“Diamond Beach Emerald Sky” by Brent Martin
“With a clear night forecast and the Milky Way core returning for 2025, I set out to explore the Great Ocean Road. After a few setbacks—such as a failed composition and getting the car stuck on a sandy track—I almost gave up. However, I pushed on and found a great spot above the beach to capture the scene.
The night was full of color, with Comet C/2024 G3 Atlas and a pink aurora in the early hours, followed by the Milky Way rising amid intense green airglow near dawn. Despite the challenges, the reward of this stunning image and the memory of the view made it all worthwhile.”
For the eighth year, travel photography blog Capture the Atlas has curated its selection of the top Milky Way photographs, compiling them into the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year. And for the first time, this selection includes an image from outer space, thanks to the contribution of NASA astronaut Don Pettit.
Pettit, who regularly photographs Earth from the International Space Station, contributed a striking photo of our planet. Using a star tracker, he captured golden star streaks as the ISS was in orbit. This incredible view from outer space adds a new perspective to the contest's astrophotography.
This otherworldly view was one of over 6,000 entries from photographers in 16 countries. The final list includes breathtaking images from locations around the globe, including Chile, New Zealand, Taiwan, Yemen, and the United States, and shows just how powerful the Milky Way is, no matter where you stand on Earth.
Capture the Atlas editor Dan Zafra, known for his own incredible astrophotography, curates the list based on image quality, the story behind the scene, and the overall inspiration it provides. He also seeks to balance images, including both recognizable and remote locations that are rarely photographed. Several images also incorporate other celestial events, such as comets, meteor showers, and a lunar eclipse.
Scroll down to see our favorite 15 images of the Milky Way and then head over to Capture the Atlas to see the full list and captions.
The 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year list includes a striking photo from outer space.
“One in a Billion ” by Don Pettit
“I float in the Cupola, looking out the seven windows composing this faceted transparent jewel. While my mind is submerged in contemplation, my eyes gorge on the dim reflections from a nighttime Earth. There are over eight billion people that call this planet home. There are seven of us that can say the same for Space Station. What a privilege it is to be here. I used an orbital star tracker to take out the star streak motion from orbit.”
“A Sea of Lupines” by Max Inwood
“The annual lupine bloom in New Zealand is spectacular, with fields of colorful flowers stretching across the Mackenzie Basin. This region, located in the heart of the South Island, is renowned for its dark skies, making the scene even more surreal at night.
I had to wait until the early hours of the morning for the wind to calm down, but eventually everything became still, and I was able to capture this image. Above the flowers, you can see the band of the outer Milky Way, alongside the constellations Orion, Gemini, and the Pleiades. Joining them are the bright planets Jupiter and Mars, with a strong display of green airglow visible along the horizon.”
“Lake RT5” by Tanay Das
“Lake RT5 is a pristine alpine lake nestled at 5,700 meters above sea level. My passion has always been to capture the unseen Himalayas in their rawest form. This journey led us through rugged mountains and glaciers, where we discovered several unknown alpine lakes and named them along the way.
We endured multiple nights in extremely cold, unpredictable conditions. Due to the ever-changing weather and limited time, I used a blue hour blend to achieve a cleaner foreground. Since my campsite was right beside the lake, I was able to capture the tracked sky shot from the exact same position later that night.
I was in awe of the incredible airglow illuminating the Himalayan skies. The raw image had even more intense colors, but I toned them down to stay true to reality. This was undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable nights I’ve ever spent in the heart of the Himalayas.”
“Winter Fairy Tale” by Uroš Fink
“Undoubtedly my wildest location this winter: Austria’s Dobratsch mountain! If I had to describe it in two words, it would be a “Winter Fairytale”!
Despite a 5 a.m. work shift, I drove to Austria by 1 p.m., worried about my fitness and lack of sleep. After a 2-hour hike through the snow with a 22kg backpack and sled, the stunning views kept me energized.
Arriving at the cabin (where I had planned my winter panorama two years ago), I was greeted by untouched snow, completely free of footprints. I spent the evening exploring compositions, and this is my favorite: a panorama of the winter Milky Way with reddish nebulae, stretching above Dobratsch Mountain.
I captured the Zodiacal light and even the Gegenschein glow! The sky was magnificent, with Jupiter and Mars shining brightly. In the foreground is the cabin, where I spent 3 freezing hours (-12°C), waiting for the perfect shot of the Milky Way’s core. It turned out exactly as I envisioned—a true winter fairytale.”
From over 6,000 images that were entered, 25 Milky Way photographs were deemed high enough quality to make the list.
“Starlit Ocean: A Comet, the setting Venus, the Milky Way, and McWay Falls” by Xingyang Cai
“Capturing this image was a race against time, light, and distance. With Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS (C/2023 A3) making its approach, I knew I had a rare opportunity to see it with the naked eye before it faded into the cosmos. I embarked on a five-hour round trip to McWay Falls in Big Sur, one of the few Bortle 2 locations accessible along California’s coast. My window was narrow—just six precious minutes of true darkness before the Moon rose and washed out the night sky. But those six minutes were unforgettable.
In that brief span, the Milky Way arched high above the Pacific, Venus shimmered as it set over the ocean, and the comet streaked quietly across the sky—a celestial visitor gracing this iconic coastal cove. The soft cascade of McWay Falls and the stillness of the starlit ocean created a surreal harmony between Earth and sky. It was one of the most vivid and humbling naked-eye comet sightings I’ve ever experienced—an alignment of cosmic elements that felt both fleeting and eternal.”
“The Wave” by Luis Cajete
“One of my greatest passions is visiting stunning natural wonders and paying my personal tribute to them through night photography. This image was taken at Coyote Buttes, a geological masterpiece located in Arizona, where special access permits are required to protect it for future generations.
