The Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way, can be seen shining above a remote village in Switzerland. The cinematic images convey the beauty of the galaxy gleaming above the picturesque Swiss mountains. Photographer Sandro Casutt took the amazing snaps in different seasons throughout the year, from his home valley of Vals, Switzerland. Here: A view of the sky from the Zervreila Mountain Lagoon in Switzerland. (Photo by Sandro Casutt/Caters News)

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.

Meet the real beach babes: the herd of pigs that live a life of luxury paddling in the crystal clear waters of the Bahamas, on August 28, 2013. (Photo by Caters News)

The jewelled flower mantis, commonly found in Asia, is believed to be the inspiration for many martial artists is seen in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 2, 2016. (Photo by Prabu Dennaga/Barcroft Images)

A Palestinian girl watches from the balcony of her house as Israeli soldiers conduct a security operation in the village of Aqraba, east of Nablus in the occupied-West Bank, on May 3, 2021. Suspected Palestinian gunmen carried out a drive-by shooting at a nearby junction the previous, leaving three Israeli civilians wounded, one of them in critical condition, with a manhunt underway. (Photo by Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP Photo)

A Chinese woman poses for a photo in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic that was created with other floral decorations in advance of the country's national holidays, also known as Golden week on September 28, 2020 in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st.(Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Igor, a 40 year-old Ukranian soldier embraces his wife in front of his military basement in the center of Odessa on March 17, 2022. Odessa, which Ukraine fears could be the next target of Russia's offensive in the south, is the country's main port and is vital for its economy. But the city of one million people close to the Romanian and Moldovan borders also holds a special place in the Russian imagination. (Photo by Bulent Kilic/AFP Photo)

Girls talk outside the Niavaran Palace in northern Tehran, capital of Iran, March 26, 2024. People visited the Niavaran Palace during the new year vacation of Nowruz, which falls on March 20 this year. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency/Rex Features/Shutterstock)