Photographing the Milky Way has always been more than capturing the night sky. It is a reason to look up, to travel farther, and to reconnect with the night.
Now in its 9th edition, our Milky Way Photographer of the Year brings together 25 inspiring images captured under some of the most remarkable dark skies on Earth. Each photograph in this collection represents a unique moment where planning, patience, creativity, and technical skill came together beneath the stars.
This year’s selection takes us across deserts, mountains, coastlines, islands, and remote landscapes where the Milky Way still shines with extraordinary clarity. From carefully planned compositions to fleeting celestial moments, these images show not only the beauty of our galaxy, but also the dedication required to capture it.
Beyond their artistic and technical achievement, these photographs also remind us how rare truly dark skies are becoming. As light pollution continues to erase the stars from many places around the world, this collection is both a celebration of what still exists and a reminder of what we stand to lose.
We hope these images inspire you to admire the Milky Way, learn from the stories behind each photograph, and seek your own experiences under dark skies, while remembering that preserving the night is essential to keeping our connection to the universe alive.
Because every image in this collection began the same way: someone looked up.