The Royal Observatory Greenwich, in partnership with Zwo, revealed the winners of its annual astrophotography competition on September 17. The overall winner was Ali Alobaidly’s image titled "Silent Predator," which showcases the Shark Nebula, also known as LDN 1235, in a fresh and dynamic way. The image captures the nebula with stars rendered clearly and softly glowing at the edges, thin strands of faint nebulosity stretching across the entire "shark" shape, and a dark nebula that is clearly defined. Steve Marsh, one of the competition judges, praised the image for its detail and visual storytelling. In the "Spotlight on the Sun" category, a photograph showing a dark spot on the Sun’s surface—about the size of Earth—was highlighted. This image reveals small convective cells on the Sun, each roughly 1,000 km across, comparable in size to the largest dimension of France. Martin Lewis, a competition judge, described the image as a beautifully composed view of an occultation event, where the Moon passes in front of Venus. The image contrasts the brightness and size of these two celestial bodies, offering a striking visual of their relative positions in the sky. In the "Humanity and Space" category, a photograph was commended for connecting ancient petroglyphs with the Milky Way. Joe DePasquale, a judge, noted that the image highlights the connection between Earth’s ancient history and the vastness of space. The warm tones of the rocks and vegetation are contrasted with the rich colors of the Milky Way, while the soft glow of Earth’s atmosphere unites the two elements in a single, timeless narrative. This image was praised for its ability to tell a deeply human story within the context of the cosmos. The "Stars and Nebulae" category featured three exceptional photographs that were strong contenders for the win. This category is often a favorite among the public due to the stunning visuals of celestial objects. The images captured in this category offer a glimpse into the beauty and complexity of the universe, showcasing the intricate details of stars and nebulae through advanced photography techniques.