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Billions of stars illuminate the Milky Way. Down right here on Earth, solely about 6,000 stars are seen to the bare eye, however with the appropriate digital camera, we will see tens of 1000’s extra.
The Milky Way Photographer of the Year awards have fun the celestial mild present, honoring 25 actually awe-inspiring pictures. This yr’s competitors acquired greater than 6,500 submissions, the best quantity within the venture’s historical past.
My aim with astrophotography has all the time been to mix my ardour for mountains, journey, and the landscapes of New Zealand. Capturing the Milky Way arch above Aoraki / Mount Cook, the central peak of the nationwide park, turned one of the crucial demanding challenges I had set for myself. Reaching this location required drawing on my expertise as a mountaineer, navigating steep rocky terrain and snow-covered slopes underneath winter situations. The route offered fixed challenges, together with giant washouts alongside the mountainside, unstable snow affected by photo voltaic radiation, and the calls for of winter tenting at altitude. The effort required each bodily endurance and cautious decision-making all through the journey. Despite these difficulties, the setting provided extraordinary situations. As evening fell, the Milky Way and zodiacal mild appeared with distinctive readability, enhanced by the chilly, secure air at elevation. Being positioned so near Aoraki added a way of scale and depth to the second, particularly because the western arc of the Milky Way moved into alignment above the mountain. With solely a short window to seize the scene, there was little margin for error. This picture represents that single alternative, the place preparation, expertise, and timing got here collectively to doc a second that felt each difficult and deeply rewarding.
Credit: Owain Scullion / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Owain Scullion
“Every year, this collection reminds us that photographing the Milky Way is not only about technique or planning,”says Dan Zafra, editor of Capture the Atlas, the group behind the gathering. “It is about curiosity, patience, and the desire to experience the night sky in places where it still feels wild,” “Many of these skies are becoming increasingly rare, and we hope these images inspire people not only to admire them, but also to value and protect them.”
Amongst the 25 chosen pictures are scenes from Paranal, Chile, dwelling to the Very Large Telescope and coastal Florida through the Perseids and Geminids meteor showers.
I spent ten days touring by way of Botswana, residing out of my automobile and shifting by way of distant desert landscapes in full isolation, centered fully on photographing the evening sky. This location turned the spotlight of the journey: a small, historic island rising from the center of an enormous salt pan. Reaching it, nevertheless, was removed from easy. After struggling to search out the route and almost giving up, I solely managed to get there by likelihood, recognizing two Jeeps heading in the wrong way and deciding to show round and comply with them. After three intense hours navigating the terrain, I lastly discovered myself driving throughout the open salt pan, leaving a path of white mud behind. The island itself was coated with baobab timber, scattered in small teams or standing alone, every one providing a hanging topic underneath the evening sky. Many had been naturally positioned beneath the Milky Way core early within the evening, whereas others lent themselves to completely different compositions, together with star trails. This explicit group stood out to me essentially the most. Alone within the darkness, I took my time shaping the scene, utilizing a torch to rigorously light-paint the foreground. The remaining picture is a mix of 1 publicity for the panorama, eleven for the sunshine portray, and a stack of 4 tracked exposures for the sky, mixed to steadiness element and ambiance.
Credit: Stefano Pellegrini / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Stefano Pellegrini
This panorama was captured on the highest level of the volcanic island of La Palma, a location outlined by its distinctive terrain and distinctive evening sky situations. The lack of ambient mild made the method extra demanding, requiring intensive focus stacking to realize sharpness throughout your entire scene, however it additionally supplied preferrred situations for astrophotography. I selected to create a panoramic composition to incorporate the blooming pink Tajinaste flowers, an endemic species of the island, utilizing them to border the total arc of the Milky Way’s core. The summit itself types an enormous crater, providing expansive views throughout the island, typically rising above a layer of clouds. Although it was already early summer season and nearing the top of the blooming season, I used to be lucky to search out a couple of flowers nonetheless in good situation and positioned completely for the composition I had envisioned. This picture represents each cautious planning and timing, and I’m particularly happy with the outcome and honored to have it chosen for the Milky Way Photographer of the Year assortment.
Credit: Max Terwindt / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Max Terwindt
The evening sky takes on a distinctly completely different character throughout this time of yr, particularly with the arrival of the winter constellations. The tones really feel cooler, the air sharper, and Orion rises prominently above the horizon, turning into the centerpiece of the scene. It’s a season that brings a quiet, virtually meditative ambiance to nightscape images. This picture was captured alongside the ocean cliffs close to my dwelling within the south of France, a spot the place the shoreline, the celebrities, and the encircling silence come collectively in good steadiness. Having entry to such numerous landscapes, from mountains to the ocean, all inside attain of darkish skies, makes moments like this not solely potential, however deeply rewarding.
