LEWISTON — The Bates College Museum of Art is seeking high-quality submissions for its 2012 exhibition “Starstruck: The Fine Art of Astrophotography.”

Though emphasizing images by four invited artists, the exhibition will also feature images submitted by photographers whose work conforms to a juried format with a high standard of excellence and a focus on the print.

The core of the exhibition will be photographs by Robert Gendler, an American physician; David Malin, a British-Australian astronomer; and German photographers Thomas Ruff and Hans-Christian Schink.

“The starry night sky has inspired humankind since prehistoric times,” said Anthony Shostak, lead curator of the exhibition. “A glimpse of the stars in a dark sky provokes an immediate emotional response, resulting in cultural impacts from ancient creation myths to current cinema.  ‘Starstruck’ focuses on how photographers respond to this sense of wonder.”

“Starstruck” will be on view from June 8 through Dec. 15, 2012, at the museum in the Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St. For more information, visit bates.edu/museum.xml.

Artists interested in submitting work can find the submission guidelines at starstruck.bates.edu.