The most spectacular visions of the cosmos by astrophotographers worldwide have been recognised.

This year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year has attracted more than 2700 entries from more than 60 countries.

Searing hot loops of plasma radiating from the edge of the Sun, star trails illuminating the night sky over a campfire-lit Green Lake in the Hoover Wilderness of California, and Comet Lovejoy sailing through the solar system in a green haze leaving cometary dust in its wake, are some of the shortlist favourites.

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• Discovered: the big puff ball, the size of Jupiter
• Comet’s Mars fly-by a once in a million encounter

The competition, hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, is in its seventh year.

Judges include comedian and amateur astronomer Jon Culshaw, Sky at Night editor Chris Bramley and Royal Observatory’s Public Astronomer Marek Kukula.

Here are some of the shortlist entries: