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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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:

Late afternoon at San Vito di Cadore, Italy the moon shines over Monte Antelao. Photo: Marcella Giulia Pace  

Measuring 50 light years in diameter, Rosette Nebula is found on the edge in Monoceros the Unicorn. Photo: Juan Ignacio Jimenez 

Star trails illuminate the night sky over a campfire-lit Green Lake in the Hoover Wilderness of California. Photo: Royal Museums Greenwich

Comet Lovejoy sails through the solar system in a green haze leaving cometary dust in its wake. Photo: Michael Jaeger 

Situated some 5,000 light years away, the stellar nursery of the Lagoon Nebula lies in the constellation of Sagittarius. Photo: Laszlo Francsics

A meteor can be seen piercing through the darkness as the Milky Way towers above the 4,392m peak of Mount Rainier in Washington, USA. Photo: Brad Goldpaint