The competition, which is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine, is now in its sixth year and has received over 2,500 entries. Photo: Centre of the Heart Nebula by Ivan Eder (Hungary). Situated 7500 light years away in the “W”-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia, the Heart Nebula is a vast region of glowing gas, energized by a cluster of young stars at its centre. The image depicts the central region, where dust clouds are being eroded and moulded into rugged shapes by the searing cosmic radiation. (Photo by Ivan Eder)

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupts as seen from Pululera village in East Flores, in Nobo on May 19, 2025. A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on May 19, spewing an ash cloud more than a kilometre high after authorities raised the country's highest alert level. (Photo by Arnold Welianto/AFP Photo)

The Taal Volcano in the central Philippines boomed to life on Sunday, January 12, 2020 spilling ash and causing evacuations in nearby communities – and officials warn that a more powerful eruption is imminent. One of the world’s smallest volcanoes, Taal is among two dozen active volcanoes in the Philippines, which lies along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. (Photo by Kester Ragaza/Pacific Press/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Meanwhile, over on Portobello beach, members of the Upsala circus take a stroll before their fringe debut, Ping-Pong Ball Effect in Edinburgh, England on August 1, 2017. (Photo by Murdo Macleod/The Guardian)

Students of the Krasnoyarsk choreographic college Anastasia Shevtsova (R) and Yulia Lyakhovykh do leg-splits as they study for an exam and a performance by the graduates at the State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, at the college's campus in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 4, 2017. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Racegoers in attendance on Ladies Day at Ascot Racecourse on June 21, 2018 in Ascot, England. Ladies Day is the biggest day in the racing calendar and brings with it all the glitz and glamour as those attending don their best outfits. Ascot Racecourse is steeped in Royal history, first founded by Queen Anne in 1711, with the first race in her honour held on August 11, 1711. This year’s Royal Ascot began Tuesday, June 19, with races every day until Saturday, June 23. (Photo by South West News Service)

Ana Louzi and Junio Enriuque dance for a video during sunrise from SUMMIT One Vanderbilt on World Photography Day on August 19, 2022 in New York City. Summit One Vanderbilt opened the 1000-foot observation beginning at 5 AM to allow ticketed members of the general public and photo enthusiasts to see sunrise from the elevated altitude. World Photography Day is an “annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography” according to their website. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Woolland Woods, Dorset. Landscape photographer of the year 2020. “Taken in spring of 2018 in a wooded area close to Milborne St Andrew in Dorset, this was the third visit to the area in a matter of days. On the previous days, both devoid of morning mists, the light had been harsh and unappealing but the third day delivered stunning conditions with mist swirling through the trees. The low shooting position allowed more emphasis to be placed on the wild garlic and pathway”. (Photo by Chris Frost/UK Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020)