Female members of the Colombian Army take part in the military parade to commemorate Colombia's Independence Day in Bogota on July 20, 2024. (Photo by Alejandro Martinez/AFP Photo)
Beatriz Hatz, of the U.S., competes at Women's Long Jump -T64 final at the Stade de France stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Saturday, August 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo)
Kirsty Paterson appears as herself in Willy’s Candy Spectacular at the Pleasance Dome on August 15, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Police eventually shut down the 2023 Willy's Chocolate Experience event in Glasgow last year after disappointed attendees spent £35 on tickets only to be met with a sparsely decorated warehouse and a handful of actors. The event garnered worldwide attention and has now been made into a show “Willy's Candy Spectacular” for the Edinburgh Fringe, featuring Kirsty Paterson the original “Sad Oompa Loompa”. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
An animal enthusiast touches a Bearded Dragon displayed for sale as exotic pet at Thailand Reptile and Exotic Expo in Bangkok, Thailand, 02 August 2024. The Thailand Reptile and Exotic Expo is a trade showcase exhibiting hundreds of reptiles and exotic animals from breeders to sell as exotic pets for enthusiasts. (Photo by Rungroj Yongrit/EPA)
Female police officers, Carabineras, march during the annual military parade to celebrate Independence Day and Army Day in Santiago, Chile on September 19, 2024. (Photo by Matias Basualdo/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)
Vanessa Low of Team Australia makes a jump in the women's long-jump T63 final at Stade de France, during the 2024 Paralympics, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by Umit Bektas/Reuters)
Swimmers in fancy dress splash as they participate in the New Year's Day Loony Dook swim at South Queensferry, Scotland January 1, 2015. (Photo by Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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.