The Brilliant Milky Way Connects Photographers in an Annual Contest

Summary

Each night, the Milky Way decorates darkened skies around the globe with a streak of glimmering stars and pink-orange dust. Stunning in its own right, our galaxy is ever more dazzling in the images topping the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest. The annual competition, hosted by Capture the Atlas, received more than 6,000 submissions in its eighth year. Winning shots are each from a different location, including amid the moai sculptures of Easter Island, atop Taiwan’s Hehuan Mountain, and Yemen’s remote Socotra Island. For the first time, there’s even a view of the Milky Way from aboard the International Space Station, which astronaut Don Pettit captured while Earth glitters below. Rositsa Dimitrova, “The Night Guardians,” Easter Island, Chile While diverse in geography, approach, and technique, all of the photos are guided by the brilliant band of light in the distance. See all 25 winners on Capture the Atlas. Benjamin Barakat, “Bottle Tree Paradise,” Socotra, Yemen Marcin Rosadziński, “Stairway to Heaven,” Madeira Island, Portugal Don Pettit, “One in a Billion,” International Space Station Kavan Chay, “Evolution of Stars,” Otago, New Zealand Luis Cajete, “The Wave,” Coyote Buttes, Utah, U.S. Max Inwood, “A Sea of Lupines,” Lake Tekapo, New Zealand Ethan Su, “Blosoom,” Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park, Taiwan Anthony Lopez, “A Stellar View From The Cave,” Saint Raphael, France Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing.