“The Curiosity Mars rover has imaged a small metallic-looking protuberance on a rock. Visible (in the image below the green lines point to it), the protuberance appears to have a high albedo and even projects a shadow on the rock below...”

Tracy Sarita celebrates the sunrise during the Burning Man 2015 “Carnival of Mirrors” arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, September 3, 2015. Approximately 70,000 people from all over the world are gathering at the sold-out festival to spend a week in the remote desert to experience art, music and the unique community that develops. (Photo by Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

While most people head for cover at the first sign of a storm, this man runs straight toward it. Storm chaser and father of three Mike Olbinski is addicted to photographing extreme weather and regularly takes on tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms in a bid to capture extraordinary images. The photographer, from Phoenix, often travels hundreds of miles a day to reach the eye of a storm. He first became hooked on the unusual hobby almost a decade ago, following the birth of his daughter. Here: A stunning monsoon sunset coupled with intense lightning creating an amazing scene on August 26, 2017. (Photo by Mike Olbinski/Caters News Agency)

A general view of Stonehenge during the annual Perseid meteor shower in the night sky in Salisbury Plain, southern England August 13, 2013. The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. Picture taken using a long exposure. (Photo by Kieran Doherty/Reuters)

A man rides his motorcycle as the sun sets in Basra, Iraq, Monday, May 9, 2022. (Photo by Nabil al-Jurani/AP Photo)

A participant dances as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world gathered for the annual Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, U.S. on August 29, 2017. (Photo by Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

An American robin feeds on holly berries in a thicket near Elkton in southwestern Oregon on November 16, 2024. Many birds can safely consume holly berries, including blackbirds, redwings, and thrushes. There is an old wives tale that if you see a bird eating a berry, it is safe for humans to eat, but this is not true. Birds consume many plants that are poisonous to humans, holly berries included. (Photo by Robin Loznak/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

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.