Gorgeous galaxies and stunning stars make up this selection of pictures from the shortlisted entries for this year’s Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. The winners will be announced on 15 September, and an exhibition of the winning images will be will be displayed in a free exhibition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Centre from 17 September. Here: “Seven Magic Points”. The rusty red swirls of the circular, iron sculpture Seven Magic Points in Brattebergan, Norway mirror the rippling aurora above. (Photo by Rune Engebø/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum)

A masked reveller parades through the streets on the first day of the carnival season in Lucerne, Switzerland, 12 February 2015. In the background the well known Kappellbruecke bridge. (Photo by Alexandra Wey/EPA)

Julien MacDonald and Izabel Goulart backstage at Julien Macdonald presents Julien x Gabriela show during Spring Summer 2020 London Fashion Week in London, United Kingdom on September 16, 2019. (Photo by Backgrid USA)

Stephen Webster is a world renowned jewelry designer, who opened his first store in London in 1994, and in just 14 years had 20 international boutiques. This designer is most famous for his steam punk, rock and roll, and gothic styles of fine jewelry. His latest collection is named “The Seven Deadly Sins”, in which he has created seven cocktail rings, each of which depicts one of the seven vices. Each of the deadly sins is instantly recognizable in the shape and form of the rings, with Lust being the most beautiful ring of this set (in our opinion). Despite their beauty, few people would be daring enough to wear one of such rings. Who would want to share their sins with the world? Who would be arrogant enough?

“Light From Heaven”. Taken around Mount Bromo, East Java, Indonesia in the morning. Photo location: East Java, Indonesia. (Photo and caption by Pimpin Nagawan/National Geographic Photo Contest)

ATTENTION! All pictures are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture.

In this photo taken Wednesday, April 30, 2014, a dragonfly sits on the nose of a Gharial, rare crocodile-like creatures, in the River Chambal near Bhopepura village in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The narrow 250-mile stretch of the Chambal is a place of crocodiles and jackals, of river dolphins and the occasional wolf. Hundreds of species of birds, storks, geese, babblers, larks, falcons and so many more, nest along the river. Endangered birds lay small speckled eggs in tiny pits they dig in the sandbars. Gharials, rare crocodile-like creatures that look like they swaggered out of the Mesozoic Era, are commonplace here and nowhere else. (Photo by Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)

Sydney McLaughlin of Team United States celebrates with Legend the mascot after winning gold and setting a new world record in the Women's 400m Hurdles Final on day eight of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 22, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images for World Athletics)

Members of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces Rescue and Relief Unit take part in a biochemical simulation organized by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) as part of the “African Lion” military exercise, in the port of Agadir, on June 15, 2021. (Photo by Fadel Senna/AFP Photo)