Bristlecone Against the Milky Way

Britain's Royal Observatory has selected the cream of the crop from more than 3,000 images entered in its Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The 2010 title goes to U.S. photographer Tom Lowe for this picture of ancient trees silhouetted against the Milky Way. ‘The bristlecone pines in the foreground can live as long as 5,000 years," competition judge Marek Kukula says. "But they are babies compared to the starlight shining behind them, some of which began its journey toward us almost 30,000 years ago."

See more Wonders of Space