This year’s list includes images that were taken around the world, in 12 countries by 25 photographers of 14 different nationalities. Two Australian photographers were also recognised this year - an image from Lake Bonney in Southern Australia captured by Will Godward and a shot from Nambung National Park in Western Australia captured by Trevor Dobson.  

The quality of the image, the story behind the shot, and the overall inspiration that the photograph can provide are the main factors for selecting the images every year. 

The Milky way season ranges from February to October in the Northern Hemisphere and from January to November in the Southern Hemisphere. The best time to see and photograph the Milky Way is usually between May and June with the maximum hours of visibility of the Milky Way on both hemispheres. 

Besides the timing, the other requirement for seeing the Milky Way is a dark sky that is far away from light pollution. It’s always recommended to get away from light-polluted areas like cities and to visit preferably areas at higher elevations.

Dan Zafra, editor of Capture the Atlas, curates the photos throughout the year. He tells AP he looks not only for images taken by recognised photographers, but also for new talents and for new locations where the Milky Way hasn’t been photographed before, such as the Tibet and Xinjiang images in this year’s edition.

You can see a selection of the winning images below, and the full list, along with extended capture information, on the Capture the Atlas website. 

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