Credit: Anthony Lopez / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Anthony Lopez
Capturing a setting Milky Way core from this seaside had been on my listing for a very long time, with the starfish-covered reef providing a particular and compelling foreground. It’s a notoriously tough scene to {photograph}, as entry to the reef is simply potential through the lowest tides, whereas the sky should additionally cooperate with favorable moon and cloud situations. During my quick go to, all the pieces unexpectedly aligned. At first, the situations appeared unsure on account of sturdy winds, however I made a decision to try the shot with some firm for security. After assessing the reef, I rigorously made my method onto it whereas others saved watch to make sure I remained secure. The terrain is hazardous, with gaps between the rocks posing an actual danger, and the quickly rising tide added fixed stress all through the shoot. Despite these challenges, I used to be capable of seize the required frames, returning to shore simply in time. Due to the altering tide, the higher rows of the sky panorama had been photographed from the seaside, whereas the bottom row was captured from the reef to take care of correct alignment and perspective within the remaining composition.
Credit: Kavan Chay / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Kavan Chay
I’m all the time drawn to touring to outstanding pure landscapes to seize their essence by way of evening images. This picture, which represented a big problem for me, was taken in Monfragüe National Park throughout one of many few nights of the yr when each the winter and summer season Milky Way may be seen in the identical sky. The scene doesn’t seem this approach to the bare eye. It is a composite that captures the transition of the Milky Way over a number of hours, combining the winter Milky Way seen after nightfall with the summer season Milky Way rising earlier than daybreak. The following morning, I used to be capable of return to this location with my household, who had accompanied me within the seek for this long-envisioned picture. Those shared moments, together with the trouble behind the seize, make this {photograph} particularly significant to me.
Credit: Luis Cajete / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Luis Cajete
This single-exposure picture turned a reminder to all the time count on the surprising in astrophotography. I had not even deliberate to go to this seaside, because the forecast known as for clouds and rain all through the evening. The seize was half of a bigger day-to-night time-lapse that I started capturing at golden hour, working by way of biting bugs and the extraordinary tropical humidity of Florida. After establishing the sequence, I left the digital camera working and returned to my car. Several hours later, shortly after midnight, I seen the bottom round me out of the blue illuminated by a inexperienced glow, prompting me to search for. What adopted was the biggest meteor I’ve ever witnessed. It moved slowly throughout the Milky Way for almost 5 seconds, and the glowing path left behind by the fireball remained seen for nearly fifteen minutes. It was one of the crucial memorable moments I’ve skilled in astrophotography, fully unplanned and not possible to anticipate.
Credit: Jason Rice / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Jason Rice
When I first found this location, I instantly envisioned creating one thing particular beneath the evening sky. However, upon arriving after darkish, I discovered {that a} seal had settled precisely the place I had deliberate to arrange my tripod. It confirmed little curiosity in shifting, and judging by how worn and polished the rock was, it was clearly one in every of its most popular resting spots. Eventually, the seal shifted barely to the aspect, remaining inside the scene during the shoot. It can nonetheless be seen within the remaining picture for many who look intently, including an surprising and memorable factor to the composition. Given the complexity of the scene, I knew the ultimate picture would require a big quantity of labor. Over the next weeks, beginning in November, I returned every time potential to gather the required information for this panorama, rigorously constructing the picture piece by piece underneath the evening sky.
Credit: Evan McKay / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Evan McKay
I’m drawn to Milky Way images due to its skill to spark curiosity. It gives a perspective that feels fully completely different from different types of images, typically revealing a world that many individuals have by no means skilled. With my pictures, my aim is to encourage that very same sense of curiosity, encouraging others to think about what it appears like to face beneath a sky like this and witness it with their very own eyes. That sense of surprise is what first drew me to the Milky Way, and it continues to form the way in which I strategy every picture.
Credit: Andrew Imhoff / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Andrew Imhoff
I’m all the time drawn to places that really feel distinctive and comparatively undiscovered, and this cave was an ideal instance. Although it was only some minutes from the parking space, it took me almost 4 hours of scouting to lastly find it. The situations made the method much more demanding. Intense warmth mixed with highly effective winds made motion tough, at instances pushing me in opposition to sharp rocks. After almost giving up and heading again, I lastly got here throughout the cave, a second that made your entire search worthwhile. Capturing the picture proved simply as difficult. Composing and capturing the panoramic foreground required cautious positioning, whereas correctly illuminating the higher part of the cave was significantly tough. To handle this, I used focus stacking throughout completely different planes, together with the higher edge, the horizon, and the decrease foreground, all in near-total darkness, the place the transient blue hour provided little help. With the Milky Way sitting low on the horizon, bringing out its shade and element required extra effort in each seize and processing. In the top, the outcome displays not solely the scene itself, but additionally the persistence and expertise behind it, making it particularly significant.
