Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute
ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
Capture the Atlas’s 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year is an international gallery of 25 images, the series’ eighth edition according to its organizer. The selection ranges from an orbital photograph made aboard the International Space Station to carefully planned desert landscapes, showing how viewpoint, foreground, tracking and stacking can produce radically different views of the same galaxy.
What are the 2025 Milky Way photos everyone is talking about?
The phrase “shaking the astrophotography world” comes from the headline framing around the gallery, not from a measured industry study. The evidence establishes a notable curated collection, but it does not establish a statistic showing that the selection changed astrophotography as a field.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteCapture the Atlas identifies the 2025 collection as its eighth edition and lists 25 images — Capture the Atlas, 2025. The photographs were made in varied locations with different cameras, lenses, tripods, trackers and processing methods. That variety is the collection’s real story: there is no single mandatory Milky Way setup.
Who took the Milky Way picture from the space station?
Don Pettit’s “One in a Billion”
NASA astronaut Don Pettit made the orbital image titled One in a Billion from the International Space Station. Capture the Atlas lists an exposure of 8 seconds at f/1.4 and ISO 6400.
#1 Best Overall
The gallery account says Pettit used a modified star tracker to reduce star trails while photographing from orbit. That detail matters: the image is not an ordinary ground-based camera photograph, and its sharpness should not be attributed simply to being in space. Exposure length, tracking and the camera’s fast lens all contribute to the result.
From the ISS, the composition can include Earth’s curved horizon, atmospheric glow and a broad sweep of stars. The vantage point changes the relationship between foreground and sky, rather than merely providing a darker version of a landscape scene.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Where was the Chad Milky Way photo taken?
Vikas Chander’s “Echiwile Arch”
Vikas Chander’s photograph Echiwile Arch was made in the Ennedi region of Chad. Chander’s account describes a three-day journey from N’Djamena to reach the sparsely populated, low-light-pollution setting. Those travel details are the photographer’s account, not an independently audited itinerary.
Rank #2
The natural arch supplies a strong terrestrial anchor beneath the Milky Way. Capture the Atlas describes the sky as a stack of six 300-second exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 800, with the listed processing software included in the gallery entry. Long tracked exposures gather faint detail, while stacking can improve signal and manage noise; the technique requires careful alignment and a foreground treatment that remains believable.
How do the two headline images differ?
| Image | Photographer and place | Vantage and foreground | Capture approach stated by the gallery |
|---|---|---|---|
| One in a Billion | Don Pettit, International Space Station | Orbital view with Earth and the atmosphere below the stars | 8 seconds, f/1.4, ISO 6400; modified star tracker used to reduce star trails |
| Echiwile Arch | Vikas Chander, Ennedi, Chad | Remote desert landscape framed by a rock arch | Six 300-second sky exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 800, combined as a stack |
The comparison is not a contest between “space” and “land.” Pettit’s photograph solves the movement problem of an orbital platform, while Chander’s image solves the low-light and dynamic-range problems of a terrestrial scene. Their visual impact comes from different constraints.
What photographic techniques appear across the 2025 collection?
The gallery’s entries list a mixture of methods rather than one formula. Depending on the image, photographers use:
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #3
- Single exposures: one frame made with a fast, wide-angle lens and a carefully chosen shutter speed.
- Tracking: a motorized tracker follows the stars so a longer exposure can record more faint detail, although the foreground may need a separate frame.
- Stacking: several exposures are combined to improve the sky’s signal-to-noise ratio, as described for Echiwile Arch.
- Panoramas: overlapping frames create a wider field of view than a single lens can provide.
- Composite work: separately captured sky and foreground frames may be blended when the photographer’s entry identifies that approach.
Because the gallery does not use the same method for every image, viewers should read each entry’s equipment and settings individually rather than treating one photograph as a universal recipe.
What camera equipment do you need to photograph the Milky Way?
A practical starting kit
- A camera that allows manual control of shutter speed, aperture and ISO.
- A sturdy tripod to prevent movement during exposures.
- A fast, wide-angle lens; the gallery includes several such lenses, but no single model is required.
- A spare battery, sufficient storage and a red-light headlamp for working without destroying night vision.
When a star tracker helps
A star tracker is useful when you want longer tracked exposures or a cleaner, more detailed sky. It is optional, not a prerequisite for all night-sky photography. Tracking introduces setup tasks such as polar alignment and may require a separate foreground exposure or blend.
Why technique matters more than a shopping list
Location, moon phase, weather, focus and composition often determine whether the Milky Way reads clearly. The 2025 entries pair equipment with deliberate choices about arches, horizons, atmospheric glow and other foreground elements. Buying a tracker cannot replace a stable tripod, accurate focus or a dark, safe location.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the collection as a painter or visual artist
Study the value structure
Reduce each photograph to three masses: the darkest land or space, the midtone atmospheric band, and the bright star field. This reveals why a relatively small foreground shape can make a dense sky feel immense.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Look for the compositional anchor
Natural arches, rock formations, Earth’s limb and horizon lines give the eye a scale reference. Compare how the orbital and desert images use a physical edge to keep the sky from becoming an undifferentiated field of points.
Separate capture from interpretation
Long exposures, tracking and stacking reveal light that the unaided eye may not see at the scene. Treat the final image as a photographic interpretation shaped by exposure and processing, not as a literal snapshot of instantaneous human vision.
What the 2025 selection does—and does not—prove
It demonstrates the range of contemporary Milky Way photography: orbital and terrestrial viewpoints, remote travel, wide-angle composition, tracking and multi-frame workflows. It does not prove that every photographer needs the same camera, that space automatically produces clearer images, or that the gallery caused a measurable industry-wide shift.
The annual series continues beyond this selection; Capture the Atlas now serves a later 2026 edition on its current English page. For the archived 2025 names, settings and equipment lists, the organizer’s 2025 gallery is the relevant reference.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
