Our galaxy stretches across 100,000 light-years and contains somewhere between 100 to 400 billion stars. It appears in our night skies as a long, hazy strip of light littered with celestial objects. Photographers worldwide have been captivated by the sight of the Milky Way from Earth, capturing its incredible details in stunning high-contrast images.
Capture the Atlas, a travel photography blog, released the seventh edition of its Milky Way Photographer of the Year, a collection of the best 25 photographs of the galaxy that were captured over the past year. The 2024 collection features photographs taken from 15 different countries, including Australia, Spain, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Chile, and by photographers of 19 different nationalities.
The photos combine color and light to inspire wonder about the Milky Way—the galaxy that houses our star system near the edge of its spiral arms. Here are the 25 photographs for your viewing pleasure.
The Lion’s Den
The Milky Way arching majestically above a plateau of the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Bluff Hut
The Milky Way shines over a hut nestled in the Southern Alps on New Zealand’s South Island, one of the darkest places on the planet.
Atmospheric Fireworks
The the Milky Way’s winter arc creates a magical spectacle of light above a medieval castle in France.
Blue Lagoon
The galactic center shines above a remote site in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Desert Bloom
The Milky Way provides a dazzling backdrop to wildflowers growing at the Goblin Valley State Park in Utah.
Caradhras
The Milky Way’s winter arch over Vršič Pass, a high mountain pass across the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia.
Blooming Bottle Tree
A view of the Milky Way captured from Socotra island in Yemen.
Mungo Dreamtime
The Milky Way creates mystical shapes above the shores of dried-up Lake Mungo in Australia.
The Vanity of Life
The Milky Way peaks through the valley of the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan.
Lupine Dreams
Lupines in the foothills of the town of Lone Pine, California coming into bloom with a stretch of the Milky Way above.
A Clear Welcome
The arch of the Milky Way framing Fitz Roy mountain in Laguna de los Tres, Patagonia, Argentina.
Starry Hoodoo Wonderland
A view of the Milky Way taken from Kanab, Utah.
Starlight Therapy
The Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park in New Zealand shines under the starry light of the Milky Way.
Road to Winter Paradise
The Milky Way shines above Passo Giau in Italy.
The Tajinaste
The magic of the Milky Way against the backdrop of Tenerife’s night sky in Spain.
Rainbow Valley
The Australian outback at the Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve shines under the arch of the Milky Way.
Mother Juniper
The roots of a Juniper tree point upwards towards the Milky Way in the night skies above Jebel Shams in Oman.
The Celestial Symphony Above a High Desert Lagoon
A shimmering lagoon in the Atacama Desert in Chile shines beneath the Milky Way.
The Kingdom of Perun
An image of the Milky Way above Pirin Mountain in Bulgaria.
Milky Way at Morning Glory Pool
The Milky Way seen hovering above Morning Glory, a famous hot spring at Yellowstone National Park.
Multicolored Up and Down
The Milky Way galaxy peeking above Rainbow Valley in Chile.
Sand Path
A strip of the Milky Way shines above the White Desert in Egypt.
Tombolo Milky Way
A view of the Milky Way emerging from Lake Superior in Minnesota.
Lightning Lake
The Milky Way seemingly rising from New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook, on a winter night.
Saoseo
The Milky Way painted across the background of a haunting lake in Switzerland.