Credit: Anastasia Gulova / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Anastasia Gulova
This winter Milky Way panorama captures a sky full of Geminid meteors above the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the biggest optical telescope on the planet. My first journey to La Palma was an intense and unpredictable expertise, from storms and summit snowfall to sturdy winds, rain, and transient home windows of clear skies. For the primary three nights, we had been confined to the southern a part of the island, because the highway to the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory remained closed, forcing us to seek for clear situations elsewhere. Reaching the summit appeared more and more unlikely, till the fourth day, when the highway lastly reopened. We instantly made our method up, full of anticipation. After scouting compositions and getting ready for the evening, clouds as soon as once more moved in, placing all the pieces in danger. Rather than giving up, we waited, always checking the sky for any signal of enchancment. Around midnight, the primary stars began appearing, and we shortly headed to the Gran Telescopio Canarias. Above us, the sky opened right into a discipline of stars, whereas a layer of clouds remained beneath, making a hanging distinction with the illuminated construction of the telescope. Although the dome couldn’t be opened on account of humidity, the expertise of witnessing such darkish skies for the primary time was outstanding, with the Milky Way showing virtually three-dimensional. This was additionally my first profitable seize of the Gum Nebula, including a singular factor to the composition. The remaining picture is the results of an intensive post-processing workflow, combining meteor information registered utilizing Auriga RegiStar from six cameras over 5 nights on La Palma. All RGB frames had been captured utilizing the Capture the Night Astro filter by Capture the Atlas. The remaining decision reaches roughly 400 megapixels. This picture displays not solely the complexity of the method, but additionally the expertise behind it. Each time I revisit it, it brings me again to that unforgettable time on La Palma.
Credit: Uroš Fink / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Uroš Fink
There’s one thing uniquely highly effective a few calm, windless evening within the Pinnacles Desert, a spot that by no means fails to remind me how lucky we’re to have such pristine darkish skies so near dwelling, only a quick drive away. As the solar units past the Indian Ocean, a profound stillness settles over Nambung, reworking the panorama into an virtually otherworldly scene and drawing me again right here time and time once more. In this composition, the primary limestone pillar aligns virtually completely with the South Celestial Pole, anchoring the picture beneath the rotating sky. To the appropriate, the faint however unmistakable pink glow of the Gum Nebula, an enormous supernova remnant, provides depth and scale to the scene. Western Australia gives a few of the best evening skies on the planet, but it’s straightforward to take them as a right. Nights like this function a reminder of simply how particular these quiet, distant corners of the Wheatbelt actually are.
Credit: Leonel Padrón / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Leonel Padrón
Taking benefit of the April new moon, I got down to seize my first Milky Way picture of 2025. With promising situations forecast throughout southern Poland, I returned to the Tatra Mountains, a area I typically revisit with my digital camera, this time exploring the Białka Gorge in Jurgów, a location I had not photographed earlier than. From this vantage level, the Milky Way rises above the Tatras, which in early spring nonetheless carry the lingering traces of winter. What drew me most to this scene was the distinction between the darkish, rugged panorama and the richness of the sky. The galactic core emerges simply above the mountain horizon, accompanied by the delicate colours of the mud and nebulae inside the Rho Ophiuchi area. In the foreground, the river creates a pure main line, guiding the attention from the earth towards the mountains and into the evening sky, visually connecting the terrestrial and the cosmic. Beyond the ultimate picture, astrophotography is equally concerning the expertise within the discipline, typically shared with others who’re drawn to the identical situations and moments, united by a typical appreciation for the evening sky.
Credit: Lukasz Remkowicz / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Łukasz Remkowicz
Reaching this location required touring deep into the Argentine Puna, a distant area accessible solely by 4×4 autos alongside tough filth tracks, removed from any supply of sunshine air pollution. The nearest settlement was Antofalla, a small village of round 60 inhabitants, the place electrical energy is generated domestically and turned off at evening. Beyond that, the closest cities are a number of hours away, surrounded by huge and remoted landscapes. Situated between 3,500 and 4,000 meters above sea degree, the altitude and remoteness make this an distinctive setting for evening sky images. What made this place significantly compelling was its rarity. I had by no means seen pictures of this salt flat earlier than, and its untouched character and minimalist panorama instantly stood out. Photographing the Milky Way within the southern hemisphere introduced each challenges and pleasure, as its look differs considerably from what I used to be used to within the north. In this second, the galactic middle sits to the left aspect of the arch, whereas the Gum Nebula seems on the appropriate, making a pure visible steadiness throughout the sky.
