The honorees for the 2025 Galaxy Photographer of the Year contest remain in, and they’re sensational.

Produced in 2018 by professional photographer Dan Zafra, the contest showcases shots of the Milky Way drawn from around the world, highlighting stunning landscapes in the world set out under the twinkling night sky. This year’s winners consist of shots from locations as varied as Namibia, the Himalayas, New Zealand and Yemen.

There’s even a picture drawn from area.“Starlit Ocean”

Professional Photographer: Xingyang Cai

Place: Big Sur, California

This photo, entitled “Starlit Ocean: A Comet, the setting Venus, the Milky Way, and McWay Falls,” was taken throughout the technique of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3)in fall 2024. The comet streaks above the Pacific and a setting Venus at McWay Falls in Big Sur.

“Cosmic Fire”

Professional Photographer: Sergio Montúfar

Area: Acatenango volcano, Guatemala

Professional photographer Sergio Montúfar caught this sensational picture of 2 kinds of fire in the sky at Acatenango volcano in Guatemala in June 2024. “Above, the Milky Way stretched diagonally across the sky, a mesmerizing band of stars contrasting with the chaos below,” Montúfar composed in his description of the picture. “As the volcano erupted, the ash plume rose vertically, forming an acute angle of about 45 degrees with the galaxy’s diagonal path, creating a stunning visual contrast between Earth’s fury and the cosmos’ serenity.”

Montúfar utilized a wide-angle lens(f/2.8), an ISO of 3200, and a 10-second direct exposure to record the light of the Milky Way and the light of the volcano at the very same time.

“Blossom”

Professional Photographer: Ethan Su

Area: Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park, Taiwan

A surge of alpine rhododendrons offers a spectacular foreground to this view of the Milky Way from Mount Hehuan in main Taiwan. A solar flare from the sunspot AR3664 included a small airglow to the scene, while clouds obstructed light contamination from remote city locations.

“One in a Billion”

Professional Photographer: Don Pettit

Area: Earth orbit

Astronaut Don Pettit caught this picture of Earth versus the Milky Way from the Cupola of the International Space Station. City lights appear to mirror the jewel-like radiance of the galaxy in the background of the image. “There are over eight billion people that call this planet home,” Pettit composed. “There are seven of us that can say the same for [the] Space Station. What a privilege it is to be here.”

Related: May’s finest stargazing week has actually started. How to see a lion, an upside-down bear, a tiny ‘world parade’– and more.

“Bottle Tree Paradise”

Professional Photographer: Benjamin Barakat

Place: Socotra, Yemen

4 years of hunting Socotra, a Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean, led professional photographer Benjamin Barakat to this grove of bottle trees (Dendrosicyos socotranusa types that’s distinct to the island. These trees’thick trunks enable them to keep water to endure Socotra’s dry environment. The Milky Way embellishes this one-in-a-galaxy website like a bracelet of gems.

“Lake RT5”

Professional Photographer: Tanay Das

Area: Zanskar, Himalayas

Celestial fire and Earthly ice satisfy in this shot taken at Lake RT5, which sits 18,700 feet(5,700 meters)high in the Himalayas. Professional photographer Tanay Das camped by this lake to record this shot of the Milky Way. “I was in awe of the incredible airglow illuminating the Himalayan skies,” Das composed.“The raw image had even more intense colors, but I toned them down to stay true to reality. This was undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable nights I’ve ever spent in the heart of the Himalayas.”

“A Sea of Lupines”

Professional Photographer: Max Inwood

Place: Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Lupines flower on New Zealand’s South Island in a purple banquet for the eyes. The dark skies of New Zealand’s Mackenzie Basin– together with a great deal of persistence– allowed this shot.

“I had to wait until the early hours of the morning for the wind to calm down, but eventually everything became still, and I was able to capture this image,” professional photographer Max Inwood composed.“Above the flowers, you can see the band of the outer Milky Way, alongside the constellations Orion, Gemini, and the Pleiades. Joining them are the bright planets Jupiter and Mars, with a strong display of green airglow visible along the horizon.”

“Spines and Starlight”

Professional Photographer: Burak Esenbey

Area: Karas area, Namibia

The Milky Way slashes throughout the sky behind cacti and 2 quiver trees(Aloidendron dichotomumin Namibia. This was professional photographer Burak Esenbey’s 2nd photography journey to the location, and he discovered this area on a location-scouting adventure. “Getting everything in focus was a bit challenging, as I had to get extremely close to the cactus without getting poked,” he composed in his description of the image.

“Boot Arch Perseids”

Professional Photographer: Mike Abramyan

Place: Alabama Hills, California

Professional photographer Mike Abramyan wished to photo the Perseid meteor shower from the Canadian Rockies, however wildfires drove him westward and southward to California’s Eastern Sierra, where he caught this spectacular picture of the Milky Way superimposed with each meteor he photographed– as if they ‘d all spotted throughout the sky at the exact same time.

“Universo de Sal”

Professional Photographer: Alejandra Heis

Area: Jujuy, Argentina

Professional photographer Alejandra Heis took this photo while taking a trip throughout Argentina’s renowned areas. The salt flats of Salinas Grandes in northern Argentina asked for a nighttime photoshoot, regardless of the obstacles of outdoor camping on desiccated salt flats at an elevation of almost 17,000 feet (5,200 m). “I believe I haven’t truly experienced a place until I see it at night,” Heis composed. “Nighttime feels more intimate, mysterious, and adventurous — a moment when the senses sharpen and you connect with your surroundings in a deeper way.”