AN art exhibition that celebrates ‘out of this world’ astronomical photos will open in Barnsley tomorrow the first time they’ve been shown outside of London.
Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018, produced by the Royal Observatory, celebrates the most spectacular visions of the cosmos taken by astro-photographers around the world.
This is the first time that the images will be seen outside of Greenwich which is why The Cooper Gallery is ‘proud’ to showcase this exhibition.
The photographs which include images on the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy and the Running Man Nebula, will be on display from tomorrow until Saturday April 27 and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing.
Last year, the competition entered its tenth year and received more than 4,200 submissions from 91 countries.
The extraordinary photos it features have captured all manner of celestial spectacles including moons, stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae and some of the greatest astronomical events of the last year.
Prizes are awarded by the Royal Observatory in eight different themed categories, as well as Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year for entrants under 16.
There are also two special prizes: the Robotic Scope prize and the Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer.
An events programme will support the exhibition, where visitors can expect to see a Cosmonaut space suit and Tim Peake’s space food on loan from the National Space Centre as well as take part in a variety of intergalactic activities.
Schools can take part in ‘Seeing Space’ workshops, aimed at primary school children; there will be cosmos crafts and a silent disco.
Visitors can pick up a headset and experience the exhibits in a unique and special way.
