A clear, dark night sky is becoming a protected resource, with growing light pollution erasing our views of the cosmos. In order to capture some of the billions of stars that litter the Milky Way, photographers have to travel to exceptionally remote areas before pointing their lenses at the signature arch of our galaxy. The Milky Way Photographer of the Year awards celebrate those exceptional efforts to inspire awe at the beauty of the galaxy. This year’s competition honored 25 photographs of pure celestial wonder and highlighted the exceptional effort that went into capturing the Milky Way from remote landscapes, deserts, islands, coastlines, and mountains. Below are some of these exceptional photographs and the stories of patience and creativity from behind the lens. Geminid Symphony Over La Palma’s Guardian of the Sky Geminid Symphony Over La Palma. Credit: Uroš Fink This panorama of the Milky Way features another striking celestial feature, the Geminid meteors, shaping the night skies like a dome of celebratory fireworks.
The image was captured above the Gran Telescopio Canarias, an optical telescope situated at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. Photographer Uros Fink put together this composite image using six cameras over the course of five nights.
