Milky Way Photographer of The Year 2025

The annual competition, hosted by Capture the Atlas, received more than 6,000 submissions in this, its eighth year.

Each night, the Milky Way decorates darkened skies around the globe with a streak of glimmering stars and pink-orange dust. Stunning in its own right, our galaxy is ever more dazzling in the images topping the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest. While we can only see a small part of the Milky Way with our own eyes, photography allows us to uncover its hidden beauty - showing details, colours, and patterns in the night sky that usually go unnoticed. But beyond the camera and technique, it’s the photographer’s creativity, patience, and sense of wonder that truly bring these images to life.

Here's a selection of some of this year's winners...

'Cosmic Fire' | Sergio Montufar | Volcan Acatenango, Guatemala

'Bottle Tree Paradise' | Benjamin Barakat | Socotra, Yemen

'Stairway to Heaven' | Marcin Rosadzinski | Madeira Island

'The Wave' | Luis Cajete | Coyote Buttes, Utah

'A Sea of Lupines' | Max Inwood | Lake Tekapo, New Zealand