Lancing, England. (Photo by Andrew Hasson/Getty Images)