Out of this world pictures

A stunning image of the Shark Nebula has taken home the top prize at the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The winning photo, called "The Quiet Predator," captures the Shark Nebula in the constellation Cepheus, some 650 light-years from Earth. The photographer said it took more than 28 hours to capture the cosmic scene. Category winners from around the world Several other images claimed category honors across the competition. Skyscapes: "Botswana Star Trail" — a psychedelic image of star trails through baobab trees People and Space: "A Message from the Ancients" — highlighting petroglyphs from thousands of years ago in California Aurorae: "The Crown" — capturing the Northern Lights glowing in the Icelandic sky Young Photographer of the Year: "Mineral Moon" — a close-up of the lunar surface See the winners in person All of the top photos are now on display at the National Maritime Museum in London.