Baily’s beads image wins Royal Observatory Greenwich's Astronomy of the Year award

Judging panel selected winning pictures from over 3,500 entries

Overall winner and winner of 'Our Sun' category: Distorted Shadows of the Moon's Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse. Photo: Ryan Imperio

STRICTLY ONLY FOR USE WITH Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Winner of the 'Aurorae' category: Queenstown Aurora. Photo: Larryn Rae

Winner of the 'Our Moon' category: Shadow peaks of Sinus Iridum. Photo: Gabor Balazs

Winner of the 'Skyscapes' category: Tasman Gems. Photo: Tom Rae

Winner of the 'Galaxies' category: Echoes of the Past. Photo: Bence Tóth, Péter Feltóti

Winner of the 'People & Space' category: High-Tech Silhouette. Photo: Tom Williams

Winner of the 'Planets, Comets & Asteroids' category: On Approach. Photo: Tom Williams

STRICTLY ONLY FOR USE WITH Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Winner of the 'The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer': SH2-308 Dolphin Head Nebula. Photo: Xin Feng, Miao Gong

Winner of the 'Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation': Anatomy of a Habitable Planet. Photo: Sergio Díaz Ruiz

STRICTLY ONLY FOR USE WITH Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Winner of the 'Young' category: NGC 1499, A Dusty California. Photo: Daniele Borsari

Winner of the 'Stars & Nebulae' category: SNR G107.5-5.2, Unexpected Discovery (The Nereides Nebula in Cassiopeia). Photo: Marcel Drechsler, Bray Falls, Yann Sainty, Nicolas Martino, Richard Galli

Distorted Shadows of the Moon’s Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse by Ryan Imperio has been named the overall winner of this year's Royal Observatory Greenwich's Astronomy of the Year award.

The picture was chosen by a panel from more than 3,500 entries from 58 countries.

Baily’s beads are formed when sunlight shines through the valleys and craters of the Moon’s surface, breaking the eclipse’s well-known ring pattern, and are only visible when the Moon either enters or exits an eclipse. They are a challenge to capture due to their brevity and the precise timing needed.

"The images selected each year are absolutely astonishing and I am both thrilled and honoured to have my photo among them," Mr Imperio said.

"I had hoped my image would be shared in some way but never expected to be selected as a winner, let alone overall winner."

Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn, judge and meteorologist said: "This is an impressive dissection of the fleeting few seconds during the visibility of the Baily’s beads. This image left me captivated and amazed. It’s exceptional work deserving of high recognition."

Daniel Borsari won the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award for his image NGC 1499, A Dusty California.

Neal White, judge and artist, said that "it demonstrated the future of astronomy photography being fearlessly, and openly, taken forward by a new generation".

Other winning images include Aurora Borealis over Brighton Seafront by Michael Steven Harris, which beautifully captures the pink hues of the aurora despite the significant light pollution in the area.

Tasman Gems by Tom Rae also won recognition for a Milky Way photograph of the southern hemisphere night sky, including the hydrogen clouds of the Gum Nebula.

Another winning image, Parallel Lines over the City by Ran Shen used a simple but powerful composition to show the trajectories of Venus and Jupiter over the skyline of Lujiazui, Shanghai.

Judges awarded the Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation to Anatomy of a Habitable Planet by Sergio Diaz Ruiz. This image shows Earth as a seemingly alien world as a distant civilisation might study it.

Another of the judges’ favourite images was SNR G107.5-5.2, Unexpected Discovery (The Nereides Nebula in Cassiopeia), a group submission by Marcel Drechsler, Bray Falls, Yann Sainty, Nicolas Martino and Richard Galli.

The photograph captures a previously unknown gigantic supernova remnant in the centre of the famous constellation Cassiopeia, bringing an exciting discovery to the winning images.

"Once again, I've had the great privilege of being on the judging panel for Astronomy Photographer of the Year. An abundance of astonishing works flood to us, and it is a joy to see what the world's best astrophotographers are producing," said Dr Ed Bloomer, astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich.

"It really is true that choosing the winners is a long process, and heavily debated amongst the panel. This year, I've personally enjoyed what I think is a very strong showing for the Aurorae category.

"The young entrants are mightily impressive as well, and the Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation is surprising, beautiful and intriguing. But there are wonders spread across every category."

The images will be on display in the accompanying exhibition, opening at London's National Maritime Museum on September 13.

"Try and see as much as you can at the exhibition. You'll be swept away by what has been created," Dr Bloomer said.