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.

These poignant portraits look to shine awareness on the plight of some of the world’s most endangered ecosystems and species of wildlife. The images combine animals, art and celebrity, with Asia's top models posing with the likes of rhinos, giraffes, leopards and marine life. Here: Mikki Yao with an Asian Elephant. (Photo by Sean Lee-Davies/Caters News)

The French graphic designer and photographer uses a method he calls “digital matte painting”, layering several photos on top of each other to create an incandescent composition that seems eerily familiar yet ultimately impossible. Filled with tumbling clouds and glowing focal points, the images possess a depth that stretches the two-dimensional canvases backward as violent skies seem to undulate before the viewers' eyes.

에일리 (Ailee) – 보여줄게 (I Will Show You). Amy Lee, known professionally as Ailee, is a Korean-American singer and songwriter based in South Korea. On October 16, 2012, Ailee released her debut EP, Invitation, with the title track “I Will Show You”. The EP contained a total of six tracks.

Katy Perry attends the European premiere of Katy Perry: «Part Of Me 3D» at Empire Leicester Square on July 3, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland)

The International Trophy float on the parade route during the 123rd Rose Parade presented by Honda on January 2, 2012 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)