A groundbreaking photograph capturing the intricate core of the Andromeda Galaxy has earned three Chinese astrophotographers the top prize in the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 competition. Weitang Liang, Qi Yang, and Chuhong Yu's collaborative work titled "The Andromeda Core" presents the familiar cosmic neighbor in an entirely new light, revealing unprecedented detail in the galaxy's luminous center.

The winning image focuses on the central region of the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, which sits approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth as our nearest large galactic neighbor. Unlike typical wide-field shots of the entire galaxy, this photograph zooms in on the core's complex structure, showcasing the dynamic processes that shape galactic evolution, from stellar birth to the influence of interstellar structures near the galaxy's heart.

Competition judge László Francsics praised the photograph's unique approach, stating, "Not to show it all - this is one of the greatest virtues of this photo. The Andromeda Galaxy has been photographed in so many different ways and so many times with telescopes that it is hard to imagine a new photo would ever add to what we've already seen. But this does just that, an unusual dynamic composition with unprecedented detail that doesn't obscure the overall scene."

The technical achievement behind the image is particularly remarkable given the challenges of photographing galactic cores. Dr. Ed Bloomer, a Royal Observatory astronomer and competition judge, explained the difficulty: "The cores of galaxies are often extremely bright, and unless the astrophotographer is careful it can overwhelm the image and obscure that lovely detail." He emphasized that preserving such extraordinary detail toward Andromeda's very heart is "extremely difficult to do."

Weitang Liang's decade-long fascination with Andromeda provided the foundation for this ambitious project. He recalled, "I first photographed M31 with my first deep-sky telescope and was immediately amazed by its giant galactic disk. Over the past decade I have used refracting and reflecting telescopes ranging from 5 to 16 inches to capture different fields of M31." The project truly began when Liang installed his largest telescope, a 16-inch Newtonian, in his own observatory, which revealed "countless tiny and faint stars" with "extraordinarily stunning" spiral arm details.

The collaborative team captured their prize-winning data from AstroCamp Observatory in Nerpio, Spain, where Liang and Yang collected 15 hours of LRGB (luminance, red, green, and blue) data. This technique combines luminance filters that capture fine details and structure with color filters that add natural hues, resulting in sharp, full-color images that reveal remarkable resolution in even the tiniest galactic stars.

To further enhance their work, the photographers incorporated H-alpha imaging, capturing 23 hours of data in this specific wavelength of deep red light emitted by hydrogen. This technique reveals ionized gas clouds that trace ongoing star formation throughout the galaxy. As the team explained, "By carefully isolating and processing the H-alpha channel, we were able to enhance the visibility of these ionized gas clouds, which trace ongoing star formation. The contrast between these glowing regions and the surrounding dust lanes adds depth and dimension."

The photographers made a bold choice in their color palette, emphasizing the H-alpha spiral arms in striking reddish tones with orange hints. Liang justified this decision: "The H-alpha spiral arms in the core were the most important feature we wanted to highlight, so we chose a striking color that would stand out from the star field. At the same time, we also wanted to preserve the natural beauty of the star field." Judge Dr. Bloomer noted that while the coloring represents an unusual palette, "the dominant red is powerful, but we thought it was not uncomfortably so."

The judges were immediately impressed by multiple aspects of the winning photograph. Dr. Bloomer described their reaction: "We were struck immediately by the technical achievement of retaining so much detail so close to the core, so we knew it was worth some careful consideration. We chatted quite a bit about the framing: it's quite a close crop into the center, but we also adored that the image had such a dramatic diagonal structure."

When the photographers learned of their victory, their excitement was overwhelming. Liang expressed their gratitude, saying, "The excitement was beyond words! We are truly grateful to the ZWO Astronomy Photography of the Year competition. It brings us great joy to share the beauty of the Universe with everyone." The image now stands as a testament to both technical excellence and artistic vision in contemporary astrophotography.

The winning photograph will be featured in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, alongside other remarkable images from the world's largest space photography competition. The achievement demonstrates how collaborative expertise and innovative techniques continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible in capturing the cosmos' hidden details.