Picture of breathtaking beauty showcases the greatest peril for our night sky, taken with a Canon DSLR at 17 years old.

The 2025 Capture the Dark contest, hosted by DarkSky International, has concluded, showcasing breathtaking astrophotography from around the world. The competition, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of starry nights and the impact of artificial light pollution, saw numerous impressive entries.

One of the standout winners is Tom Rae's "Starlight Highway," which captured the entrance to the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve using a Nikon Z6a camera and a Sigma 28mm F1.4 Art lens. The image perfectly encapsulates the awe-inspiring beauty of the night sky in a pristine, dark location.

In the People's Choice Award category, Siddharth Patel's "Milky Way with Comet C/2023 A3" took the top spot. Patel managed to capture this stunning celestial event using a Samsung S21 phone under the darker Fingal sky, where both the comet and the Milky Way were visible to the naked eye.

Another remarkable entry is Alpha Zhang's "Breathing Vela Supernova Remnant Mosaic," which won first place in the Deep Sky Observations category. This four-panel mosaic, taken with a Moravian G4-16000 Mark I camera, a Takahashi FSQ-106ED lens, and an Astrodon LRGB Ha SII OIII filter, features a complex, layered structure of OIII, Ha, and SII emissions. The mosaic covers the primary emission signals of the Vela Supernova Remnant, a significant target for astrophotographers.

The mosaic required 109 hours of exposure and was taken with a Takahashi FSQ-106ED telescope, mounted on a Planewave L500 mount.

The contest also featured "The Watchers" by JJ Rao, which won first place in the contest, featuring a photo of rare red sprites over the tidal flats of Western Australia. "Requiem for a Dream" by Ambre de l'AIPe also made an impression, with its photo of Chamonix town in France with Mont-Blanc in the background.

DarkSky International, an organization dedicated to protecting natural darkness, is working to restore our view of the night through education and smarter lighting solutions. The winning images of the 2025 Capture the Dark contest inspire and raise awareness about light pollution, a growing threat that is washing out the Milky Way from images and disrupting ecosystems, affecting human health, and hiding the universe from view. Light pollution is rising fast, increasing by 10% a year worldwide.

The contest serves as a reminder of the beauty that lies in our night skies and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

Picture of breathtaking beauty showcases the greatest peril for our night sky, taken with a Canon DSLR at 17 years old.