A comet's green tail, the moon above an Italian mountain and dancing green auroras shine brightly in a set of photos shortlisted for an astrophotography competition.
This year, the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest garnered more than 2,700 entries from more than 60 countries, the highest number ever submitted in the seven years since the awards began, according to a competition announcement.
The contest is designed to honor amazing photos taken of skywatching views on Earth and objects in the solar system and beyond.
"Photographers have also captured sights from across our solar system, galaxy and the wider universe; from the hypergiant star, Eta Carinae, glowing against the background of swirling clouds of dust and gases that form the Carina Nebula; to the expansive stellar nursery of the Lagoon Nebula positioned around 5,000 light-years away," the Royal Observatory Greenwich wrote in a statement.
Photographers can be awarded for their work in a variety of categories including "People and Space," "Our Moon," "Our Sun" and "Galaxies." The winners will be announced in a ceremony on Sept. 17, with an exhibition of the images opening at the Royal Observatory's Astronomy Centre in the UK on Sept. 18.
Check out all of the photos with explanations from the Royal Observatory in the gallery below.