Travel photography website Capture the Atlas recently announced the winners of their seventh Milky Way Photographer of the Year collection, showcasing the top 25 photos of our galaxy. The collection features images from 19 photographers of different nationalities, capturing the Milky Way from 15 countries around the world, including the U.S, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Oman, and Jordan. Editor in chief Dan Zafra selected the winners from 5,000 entries, with the aim of inspiring and sharing the beauty of the Milky Way.
The Milky Way, spanning about 50,000 light-years and containing over 100 billion stars, is at its most visible during the peak time of the year in May and June when its arc stretches across the night sky. The “Milky Way season” differs for each hemisphere, with the peak period being from February to October in the Northern hemisphere and from January to November in the Southern hemisphere. This annual event provides photographers with the perfect opportunity to capture stunning images of our galaxy from various locations around the world.
Among the winning entries, some standout photographs include images titled ‘Atmospheric Fireworks,’ capturing the winter Milky Way above the Dordogne, France, and ‘Blooming Bottle Tree,’ showcasing the Milky Way behind a unique “bottle tree” on Socotra, an island in the Gulf of Aden. Noted astrophotographer Yuri Beletsky’s image ‘Blue Lagoon’ showcases the Milky Way’s center in the Atacama Desert in Chile, while Rachel Roberts captures ‘Bluff Hut’ in Mungo River Valley, New Zealand. Other remarkable entries include ‘Lightning Lake’ in Aoraki, Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand, and ‘Mother Juniper’ from Jebel Shams, Oman’s highest mountain.
Photographers continue to explore different regions around the world to capture the beauty of the Milky Way, such as the White Desert of Egypt in Hugo Valle’s stunning image ‘Sand Path,’ and Lago di Saoseo in Graubuenden, Switzerland, beautifully reflected the stars in Alexander Forst’s photograph ‘Saoseo.’ The Canary Islands also provide the perfect backdrop for astrophotographers, as seen in Maximilian Höfling’s ‘The Tajinaste’ image capturing tajinaste flowers under the stars in Tenerife. The Milky Way over Lake Superior, Minnesota, is beautifully captured in Marc Rassel’s ‘Tombolo Milky Way’ photograph, showcasing the beauty of our galaxy from different corners of the world.
Overall, the Milky Way Photographer of the Year collection serves as a reminder of the awe-inspiring beauty of our galaxy and the endless possibilities for photographers to capture its magnificence from various locations around the globe. The diverse range of images showcases the creativity and skills of photographers from different nationalities and highlights the importance of preserving dark skies for future generations to continue to enjoy and capture the beauty of the Milky Way. Travelers and photographers alike are encouraged to seek out dark sky locations to witness the stunning display of the Milky Way and capture their own unique perspectives of our galaxy.
