Raturday

Velma and Rémy. Velma is only a week younger than Rémy, but she’s Violette’s babe, and Violette is a ‘small’ rat. (She’s not small now, Vi is a serious eater.) Velma seems to have mum’s appetite, so I expect she’ll catch up soon enough. Click for full size.

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© C. Ford. All rights reserved.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year.

I, uh, just no words. The heart-aching beauty of our planet, the universe, everything. Just a few here, click over for the full short list.

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 Flash Point. Brad Goldpaint (USA) The Perseid Meteor Shower shoots across the sky in the early hours of 13 August, 2015, appearing to cascade from Mount Shasta in California, USA. The composite image features roughly 65 meteors captured by the photographer between 12:30am and 4:30am.

Photograph: Brad Goldpaint/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum.

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A Fork, a Spoon and a Moon. Andrew Caldwell ( New Zealand) A Royal Spoonbill sits atop of a branch basking in the glow of the nearly full moon in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.

Photograph: Andrew Caldwell/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum.

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Seven Magic Points. Rune Engebø (Norway). The rusty red swirls of the circular, iron sculpture Seven Magic Points in Brattebergan, Norway mirror the rippling aurora above.

Photograph: Rune Engebø/Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016/National Maritime Museum.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016 shortlist – in pictures.