Contest reveals stunning skies under threat from light pollution

By Dean Murray

Star trails over Mongolia and jaw-dropping Greenland aurora are among the winners of a night sky photography competition.

Now in its sixth year, Capture the Dark celebrates the art of documenting the wonders of dark skies.

The contest also aims to highlight loss of dark skies through increasing light pollution.

Spokesperson Drew Reagan said: "This year's winning photographs were selected from more than 2,288 submissions representing 30 countries, spanning sweeping Milky Way vistas, extraordinary nocturnal wildlife, adventures under the stars, and images documenting the growing threats facing the nighttime environment."

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First place in the Nightscape category went to Paul Wilson, who captured a panorama spanning the entire southern night sky in South Australia's Flinders Ranges.

An image of a cozy Californian mountain lookout hut was winner of the Quality Lighting and Design category for Ross Steensland, while first place in The Impact of Light Pollution category went to Kouyu Wang, whose image features a newly launched Starlink satellite group over China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Nighttime Adventures first place went to Dennis Lehtonen with an incredible view of aurora over the Prince Christian Sound in Greenland.

Competition organizers DarkSky International said: "The need to protect the night is increasingly urgent. Light pollution is growing globally at an estimated rate of nearly 10% each year, disrupting wildlife, affecting human health and community well-being, and making it increasingly difficult for people to experience dark and star-filled skies."

DarkSky said it is working to reverse the light pollution trend through advocacy, education, conservation, and programs that advance responsible outdoor lighting and protect darkness around the world.