(Above) Marcus Davies, The Sword and The Rose (January 10 2010). Lying just south of the three stars that form Orion's belt, Orion's sword contains the Great Orion Nebula. This hotbed of star formation lies about 1,350 light years away, making it the brightest and closest star forming region to Earth.
From vast nebulae and distant solar systems to stargazing by camp fire and the cosmic glow of the Northern Lights, this year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist is nothing if not illuminating.
The second year of the intergalactic competition attracted more than 400 entries for the £1,000 prize, including ones from China, Russia and the Philippines.
A judging panel headed by Patrick Moore will preside over seven categories, with the winners expected to be announced on September 9 2010, followed by an exhibition of the winning images opening at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich on September 10.
Larry Andreasen, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon, USA (March 6 2010)
(Above) Anthony Ayiomamitis, Solstice Full Moon Rising at Sounion (June 6 2010). The rising full moon against the Temple of Poseidon (450-440 BC) in southern Greece.
Dave Brosha, The Whisper of the Wind (April 3 2010). Display of the Aurora Borealis taken in Kellowknife, North-West territories, Canada
(Above) Eddie Trimarchi, Central Region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Named after explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who spotted this exclusively Southern Hemisphere object on his travels, the Large Magellanic Cloud is a small galaxy orbiting our own larger Milky Way.
Made up of three mosaic panels, this photo was taken on Gold Coast, Queensland throughout November and December 2009.
Steph Hall, Spin Cycle, Inverloch, Australia (January 6 2010). Star trails and steel wool spinning with shooting star. The orange light is made by lighting steel wool on fire, while attached to a piece of wire, and "spinning it like crazy".
(Above) Marvin Watson, Starsign (May 23 2010). Startrails captured in Mosser, England. The star in the middle of the circle at the top of the sign post is Polaris, the north star. The sign itself is illuminated by moon light.
Larry Andreasen, Adam Slash Burn (September 2009). A view of the slash burn on Mount Adams, Washington
All images © the artists. Check out the competition Flickr group for more. The award ceremony can be followed live on Twitter with the hashtag #Astrophoto10.
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