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Nebula image wins Royal Observatory competition

Jess WarrenLondon
News imageThe Quiet Predator by Ali Alobaidly A dark nebula that appears to be the shape of an animal that is brown with blue-coloured areas that are reflection nebulae. The Quiet Predator by Ali Alobaidly
The winning image was captured in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait

The Royal Observatory Greenwich has announced the winner of its Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition for an image of the Shark Nebula.

The dark nebula is made from interstellar dust dense enough to block starlight and is 650 light years away.

Steve Marsh, one of the judges and art editor at BBC Sky at Night Magazine, said the image by Ali Alobaidly showed "flawless presentation, pin-sharp details and dynamic contrast".

He added: "The Shark Nebula is already a striking object, but when it is resolved to the point where even detail-rich distant galaxies can be seen through it, you know you're looking at something very special."

Alobaidly, who won £10,000 for winning the competition overall, said he hoped to use his photographs "to make astronomy more accessible, engaging and meaningful through science communication and education", and described the award as a "tremendous honour".

For the 2026 competition there were almost 4,000 entries from 66 countries.

Alobaidly's entry, taken in Kuwait, was entered in the Stars and Nebulae category.

News imageMineral Moon by Nikolaos Strimpoulis A close up image of the moon's surface, including dark areas and bright areas.Mineral Moon by Nikolaos Strimpoulis
Mineral Moon by Nikolaos Strimpoulis aged 15 won for ZWO Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Nikolaos Strimpoulis, 15, won for ZWO Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year for his image Mineral Moon, taken in Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece.

The close-up image of the Moon's surface includes dark areas known as maria and bright areas known as the highlands.

The orange and blue colours on the lunar surface are caused by iron and titanium deposits and it was for that reason that the image was given its title.

Marsh said: "Many of us start our astrophotography journey with the Moon – some of us stay there forever! But often we don't delve deep into the subtle colours of its mineral deposits until much later. This amazing young astrophotographer has achieved perfectly developed colouring in this photograph."

Dr Greg Brown, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the entries from the 18th year of the competition demonstrated "skill and innovation" coupled with improvements in technology.

See more of the winning images:

News imageBotswana Star Trail by Stefano Pellegrini A multi-coloured star trail creates curved lines in the sky behind dark trees.Botswana Star Trail by Stefano Pellegrini
Stefano Pellegrini won the Skyscapes category for his entry Botswana Star Trail
News imageSaturnian Equinox by Tom Williams The planet Saturn pictured against the black background of space.Saturnian Equinox by Tom Williams
Tom Williams won in the Planets, Comets and Asteroids category for his image taken in Trowbridge, Wiltshire
News imageA Message from the Ancients by Max Inwood Rock art dating back thousands of years is seen on a large rock in a Californian desert. A rainbow of colours sits behind in the sky, which features the northern constellation Cygnus.A Message from the Ancients by Max Inwood
Max Inwood won in the People and Space category for his image taken in California
News imageThe Crown by Radoslav Sviretsov Green-coloured Northern Lights are seen in the sky behind a small, traditional Icelandic church.The Crown by Radoslav Sviretsov
Radoslav Sviretsov won the Aurorae category for his image taken of the Northern Lights in Iceland

An exhibition of the winning and highly commended images will be on display at the National Maritime Museum, London from 18 September.

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