A photograph of Comet Leonard that shows its gas tail being disconnected and carried away by the solar wind, has won the top prize at Astronomy Photographer of the Year.
Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy waited for several hours to capture Comet Leonard from his home in Arizona after it made its closest approach to Earth on December 12.
The incredible shot, which is featured as NASA s Astronomy Picture of the Day, was taken from Thailand and shows a pagoda in Doi Inthanon National Park in the foreground.