Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 Winners

*Embargoed until 00.01 BST on 18 September 2014*

deep space

California vs Pleiades © Rogelio Bernal Andreo (USA) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Known since ancient times as the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades Cluster, to the right of the image consists of around a thousand stars, which formed together about 100 million years ago. This unusual view shows the Pleiades Cluster in the broader context of its local environment, drifting through a chaotic region of dark dust. The glowing cloud of hydrogen gas to the left of the image is the California Nebula, named for its resemblance to the US state.