People's Choice Award 2024

Astronomy Photographer of the Year at the National Maritime Museum celebrates the best space photography from around the world.

The People's Choice Award is your chance to have your say in the world's biggest space photography competition.

This year more than 34,000 people cast their votes in the exhibition and online. But who emerged victorious?

Explore the winning and shortlisted images below. If you've been inspired to take a shot yourself, the latest competition is open for entries until 3 March 2025.

People's Choice Award winner

Beach at night with bright blue bioluminescence in the sea

Like Blue Lava by Petr Horalek

"I visited the northern beach of the small island of Medhufaru and couldn’t believe my eyes. The whole beach shone with engaging turquoise light, while the gems of the Southern Cross constellation – such as the Gum Nebula or Carina Nebula – appeared in the sky," Petr recalls.

"Locals say the bioluminescence of plankton peaks in early January, but this year the activity was prolonged by a month. In the nights before and after, it was not as strong, but on this night it was simply epic. As you walked on the beach, the plankton, lit up like small torches, stuck to your legs and feet. You could swim in the lagoon and see your movements illuminated by the plankton in the water. When a new wave hit the shore it looked like blue lava.

"This photograph is a single shot, processed for curves, white balance, selective colours, for H-alpha (hydrogen alpha) enhancement and denoising."

Taken in Medhufaru, Maldives, 14 February 2023

Second place

Green and purple aurorae blaze above a rock arch

Arctic Dragon by Carina Letelier Baeza

"This aurora panorama, which looks like a big dragon over the rock pyramids, was the result of a geomagnetic storm (level G2) generated by a coronal mass ejection earlier that day. The result was intense red-greenish aurorae throughout the whole night. The location of the photo is the Arctic Henge, which has a rich cultural meaning for Icelanders, and was the only place in Iceland with clear skies that night," Carina says.

Taken in Raufarhöfn, Iceland, 25 February 2023

Third place

Red, green and purple aurorae stretch above a mountain

A Night with the Valkyries by Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis

Jose says, "This capture is a panoramic view of the Eystrahorn Mountain. That night, I think, was one of the most amazing that I have experienced in my nighttime photography outings.

"There was a prediction of a KP7 storm [a strong geomagnetic storm that can cause aurorae and upset electrical power systems] and I was excited as to what I might see. What I couldn't have imagined was seeing these colours in the sky; it was a spectacle that was difficult to describe."

Taken in Hvalnesviti, Iceland, 2 December 2023