An infrared portrait from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope which shows generations of stars is seen in this undated NASA handout image released February 14, 2013. In this wispy star-forming region, called W5, the oldest stars can be seen as blue dots in the centers of the two hollow cavities (other blue dots are background and foreground stars not associated with the region). Red shows heated dust that pervades the region's cavities, while green highlights dense clouds. (Photo by NASA/Reuters/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian/Handout)

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.

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.

This jaw-dropping footage shows one brave diver getting up close and personal with a group of sharks as he feeds them a long-awaited meal. Ken Kiefer from Houston, Texas captured his friend, Jake, reaching right into the mouth of a hammerhead. (Photo by Ken Kiefer/Caters News Agency)

People wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus wait to walk across a traffic intersection in Osaka, western Japan, Thursday, November 26, 2020. (Photo by Hiro Komae/AP Photo)

Muslim girls have their hands painted with traditional henna as they attend an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, at historical Badshahi mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, April, 10, 2024. (Photo by K.M. Chaudary/AP Photo)

Pamukkale, Turkey, is home to these terrace pools, formed by the build-up of carbonate mineral from the warm water flowing from the thermal springs above. (Photo by Image Courtesy of Jennifer Hayes/Getty Images)