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 baby of an internally displaced woman gets weighed during a doctor and nutritionist review to prevent malnutrition at a makeshift clinic in Ladan IDP camp, on the outskirts of Dollow, in Jubaland state, Somalia, 30 January 2024. (Photo by Daniel Irungu/EPA/EFE)

American rapper from Memphis GloRilla attends the Billboard Women in Music Awards in Inglewood, California on March 7, 2024. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Polar frame, by Dmitry Kokh, Russia. When Kokh’s boat approached the small island of Kolyuchin in the Russian High Arctic, which had been abandoned by humans since 1992, he was surprised to spot movement in one of the houses. Binoculars revealed polar bears – more than 20 in total – exploring the ghost town. Dmitry used a low-noise drone to document them. (Photo by Dmitry Kokh/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022)

Grand Champion Oakhurst Crusin' in Chrome, an Australian Shepard, poses backstage at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show after winning best of opposite s*x on February 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images)

Pottery heads by artist Johan Thunell are displayed at The Affordable Art Fair on March 15, 2012 in London, England. 120 galleries are displaying works costing from £40 – £4000. Photography, paintings, prints and sculptures are on sale from 15–18th March 2012. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Garrett Gerloff (L) of the USA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team and Sandro Cortese (R) of Germany on OUTDO Kawasaki TPR colide during a warm up session of the the World Superbike Championship on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia, 01 March 2020. (Photo by Scott Barbour/EPA/EFE)

Norway's Casper Ruud jumps in a swimming pool after winning the Barcelona Open in the final match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in Barcelona, Spain, on April 21, 2024. (Photo by Albert Gea/Reuters)