Embargoed until 00.01 BST on 20.9.12. The Royal Observatory’s 2012 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition – Highly Commended in the Earth and Space category. (An exhibition of all the winning images opens at the Royal Observatory on 20 September.) Image: Dark mountain peaks frame two distinct lightscapes – the distant glow of towns and villages, and the majestic star fields of The Milky Way. Making the most of an August night, the photographer got this shot after trekking out to the Uludag National Park near his hometown of Bursa, Turkey.
