Beautiful Photos From The 2023 Milky Way Photographer Of The Year Contest

The collection comprises 25 photos of the Milky Way taken from 16 countries around the world, including the US, Australia, Madagascar, Switzerland, and Japan, according to a press release. The final 25 photos were selected from more than 3,000 applicants, the press release added.

Dan Zafra, editor-in-chief of Capture The Atlas, told Insider that many of the final photos were all taken in unique locations where the Milky Way hadn't been photographed before.

"A few examples are the images from Socotra, a remote island in the Indian Ocean that is vastly unexplored, or the image from Madagascar, where photographer Steffi Lieberman had to photograph with armed guards," Zafra said.

"More locations include a very remote area in Spain called Serrania de Cuenca, where only a few photographers have ventured, and all the original landscapes from Namibia and New Zealand," he added.

Buckle up because this trip is going to take you from the remote deserts of Socotra, Madagascar, Atacama, and Namibia to the lost landscapes of Patagonia, Australia, and New Zealand, passing by spectacular glaciers, volcanoes, mountains, and beaches along the way…always with the Milky Way always shining in the sky.

Benjamin Barakat photographed "alien-looking" trees under the night sky in Socotra, Yemen, he wrote on the website.

“The bottle tree portal”. Photo: Benjamin Barakat

Gonzalo Javier Santile took this photo "as soon as the first stars appeared" in Cafayate Salta, Argentina, he wrote on the website.

“Cafayate star factory”. Photo: Gonzalo Santile

Pablo Ruiz Gracía photographed the Atacama Desert in Atacama, Chile.

“The Cactus Valley”. Photo: Pablo Ruiz García

"I’ve always wondered what the night sky would look like if we could see the two Milky Way arches from the winter and summer side by side. This is practically impossible since they are part of a whole and are visible at different times of the day.", Mihail Minkov wrote on his website.

“The Eyes of the Universe”. Photo: Mihail Minkov

Marcin Zajac captured limestone towers alongside the night sky at Mono Lake, California.

“Alien Forest”. Photo: Marcin Zając

Steffi Lieberman took this landscape panorama of the Milky Way arc over the imposing baobab trees in Madagascar.

“Night under the Baobab Trees”. Photo: Steffi Lieberman

Mitsuhiro Okabe photographed Mount Fuji in Japan during cherry blossom season.

“The Scenery I Wanted to See”.Photo: Mitsuhiro Okabe

Larryn Grae captured airglow in the Southern Alps in New Zealand, according to the Capture The Atlas website.

“Winter’s Airglow”. Photo: Larryn Rae

Brandt Ryder said it was difficult to spot the difference between the sky and earth in this photo he captured at Wind River in Wyoming, USA.

“Wind River Nights”, Photo: Brandt Ryder

Alexander Forst photographed the Milky Way behind a night train in Graubünden, Switzerland.

“The Night Train”. Photo: Alexander Forst

“The La Palma Astroexperience”. Photo: Jakob Sahner

Uroš Fink photographed the Milky Way alongside the approaching sunrise at Mangart Saddle in the Julian Alps, Slovenia.

“Shapes of Nature”. Photo: Uroš Fink

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