Astrophotographer Marcin Rosadziński received the title of the 2025 Milky Way photographer of the year. His photograph of the Milky Way above a rocky peak in Madeira was rated the highest among over 6,000 photos submitted from all over the world.
The photograph for which the author received this distinction was taken last year in Madeira, Portugal, during a family vacation. 'The photo shows the arc of our galaxy, the Milky Way, above a rocky peak that looks as if it were suspended in the air', Marcin Rosadziński describes for PAP.
He adds that the photograph was paid for with 'enormous physical effort, because this place is located on one of the more difficult mountain trails PR1, between the two highest peaks of the island, Pico do Areeiro (1,818 m) and Pico Ruivo (1,862 m)'.
'What you can see in the photo is a viewpoint called Pedra Rija at an altitude of about 1800 m. I first visited this place during the day to plan the shot. That's when I came up with the idea to photograph the arc of the Milky Way, which blended in perfectly with the foreground', the astrophotographer reports.
The photo was not taken on the first attempt. 'I visited this place twice at night, because the first time, despite an optimistic weather forecast, after reaching the site it turned out that there was heavy cloud cover. The entire effort to get there, with over 10 kilograms of the necessary equipment, was wasted. However, the idea seemed so attractive to me that I decided to try again the next night. This time everything worked out. The photo session itself took about an hour', he describes.
He points out that no one had taken a similar photo from this place before. 'That is why I love landscape astrophotography, because by combining the treasures of the night sky with what we see on our planet we can create absolutely unique images', he adds.
He hopes that his work will inspire others. 'In today's times of enormous artificial light pollution, even stars in the sky cannot be seen, especially from large urban agglomerations, let alone the structures of our galaxy. I hope that at least some of the people who see my photos will be interested in the subject. And maybe they will try their hand at taking similar photos themselves, or at least look at the sky and try to see the beauty of our galaxy', he says.
The photograph taken by Marcin Rosadziński have already been selected NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day three times (September 11 and May 29, 2024, and July 18, 2023). He is also a laureate of the international AstroCamera competition in the Astrolandscape category.
The Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2025 competition is organized by an international group of professional astrophotographers and photographers, who organize astro/photography courses, trainings and workshops in different parts of the world, helping participants improve their photography skills.
This year's edition of the competition received over 6,000 entries from photographers from all over the world. The Milky Way was captured in the company of very different landscapes - from desert to Arctic, and even from the International Space Station.
View more of Marcin Rosadziński's photos on his website.(PAP)
PAP - Science in Poland
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