Travel photography blog Capture the Atlas has announced the winners of its annual Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition which features 25 spectacular photos of the night sky. The 2026 edition of the competition — which is now in its ninth year — received over 6,500 submissions, once again setting a record for the highest number in the project’s history, with selected photographers representing 15 nationalities. This year’s collection features images captured across 12 countries and regions, including New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Chile, France, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, Mexico, and Botswana. “Celestial Light Over Sea Cliffs” – Anthony Lopez Each year, Capture the Atlas editor Dan Zafra curates the list based on image quality, story, originality, and the inspiration each photograph provides. “Every year, this collection reminds us that photographing the Milky Way is not only about technique or planning.…