The winners of this year's international astrophotography awards have been announced, showcasing striking images of the night sky captured by amateur astronomers and photographers worldwide. The David Malin Awards, organized by the Central West Astronomical Society in New South Wales, Australia, celebrate the finest images of celestial subjects.
The awards are named after British-Australian astronomer and astrophotographer David Frederick Malin, who is known for his discovery of the spiral galaxy Malin 1 in 1986 and his innovative photographic techniques for astronomical objects. Malin's work, often conducted using telescopes at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, advanced the ability to study galactic distance, movement, structure, and composition.
This year's competition, held as part of the Central West's annual AstroFest, drew submissions from international participants.
Stefan Buda's "The Lunar Apennines" secured the Overall Winner and Solar System Winner categories. The image, rendered in shades of gray, depicts the lunar surface with such high definition that the site of the Apollo 15 landing is visible, appearing as if photographed from lunar orbit.
In the Wide-Field category, Jarrod Koh's "The Dividing Line", which features the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, was awarded first place. Rodney Watters received an honorable mention in this category for an image titled "Gum12b," which captures a nebula in the southern hemisphere constellations of Antlia and Vela, likened to a Rembrandt painting.
Brighton Seeley's "Zenith" won the Nightscapes category. The image captures the Aurora Australis above a beach in vibrant red and green hues. Luke Tscharke's "Tasman Arc", depicting the Aurora Australis over Tasmania, received an honorable mention. Ed Hurst's "Pantoneys Crown", a sunrise image featuring star trails taken in a large canyon, also earned an honorable mention in Nightscapes.
The Deep Sky category was won by Andy Campbell's "The Rippling Flames - Chamaeleon III", a depiction of the Chamaeleon molecular cloud. Campbell also received an honorable mention for "Winged Sandals of Mercury," showcasing the Vela supernova remnant. Frank Alvaro's "God's Hand," an image of a star-forming region in the Puppis constellation, and Jarrod Rueff's "Bran 56," which captures the nebulous region BRAN 56, were also recognized with honorable mentions in this category. Elizabeth Armarego's "Celestial Dolphin," an image of a doubly ionized oxygen object, earned an honorable mention.
Murray Parkinson's "2025 R3 PanSTARRS", created by aligning and recombining multiple exposures of a comet, was also highlighted. Luke Rasmussen's "The Wishing Tree" captured an aurora australis on Tasmania's Bruny Island.
Judges for the category winners included Peter Ward, Alex Cherney, and Selena Simpson, with Nicola Amoros judging the Photo Editor's Choice. Winners receive trophies and a share of prize money, with top entries earning professional printing and public exhibition opportunities at the Parkes Observatory and a touring exhibition.