Astronomy Photographer of the Year
12 December 2024 - 27 April 2025
Open daily 10am to 5pm
Book tickets now
Glittering stars, shimmering galaxies, fiery suns, and silver moons – don’t miss this showcase of the world's greatest space photography.
Landing in Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time, Astronomy Photographer of the Year is the largest international competition of its kind, produced by the Royal Museums Greenwich, London, and attracting thousands of entries from around the globe each year.
This 15th edition of the competition includes two dazzling finalists from Aotearoa New Zealand: Chester Hall-Fernandez (‘Fire on the Horizon’, Highly Commended in Aurorae category), and Mike White (‘Passage of a Lunar Eclipse’, shortlisted in Skyscapes category).
The overall winning image was captured by an international trio of amateur astronomers, with Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty collectively named as Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023. Their mysterious deep space photograph ‘Andromeda, Unexpected’ reveals a feature of the nearby Andromeda galaxy that has never been seen before, underlining how even the most familiar parts of the universe still contain countless mysteries.
More than 70 photographs will be on show at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery, displayed at their best on brilliant lightboxes. Don’t miss your chance to see this spectacular exhibition – book online now.
Image: Green Snakes ©️ Filip Hrebenda, Astronomy Photographer of the Year finalist. Taken at Vikten beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway.
