Young Kiwi’s stellar Mt Cook picture among Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2024 winners

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Young Kiwi’s stellar Mt Cook picture among Milky Way Photographer of the Year winners

Travel to space with these out-of-this-world photographs.

Travel photography blog Capture the Atlas has released the 7th edition of its annual Milky Way Photographer of the Year, which champions 25 exceptional Milky Way photos from around the globe, taken by photographers from 19 different nationalities.

The 25 photos were selected from over 5000 entries and feature the amazing beauty of the galaxy photographed from various locations all around the world like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Egypt, Oman, Yemen and Jordan.

Among the top 25 is 19-year-old Kiwi astrophotographer Tom Rae who has captured a magnificent photograph of the Milky Way galaxy with the glorious landscape of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook.

Lightning Lake

Tom Rae

https://www.instagram.com/txmrae/?hl=en

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

Tom Rae’s Lightning Lake is a magnificent photograph of Mount Cook’s landscapes with a magical view of the Milky Way in the backdrop. With the illuminated strip of our galaxy in view and Mount Cook’s landscapes mirrored in the lake, the photo creates a mesmerizing scene of the wonders of both our world and the universe beyond us.

The annual photography contest aims to highlight the works of both seasoned and aspiring photographers from all over the world, inspire photography enthusiasts to start seeing the world (and the universe) through the lenses, and of course, celebrate the beauty of astrophotography.

The sheer distance of our galaxy from us can be alienating, but these amazing photographs bring the world of the unknown brighter and closer to us.

Captured from their local deserts, mountains and coastal areas, here are eight of our favourites who have successfully reached the stars.

The Vanity of Life

Mihail Minkov

Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan

Mihail’s caption perfectly encaptures the essence of their winning photograph, “The concept behind this shot is to highlight the stark contrast between the vastness of the cosmos and the minuscule nature of humanity.”

Like Mihail, existentialism dawns upon us upon seeing and knowing that there is something bigger, grander than us, and even grander than the world we know. Whether it comforts or haunts us, seeing the galaxy full of stars we’ll never know is an experience that you will want to do over and over again.

The Lions Den

Lorenzo Ranieri Tenti

Atacama Desert, Chile

The image was a result of an adventurous night on the plateau of the Atacama Desert, which is dangerously near the mountain lion reserve. The contrast between the colourful arc of the galaxy in the backdrop of the monotonous desert makes the photograph unique.

The Celestial Symphony Above A High Desert Lagoon

Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn

Atacama Desert, Chile

The surreal photograph looks like a view from an unknown universe, with the illuminated waters perfectly blended and mirroring the starlit skies, with hues of blues, purples, and reds. Kerry-Ann shared in their caption that during the day, the lagoons appear bright blue as the sun shines on them, and to replicate that illuminated lagoon at night, they had to shine a flashlight in the waters.

Saoseo

Alexander Forst

Graubuenden, Switzerland

Situated at 2000m altitude, Alexander captured this mesmerizing photograph of the Milky Way galaxy at one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes. The photograph plays with a lot of elements, from the lakes in the foreground, the looming mountain in the background, and the view of the galaxy looking like a strip opening to the galaxy beyond.

Atmospheric Fireworks

Julien Looten

Dordogne, France

The title perfectly describes the otherworldly photograph: an atmospheric firework. With the concave shape of the cluster of stars blending with the faint emission of light from the airglow (or nightglow) that colours the skies even more, a magical photograph is born.

Julien notes that the photograph features a few of the superstars we know and love, “The panoramic view spans 180 degrees, showcasing the entire Milky Way arc. From left to right: Sirius and the constellation of Orion, Mars, the Pleiades, the California Nebula, Cassiopeia, the double cluster of Perseus, and the Andromeda galaxy.”

Mungo Dreamtime

John Rutter

Mungo National Park, NSW, Australia

The alienesque photograph looks like it was taken from another planet, one where there are green skies and deserted lands. Although it looks otherwordly, John celebrated humanity with this piece, as he mentions in the caption, “This Mars-like landscape is the shores of Ancient Lake Mungo, housing the oldest human remains outside Africa—a significant site for all humankind. Its remote location grants it a Bortle 1 sky, allowing you to stand where the first Australians once did and gaze at the same sky they beheld 100,000 years ago. "

A Clear Welcome

Francesco Dall’olmo

Laguna de los Tres, Patagonia, Argentina

Like a rainbow shining down on earth, the concave cluster of stars photographed in this picture looks like it is smiling down on all of us, welcoming us in a world full of the unknown. The warm colors blend with the usual hues of blues and purples with the lagoon mirroring the majestic view creating the perfect frame for the Fitz Roy.

If you want to take on the challenge of seeing and capturing the stars, it is important to note that the Milky Way season varies for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. For photographers in the Northern Hemisphere, the season ranges from February to October, while enthusiasts in the Southern Hemisphere have January to November.

However, the best time to see the stars and the Milky Way galaxy is between May and June, since this is the season with the maximum hours of visibility on both hemispheres.

Just remember to choose a site where there is less light pollution. Stay away from the lightened cities and walk, cycle, or hike to elevated areas that are dark enough for the brightest stars to shine.

April Rain - Mirror Ether

[Tara]

Thank you, this is so beautiful! Look otherworldly. My goodness our planet is astounding