Despite the intense cold during those days, it was incredibly exciting to visit the great sandstone wave for the first time and enjoy its spectacular shapes and colors.
To capture this 360° panorama, I planned for the Milky Way and focused on creating a balanced photographic composition. It’s hard to put into words the beauty of this place, but I hope my photograph manages to convey it.”
“Un Destello en la Oscuridad” by Luis Merino
“In my quest to find new places to practice this beautiful hobby, I discovered this corner, which, with a touch of light, transformed into a dreamlike scene. The lighting highlighted every detail: a stream carved by water, which usually flows forcefully after heavy rains, was now a peaceful calm; and although the Milky Way didn’t fully unfold, the galactic center appeared framed like a radiant beacon in the vastness of the night sky. The gentle croak of the frogs provided the natural soundtrack to this experience, making each moment feel unique and filled with magic.
This experience taught me that light has the power to transform the ordinary into a scene of wonder, revealing nuances that would otherwise go unnoticed.”
“Galaxy of the Stone Array” by Alvin Wu
“The Milky Way hangs over the sea. The night sky of the Southern Hemisphere condenses the poetry of Li Bai, a poet from China’s Tang Dynasty, into eternity. On a clear night, the Milky Way pours down over the sea like a waterfall from the sky, intertwining with the atmospheric glow on the water’s surface.”
“Double Milky Way Arch Over Matterhorn” by Angel Fux
“This image captures the rare Double Arch Milky Way, where both the Winter Milky Way (with Orion rising) and the Summer Milky Way (with the Galactic Center) appear in the same night—a seamless transition between seasons.
Taken at 3,200 meters in the heart of winter, the night was brutally cold, testing both my endurance and equipment. This is a time blend, preserving the real positions of both arches by combining frames taken hours apart, with the foreground captured at dawn for the best detail.
Zermatt and the Matterhorn have been photographed countless times, but I aimed to create something truly unique—an image captured under conditions few would attempt. I’m incredibly proud of the effort and patience it took to bring this vision to life.”
“Glimpse of colors” by Tomas Slovinsky
“Nature is truly amazing, creating breathtaking scenery that leaves us speechless. I took this picture during my last astrophotography workshop in Crete. With pleasant temperatures around 25°C, I spent my time lying on the beach, listening to the sound of the waves, and gazing at the sky, completely free from light pollution.
The sky was covered in thousands of stars, with the Milky Way reflecting on the surface of the sea—an experience that felt like a dream. Even the airglow was visible to the naked eye. Thanks to the camera, all the beautiful colors came to life.”
“Universo de Sal” by Alejandra Heis
“Some time ago, I set out to travel across my country, Argentina, and visit its most iconic places—but I wanted to show them in a different way. I believe I haven’t truly experienced a place until I see it at night. Nighttime feels more intimate, mysterious, and adventurous—a moment when the senses sharpen and you connect with your surroundings in a deeper way.
Salinas Grandes was one of those places I needed to capture at night. Sitting at about 3,500 meters above sea level, spending the night there was a real challenge. As night fell, I ventured deep into the vast salt flats, reaching the ponds where salt is extracted. Suddenly, the wind calmed and the air grew heavy, creating a strange yet captivating atmosphere. The sky put on an incredible show—the Milky Way perfectly positioned, airglow coloring each horizon in different shades. I couldn’t have asked for more. I allowed myself time to take the photo and simply soak in the beauty of nature’s gift.”
Selections include both remote locations and well-known astrophotography spots.
“Cosmic Fire” by Sergio Montúfar
“On the early morning of June 2, 2024, I summited Acatenango Volcano for the first time, hoping to witness the fiery beauty of the neighboring Volcan de Fuego against the Milky Way’s backdrop. That night, the volcano was incredibly active—each thunderous explosion reverberated in my chest, while glowing lava illuminated the dark slopes. Above, the Milky Way stretched diagonally across the sky, a mesmerizing band of stars contrasting with the chaos below. As the volcano erupted, the ash plume rose vertically, forming an acute angle of about 45 degrees with the galaxy’s diagonal path, creating a stunning visual contrast between Earth’s fury and the cosmos’ serenity.
Capturing this required a fast, wide-angle lens (f/2.8), an ISO of 3200, and a 10-second exposure to balance the volcanic glow with the starlight. The challenge was timing the shot during a new moon and aligning the right moment for the Milky Way to cross the frame next to the volcano. I used Lightroom as the editor. This image is special for its storytelling—the raw power of Volcan de Fuego meeting the tranquil expanse of the galaxy.”
“Boot Arch Perseids” by Mike Abramyan
“The Perseid Meteor Shower occurs every August, raining down hundreds of meteors over a few nights. In 2024, I had planned to photograph it from the Canadian Rockies, but wildfires forced me to change my plans at the last minute. After checking wildfire maps, I found a safe haven in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
After three full nights of capturing meteors, I created this image. Sitting on the rock is my friend Arne, who often joins me on these adventures, gazing up at the magnificent core of our galaxy. Each meteor is painstakingly aligned to its true location in the night sky. The final depiction shows all the meteors I captured, combined into one frame—as if the Earth hadn’t been rotating and all the meteors had fallen at once.”
“Blosoom” by Ethan Su
“After three years of waiting, the Yushan alpine rhododendrons are finally in bloom once again on Taiwan’s 3,000-meter-high Hehuan Mountain. On this special night, distant clouds helped block city light pollution, revealing an exceptionally clear view of the Milky Way. A solar flare from active region AR3664 reached Earth that evening, intensifying the airglow and adding an otherworldly touch to the sky.
Together, these rare natural events created a breathtaking scene—vivid blooms glowing softly beneath a star-filled sky.”
