Astrophotographer of the Year 2012

When you see a photo like this you think of Hubble.  Think again.  An amateur won the Deep Space category with this terrific image.  Fully deserved.

M51 – The Whirlpool Galaxy by Martin Pugh (UK/Australia)

If you are at school and think that you have no chance of matching this, have a look at the following picture taken by a 15 year old, to win the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year section.
Pleiades Cluster by Jacob von Chorus (Canada)



















I love the detail in the image below showing the shattered remains of a star after a supernova explosion.

Simeis 147 Supernova Remnant by Rogelio Bernal Andreo (USA)