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15 Stunning Images From the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year
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15 Stunning Images From the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year

Snowy mountain peaks under a star-filled night sky with the Milky Way arching overhead. The horizon glows with orange light, and a single illuminated tent sits among the snow in the foreground.

Travel photography blog Capture the Atlas has announced the winners of its annual Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition which features 25 spectacular photos of the night sky.

The 2026 edition of the competition — which is now in its ninth year — received over 6,500 submissions, once again setting a record for the highest number in the project’s history, with selected photographers representing 15 nationalities.

This year’s collection features images captured across 12 countries and regions, including New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Chile, France, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, Mexico, and Botswana.

Rocky cliffs overlook a calm sea under a vibrant night sky filled with stars and the Milky Way. A lone tree grows on the cliff edge, and coastal vegetation is visible in the foreground.“Celestial Light Over Sea Cliffs” – Anthony Lopez

Each year, Capture the Atlas editor Dan Zafra curates the list based on image quality, story, originality, and the inspiration each photograph provides.

“Every year, this collection reminds us that photographing the Milky Way is not only about technique or planning. It is about curiosity, patience, and the desire to experience the night sky in places where it still feels wild,” says Dan Zafra, editor of Capture the Atlas. “Many of these skies are becoming increasingly rare, and we hope these images inspire people not only to admire them, but also to value and protect them.”

A bright meteor streaks across a star-filled night sky with the Milky Way visible, above a sandy beach with scattered driftwood and calm ocean waves illuminated by distant lights.“Fireball in Paradise” – Jason Rice A vibrant night sky with the Milky Way arches above a steaming hot spring; the foreground features colorful mineral deposits and reflections in the water, with dark, wooded hills in the background.“Firewater” – Baillie Farley A person stands on a rocky arch holding a glowing staff, overlooking a misty shore with a vibrant, colorful night sky filled with stars and nebulae above.“Galactic Gandalf – Evan McKay A dramatic view of striped rock formations under a vivid, star-filled night sky with the Milky Way brightly arching overhead, casting colorful light across the desert landscape.“Galactic Spine” – Andrew Imhoff

Capture the Atlas says that this year’s group of winners ups the ante over previous competitions as not only are the photos beautiful, but they also include what it describes as several rare and difficult to capture scenes.

“Among them are the Milky Way above the working telescopes of the Very Large Telescope in Paranal, Chile, an image from the restricted Valle de la Luna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Argentina, and a photograph from the Sierra of Baja California in Mexico. The selection also features one of the first night images taken from a canyon inside the Hopi Indian Reservation,” Capture the Atlas says.

View from inside a rocky cave looking out to a star-filled night sky and the Milky Way over a calm sea, with rugged rocks framing the scene.“Galaxy on the Rise” – Anastasia Gulova
A large observatory dome stands under a vivid night sky filled with colorful stars, meteors, and nebulae. Wispy clouds and bright meteor trails arc above a grassy, rocky landscape.“Geminid Symphony Over La Palma’s Guardian of the Sky” – Uroš Fink

The winning set of images also shows multiple astronomical and natural phenomena, including the Perseids and Geminids meteor showers, a giant fireball over the Florida coast, the Milky Way rising above fireflies in Italy, and a view of the galaxy above a sea of clouds in La Palma.

Large sandstone pillars rise from a sandy desert under a night sky filled with stars, the Milky Way arcing overhead, and bright red nebulae glowing among the constellations.“Lost in the Ripples of Space and Time” – Leonel Padrón A star-filled night sky with the bright, colorful Milky Way galaxy stretches above a forested river, mountains silhouetted on the horizon, and rocky riverbanks in the foreground.“Milky Way Over Tatra Mountains” – Łukasz Remkowicz A panoramic view of a salt flat with turquoise pools under a starry night sky, featuring the Milky Way arched brightly above distant mountains.“My Perfect Night” -Daniel Viñé Garcia Snow-covered mountain peaks under a vibrant night sky, with the Milky Way arching above. In the distance, lights from a town glow warmly, contrasting with the dark, star-filled sky and rugged, icy terrain.“Night at the Remarkables” – Tom Rae A rocky coastal arch stands by calm blue water under a night sky, with the Milky Way and multiple shooting stars visible above the horizon. Grassy cliffs frame the scene.“Perseid Meteors Over Durdle Door” – Josh Dury
Five large observatory buildings stand under a starry night sky with the Milky Way arching above. A glowing streak of light curves upward, and green and red hues color the horizon.“Sodium Milky Way” – Julien Looten A circular fisheye view of a starry night sky surrounded by vibrant purple and pink lupine flowers, creating a tunnel-like effect with the Milky Way at the center.“The Milky Way Over a Field of Lupines” – Alvin Wu

The images above are joined by the full list of 25 winners which can be viewed in their entirety — including EXIF data — on Capture the Atlas.

Image credits: Header photo titled “Aoraki Mt Cook” by Owain Scullion. All images provided courtesy of Capture the Atlas.

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