Every 12 months, DarkSky International – a worldwide nonprofit advocating for decreased gentle air pollution and defending the nighttime setting – runs a images competitors.
From unbelievable astrophotography to artificially-lit cityscapes, the occasion highlights actually spectacular scenes (a lot of which our eyes would by no means understand with no digital camera to disclose) together with the rising risk to our evening sky.
The 2026 edition of the competition has now wrapped up and, from the 9 class winners, there have been 3 pictures particularly that stood out to me.
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“The Chasm”
It might take a second for your mind to figure out what’s going on in this image. The luminous green lights are glow worms lining the walls of a deep natural cavern, while the Milky Way shimmers overhead.
But even more fascinating than the image is the story behind it. Astrophotographer and guide Tom Rae rappelled greater than 330ft / 100m into an enormous cave system on New Zealand’s North Island at evening.
He advised the competitors organizers how the “extreme humidity, subtle light from the glow worms and long exposures” pushed his expertise to the restrict.
Technical particulars: Tracked panorama | Nikon Z8 + Z7II | Nikkor 20mm f/1.8 + Sigma 40mm f/1.4 | 180 sec / 30 sec • f/1.8 • ISO6,400 / 1,600
“Razorback”
Another New Zealand-based astrophotographer, Paul Wilson, created this picture from Razorback Lookout in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. I really like how the majestic Milky Way arches over the distant mountains, whereas the winding filth highway within the midground virtually mirrors it.
According to Wilson, a pair of irregular dwarf galaxies – the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, situated roughly 163,000 and 200,000 light-years away from Earth, respectively – are additionally seen.
Speaking to DarkSky International, Wilson mentioned: “It celebrates the remarkable clarity of Australia’s dark skies, where multiple celestial phenomena can be experienced together above an iconic outback landscape.”
Technical particulars: Tracked panorama | Canon EOS R5 | Sigma 28mm Art | 30 secs • f/2.5 • ISO3200
“Aurora over the Prince Christian Sound”
What jumps out to me with this image, captured by Canadian youngster Siddharth Patel, is the way in which the aurora bends by the sky, virtually as if painted with a brush.
Patel – who’s solely 12, by the way in which, and has additionally been acknowledged by nationwide information for the discovery of an asteroid last year – took the photograph close to Aappilattoq (additionally known as Rødfjord), a village within the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland.
He advised competitors organizers he spent hours “leaping from one ice-covered rock to a different” searching for a photo location, following a promising aurora forecast. The young astronomer and astrophotographer believes luck was on his side, as the lack of wind allowed for reflections in the water.
Technical details: Single exposure | Sony A7 IV | Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM | 2.5 secs • f/1.8 • ISO2000
These three brilliant images not only encapsulate awe-inspiring scenes, but also highlight the importance of why DarkSky International fights for reduced light pollution. Fantastic work from all three photographers!
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