The Milky Way as a Global Lens

Milky Way photography has emerged as a discipline where creativity and technical mastery converge to capture the full majesty of our galaxy. Each year, the Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition — organized by Capture the Atlas — becomes a gathering point for photographers devoted to rendering the cosmos in all its splendor. In its eighth edition, the contest received more than 6,000 images from some of the most breathtaking locations on Earth.

Rositsa Dimitrova, “The Night Guardians,” Easter Island, Chile

The 2025 winners include images captured at iconic locations — the moai of Easter Island, the summit of Mount Hehuan in Taiwan, and the remote island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen. Each photograph tells a singular story, revealing the universal connection that the Milky Way offers to those who dare to look skyward in the dark. This year’s edition carries a notable distinction: for the first time, the selection includes an image of the Milky Way captured from the International Space Station by astronaut Don Pettit, who photographed our planet glowing below.

Don Pettit, “One in a Billion,” International Space Station

The competition celebrates not only geographic diversity but the full range of photographic techniques its entrants command. Each image is a reminder that, though we may be separated by continents, the Milky Way remains a shared canopy — illuminating the sky and, with it, our collective sense of wonder.

Luis Cajete, “The Wave,” Coyote Buttes, Utah, U.S.

The art of astrophotography invites us to appreciate not only the beauty of the night sky but the extraordinary individual effort behind each attempt to capture a distant light. For those wishing to explore the full selection of winning images, visit the competition’s official website.