Van Gogh-like starry night images showcased in winners of 2013 Earth and Sky Photo Contest

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posted Friday, May 17, 2013 at 5:37 PM EDT

 
 

The winners of the 4th International Earth and Sky Photo Contest were announced this week and there are some amazing shots of the night sky and the surrounding landscape. The contest was created by The World at Night (TWAN) in conjunction with Global Astronomy Month and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO).

The theme of this year's contest was "Dark Skies Importance," and it was designed to showcase preserving "the natural beauty of a starry sky" by preventing the encroachment of light pollution on the world's landscapes. The photo contest received submissions from 45 countries around the world.

"The amazing number of eye-catching entries from across the world tells how public attention to the night sky is growing as well as interest to sky photography and we are very pleased if TWAN has a role on this increasing awareness," said Babak Tafreshi, TWAN director and one of the contest's founders.

Check out the overall winner below along with a video featuring all the winning shots and other notable images from this year's contest.

(Via FStoppers and The Huffington Post)

 
The overall winning image was awarded to Stephane Vetter of France for this panoramic photo shot in Iceland.