This gorgeous picture captures magnificence – and the largest risk dealing with the night time sky, shot with a 17-year-old Canon DSLR

The night time sky is likely one of the most magical topics – however capturing it’s turning into more and more troublesome. With the 2025 Capture the Dark contest, DarkSky International not solely showcases breathtaking astrophotography from world wide but in addition attracts pressing consideration to the rising risk of sunshine air pollution.

Capture the Dark has turn out to be a worldwide stage for accountable night time sky pictures. Backed by DarkSky International – a corporation dedicated to defending pure darkness.

When shooting stars, your biggest challenge is light. And not just any light, but the artificial glow that’s spreading across the globe. Light pollution doesn’t just wash out the Milky Way from your images. It disrupts ecosystems, affects human health, and hides the universe from our view. And it’s rising fast – neatly 10% a year worldwide.

Through education and smarter lighting solutions, DarkSky International is working to restore our view of the night. Thsee winning images don’t just inspire, they raise awareness.

So, let’s explore the 2025 Capture the Dark winners, from standout category winners to this year’s special awards… To explore the full winners gallery, visit the DarkSky International website.

The Impact of Light Pollution

First Place
Requiem for a Dream by Ambre de l’AIPe

“January, a few years ago, in the northern Alps, France. The tent is pitched in the snow, and a sea of clouds filters the light from the town of Chamonix. An incredible atmosphere… and it’s even more incredible to realize that the town, despite the clouds obscuring the light, shines right up to the summit of Mont-Blanc (on the far right of the photo)!”

Technical particulars: Single publicity | Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Lens: Canon 17-40 mm f/4 | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter pace: 30s | ISO: 1250

Capture the Dark

First Place
The Watchers by JJ Rao

“Rare red sprites dancing over the tidal flats of Western Australia. A large sprite like this exists for 10 milliseconds, up to 40x faster than an eye blink. This makes photographing them challenging and requires very dark skies. The central sprite is unusual. It’s known as a ‘jellyfish’ sprite, the largest and fastest of all sprites.”

Technical particulars: Stacked | Sony A7 IV | Lens: Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter pace: 3.2s | ISO: 4000

Deep Sky Observations

First Place
Breathing Vela Supernova Remnant Mosaic by Alpha Zhang

“This is the most breathtaking nebula I’ve ever captured. The Vela Supernova Remnant is a target that no astrophotographer should miss in a lifetime. A four-panel mosaic covers the primary emission signals of the nebula. The OIII outer shell wraps around the ionized Ha and SII, forming a complex, layered structure that is beyond words.”

Technical particulars
Stacked | Moravian G4-16000 Mark I | Lens: Takahashi FSQ-106ED | Filter: Astrodon LRGB Ha SII OIII | Telescope: Takahashi FSQ-106ED | Mount: Planewave L500 | Frame: 1310 | Exposure: 109hr | Software: Voyager/Pixinsight

International Dark Sky Places

First Place
Starlight Highway by Tom Rae

“The Starlight Highway sign is definitely one of the cooler signs to find on the road, and there is a good reason for it, as you can see! The sign marks the entrance to the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve – one of the most significant dark sky reserves on earth.”

Technical particulars: Tracked Panorama | Nikon Z6a | Lens: Sigma 28mm F1.4 Art | Aperture: F2.5 Sky – F8 Foreground | Shutter Speed: 30s Sky / 10s Foreground| ISO: 3200 Sky / 800 Foreground

People’s Choice Award

First Place
Milky Way with Comet C/2023 A3 by Siddharth Patel

“I took this photo using my mother’s Samsung S21. I had to leave the city because I couldn’t see the comet at all, so I convinced my family to drive out with me. Under the darker Fingal sky, the comet and the Milky Way were both visible to the naked eye, and seeing them together blew my mind.”

Technical particulars: Stacked | Samsung S21 | Aperture: f/1.5 | Shutter pace: 30s | ISO: 800

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