“The Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson was responsible for many of the design's innovative concepts. During reconnaissance missions the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outrun the missile”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A U.S. Air Force SR-71A, also known as the “Blackbird”, is put through it's paces during a test flight over Beale Air Force Base in California. The aircraft is a strategic reconnaissance plane by Lockheed and is the world's fastest and highest flying operational aircraft. (Photo by Getty Images)

South Korean police officers show their martial arts' skills during the official launch ceremony of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit on February 15, 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. The Korean National Police Agency launched a security squad, exclusively established for the successful hosting of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. The 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit will be held in Seoul from March 26-27, 2012. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

A participant plays a game on her phone as others watch during a break in a traditional Chinese opera competition at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China, November 26, 2016. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Two wrestling camels fight at the Pamucak arena during the Selcuk-Efes Camel Wrestling Festival in the town of Selcuk, near the western Turkish coastal city of Izmir January 18, 2015. Thousands of enthusiasts visit the city through the weekend to watch wrestling between Dromedary camels, who are bred specially for the annual Selcuk-Efes Camel Wrestling Festival. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Reuters)

Painted eggshell displayed at Wayan Sadra's workshop on April 14, 2014 in Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. 50-year-old Wayan Sadra got the idea to start his eggshell painting business, after his niece who worked in a five star hotel asked for his help to paint on an egg for an Easter egg competition. Now the business he started in 1997 attracts customers for his painted eggs from Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Sadra usually experiences a surge in sales ahead of Easter. (Photo by Putu Sayoga/Getty Images)

Inside the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia’s Danakil desert, camel caravans are used to carry salt. For centuries, the essential mineral has been mined by the Afar people, known for their ability to withstand extremes. The terrain is rugged, travelers are scarce and so are motor vehicles, where the average annual temperature is the highest in the world, and can rise to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, 50 degrees Celsius. (Photo by Ziv Koren/Polaris)

McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research centre located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,258 residents, and serves as the United States Antarctic science facility. All personnel and cargo going to or coming from Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station first pass through McMurdo.

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.