Credit: Daniel Viñe Garcia / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Daniel Viñé Garcia
“Ancient fireworks” from Comet Swift-Tuttle hurtled by way of the ambiance to doc this ultra-wide angle composite picture above the pure limestone arch of Durdle Door. In the foreground, a singular glow worm was documented amongst reeds alongside the ocean cliff edge. As the topic of Astrophotography grows by demand, magnificence hotspots and World Heritage Sites together with Durdle Door, are getting busy. With good purpose that’s the reason as Astrophotographers, we have to set an instance in defending magnificence hotspots and native ecology. Through observe of utilising pink head torches and adhering to access-restricted areas of UNESCO World Heritage websites.
Credit: Josh Dury / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Josh Dury
This picture captures the Milky Way rising above a blooming discipline of lupines in New Zealand throughout November, when spring wildflowers rework the panorama beneath the evening sky. Using a fisheye perspective, the flowers encircle the scene, forming a pure body that attracts the viewer into the celestial sphere above.
Credit: Alvin Wu / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Alvin Wu
This {photograph} was captured within the coronary heart of the Sierra La Giganta, in Baja California Sur, following a two-day expedition from the small village of San Juan Londo. The remaining strategy required an ascent of greater than 800 meters by mule alongside a long-forgotten part of the historic Camino Real, as soon as utilized by vaqueros and their donkeys to move items between distant settlements. This path has remained largely untouched for almost 80 years. The picture types a part of an ongoing venture centered on documenting and selling the distinctive darkish skies of Baja California Sur for astrotourism. These situations meet the requirements of true Dark Sky Sanctuaries, providing a few of the purest evening skies within the area. On the appropriate aspect of the body, the faint glow belongs to the distant metropolis of Loreto, the primary capital of the Californias, situated roughly 30 kilometers to the south. We had been accompanied by Señor Juan, our information, whose father first introduced him to this hidden location over 65 years in the past. Together, we intention to protect the reminiscence of those historic routes, historic paths which have been regularly reclaimed by nature over time. This {photograph} displays not solely the pursuit of pristine darkish skies, but additionally a deeper means of exploration and rediscovery. It brings collectively the seek for untouched landscapes with the restoration of a cultural and historic legacy, serving to to place Baja California Sur as a world-class vacation spot for evening sky images whereas honoring the tales embedded in its terrain. Milky Way images goes past capturing the celebrities. It turns into a approach to discover distant environments, problem bodily limits, and reconnect with each nature and historical past. If this picture encourages others to look past established paths looking for actually darkish skies, then it has fulfilled its goal.
Credit: Ignacio Pelaez / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Nacho Peláez
This {photograph} was captured within the coronary heart of the Sierra La Giganta, in Baja California Sur, following a two-day expedition from the small village of San Juan Londo. The remaining strategy required an ascent of greater than 800 meters by mule alongside a long-forgotten part of the historic Camino Real, as soon as utilized by vaqueros and their donkeys to move items between distant settlements. This path has remained largely untouched for almost 80 years. The picture types a part of an ongoing venture centered on documenting and selling the distinctive darkish skies of Baja California Sur for astrotourism. These situations meet the requirements of true Dark Sky Sanctuaries, providing a few of the purest evening skies within the area. On the appropriate aspect of the body, the faint glow belongs to the distant metropolis of Loreto, the primary capital of the Californias, situated roughly 30 kilometers to the south. We had been accompanied by Señor Juan, our information, whose father first introduced him to this hidden location over 65 years in the past. Together, we intention to protect the reminiscence of those historic routes, historic paths which have been regularly reclaimed by nature over time. This {photograph} displays not solely the pursuit of pristine darkish skies, but additionally a deeper means of exploration and rediscovery. It brings collectively the seek for untouched landscapes with the restoration of a cultural and historic legacy, serving to to place Baja California Sur as a world-class vacation spot for evening sky images whereas honoring the tales embedded in its terrain. Milky Way images goes past capturing the celebrities. It turns into a approach to discover distant environments, problem bodily limits, and reconnect with each nature and historical past. If this picture encourages others to look past established paths looking for actually darkish skies, then it has fulfilled its goal.
Credit: Gonzalo Santile / Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 Gonzalo Javier Santile
2025 PopSci Best of What’s New
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