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 boatman rests on his boat in the flooded Ganges river under the Shastri bridge at Daraganj Ghat, in Allahabad, India on August 22, 2019. (Photo by Sanjay Kanojia/AFP Photo)

A female sniper of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) monitors the area during a celebration at the iconic Al- Naim square in Raqa on October 19, 2017, after retaking the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. The SDF fighters flushed jihadist holdouts from Raqa' s main hospital and municipal stadium, wrapping up a more than four- month offensive against what used to be the inner sanctum of IS' s self- proclaimed “caliphate”. (Photo by Bulent Kilic/AFP Photo)

A woman dressed in pagan attire watches the sun rise during the Summer Solstice festivities at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. After two years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stonehenge reopened Monday for the Summer Solstice celebrations. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Wire via AP Photo)

Benfica's Turkish midfielder #10 Orkun Kokcu celebrates after scoring their third goal during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off second leg football match between SL Benfica and AS Monaco at Luz stadium in Lisbon on February 18, 2025. (Photo by Filipe Amorim/AFP Photo)

This unidentified teenager found Elvis Presley “too much” when he appeared at the Philadelphia Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., on April 6, 1957. (Photo by Bill Ingraham/AP Photo)

The Clavie, a burning barrel packed with tar soaked sticks fixed on the top of a pole, is surrounded by people at the Doorie Hill on January 11, 2018 in Burghead, Scotland. People welcome in the New Year with the fire ceremony which has ancient roots dating back to the 1750s, when the Julian calendar was reformed in Britain. It is believed to bring good luck for the coming year. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Orlando Pirates fan reacts during the Premier Soccer League (PSL) South African Premier Division football match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on March 9, 2024. (Photo by Phill Magakoe/AFP Photo)