Men carry a dog, wearing a costume and seated on a stool, as a form of respect as they believe that dogs found water for their ancestors, during a local festival for the Miao ethnic minority in Jianhe county, Guizhou Province, China, August 14, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

Dolly the Chihuahua dog dressed as Alice in Wonderland is photographed during an Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed Furbabies Dog Pageant at Jodhpurs Riding School in Tockwith, North Yorkshire, Sunday September 6, 2020. (Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Wire via AP Photo)

Dogs and humans dressed in all manner of costume participate in the 32nd Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade inside Tompkins Square Park on October 22, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Schwartz/Splash News and Pictures)

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.

Amateur Iranian photographer Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji, 23 likes to learn as much as he can about a site before he photographs it. Then he utilizes a variety of wide-angle and fisheye lenses, as well as occasional panoramic techniques to create beautiful new, often mind-bending images. He usually shoots the architectural wonders of Iran, and hopes that the Iranian government will allow him to travel further from home in pursuit of other iconic architectural treasures. Photo: The Nasir al-mulk or “Pink” mosque in Shiraz, Iran. (Photo by Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganj)

While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese amateur photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated. While the phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms have been known for some time, biologists have only recently began to understand the reasons behind it. Photo: Bioluminescent phytoplankton washes up on Maldives beach. (Photo by Will Ho)

The UK VELUX Lovers of Light competition attracted 15,000 entries from amateur, professional and mobile phone photographers. Entrants were asked to create a landscape image which celebrates and captures daylight. The judges have whittled these down to a shortlist of ten finalists. The winner will be announced at the end of march with the snapper of the best shot winning a trip to Norway – which will be made during the summer period when the country experiences 24 hour daylight. Photo: “Carousel in the mist”; Prokoshko, Bosnia. (Photo by Marko Stamatovic/PA Wire)

Members of China Disabled Peoples Performing Art Troupe perform “Thousand-arm Goddess of Mercy” during a show on March 12, 2005 in Guangzhou of Guangdong Province, China. China Disabled Peoples Performing Art Troupe was established in 1987. It is an amateur mass art troupe composed of visually impaired, audibly impaired and physically and mentally challenged people. In the past nearly two decades, the troupe has visited more than 30 countries and regions, winning the hearts of audiences all over the world by their solid background of Chinese Culture and their colourful national charm. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)