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.
