Contest Rules

The Milky Way Photographer of the Year is an annual photography competition organized by Capture the Atlas. By entering, you agree to comply with these contest rules. Please read them carefully before submitting your entry.

About the Contest and its mission

The Milky Way Photographer of the Year was created by Capture the Atlas in 2018 and is curated by photographer Dan Zafra. The goal of this annual project is to celebrate the beauty of our galaxy through photography and to inspire people to connect with the night sky.

The final selection features not only classic astrophotography locations but also rare and remote landscapes where few have witnessed or photographed the Milky Way. Each year’s collection may also feature special celestial events such as comets, meteor showers, or lunar eclipses captured under the Milky Way’s glow.

While image quality is important, the selection also considers the story behind the shot, the variety of locations represented, and the overall inspiration it provides. To ensure diversity, the final list includes only one photo per photographer and avoids repetitive locations, even if multiple top-scoring images come from the same region.

Since its inception, the Milky Way Photographer of the Year has grown into a global showcase of the best night sky images, featuring the work of talented astrophotographers from all corners of the world. More than just a photography compilation, it has become a source of inspiration for stargazers, travelers, and photographers alike—highlighting the importance of preserving dark skies and sharing the magic of the Milky Way with a wider audience.

1. The Organizer

The The Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest and subsequent publications or displays are organized and owned by Capture the Atlas LLC (“Capture the Atlas” or “the Organizer”), 2510 E Sunset Rd, Suite 5984, Las Vegas, NV 89120, US.

The contest is open to all individuals except those directly involved in its organization, employees of Capture the Atlas, and anyone providing services to the Organizer. Judges of the contest are also not eligible to enter.

2. How to Enter

The Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest is open to all photographers, professional or amateur, around the world.
Entries to the Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest open on December 1^st, 2025, and must be received by 12:00 a.m. on April 1, 2026. Capture the Atlas reserves the right to extend the entry period at its discretion.
No late entries accepted after the final entry period.
A non-refundable entry fee of USD $10.00 is required for each submission. Entry fees are payable by credit card (via secure Stripe Payment Gateway) or PayPal.
Capture the Atlas does not account or have any liability for any entrants’ bank fees and charges that may be levied in currency conversion and currency transaction by the participating bank or financial institution.
The contest is hosted on the Milky Way Photographer of the Year website. All entries must be submitted online via this entry form.
There is no limit to the number of images individuals can enter.
Entries must be submitted in accordance with the image guidelines. See Clause 3 for more details.
Entrants will receive a receipt for the contest submission via the email they provided on the checkout page.

3. Image Guidelines

By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the contest rules and guarantees that they are the sole copyright owner or representative of the image. If Capture the Atlas has any claims brought against them due to your breach of this guarantee, you will be required to compensate them in full for any losses and costs incurred due to those claims.
By submitting images via this website, you confirm the following:
a. The image(s) was taken and processed by you;
b. The image(s) does not contain any data that was not generated through photography;
c. The image(s) is your original work;
d. The image(s) does not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party (use of robotic telescopes, open source data, AI, etc.);
e. You have written or verbal consent from any individuals appearing in the image(s);
f. The image(s) does not contain any obscene, defamatory, abusive, or harmful content or material;
g. The image(s) was taken after January 1st, 2025.
Images should comply with the following specifications:
a. Be submitted as a high-resolution JPEG;
b. Measure between 3000 and 5000 pixels on the longest side, 300dpi.*
c. Not exceed the maximum file size of 12MB;
d. Not contain any names, titles, watermarks, or copyright lines.

*This is to ensure that your image can be reproduced if it is selected for publication, exhibition, or promotional purposes. Should your image not meet these requirements, it may need to be resized for printing or display, which may lead to a reduction in quality (these factors may also be taken into consideration during judging);

Each submitted file must be named using the following format: Your-Name-Photo-Title.jpg. Example: Dan-Zafra-Capture-the-Comet-Atlas.jpg.
All entries must include the following information submitted through the contest form:
a. Photography title — Provide a title of less than 50 characters.
b. Date taken — Format: mm/dd/yyyy.
c. Location — You do not need to disclose the exact location if you prefer not to. Country, state, national park, or general area is sufficient.
d. Description — Provide a description between 100 and 200 words. The goal is to help and inspire others to capture the Milky Way. You may share the story behind the image, any technical difficulties, what you love about Milky Way photography, or what made the image special. Examples from previous editions can be found here: https://capturetheatlas.com/milky-way-photographer-of-the-year/.
e. EXIF details — Include full EXIF data for your image. If you used different exposures for the sky and foreground, list them separately. If multiple shots were used for stacking or to create a panorama or mosaic, specify the number of shots and their settings.
f. Camera gear used — List all relevant equipment, including tripod and star trackers if any.

Failure to provide complete EXIF data, gear information, photography title, date taken, location, and description as outlined above may result in disqualification.

Image processing, stacking, blending, and composites are permitted under certain conditions.
a. If your photo is shortlisted, Capture the Atlas may require you to provide RAW files, full EXIF data, and may ask you about your processing method.
b. Blending and composite images are permitted as long as the sky and foreground are captured on the same night and at the same general location. For example, moving the camera and tripod to a nearby position to avoid obstructions (e.g., trees, rocks, or other elements blocking the view of the sky) is allowed. Using a different setup for the sky and foreground is also acceptable, provided all exposures are captured during the same session. In all cases, the Milky Way’s position and alignment in the final image must accurately reflect reality, and RAW files verifying this may be required.
c. Blue hour blends are permitted but discouraged; use of this technique will be viewed unfavorably and may reduce the overall score of the image.
d. Stacking is accepted for reducing noise and increasing image quality. You must disclose in the EXIF data how many shots were used in the stack.
e. The use of star trackers is accepted, provided you indicate in the gear section that a tracker was used.
f. Panoramas and vertoramas are accepted, including 360º panoramas and little planets. You must include in the EXIF data the total number of shots used to create the final image.
Generative imagery and AI are not eligible for submission.
a. The use of machine learning software, such as PixInsight and plug-ins, including Starnet++; StarXTerminator; NoiseXTerminator; TopazDeNoize AI; and similar editing aids that do not add additional data are permitted.
Preference is given to photo entries that have not been previously submitted to or distributed by a news agency, picture agency, or other media outlet. To maximize the contest’s publicity potential, photographers whose images are selected for the final collection will be asked not to submit those images to such agencies or outlets before the official public announcement. This applies to both print publications (e.g., magazines) and online platforms (excluding the photographer’s own social media).
The following images are not eligible for entry into the Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest:
a. Photos taken before January 1st, 2025.
b. Images that breach copyright, ownership, or the originality requirements described above.
c. Images incorporating AI or fakery including generative imagery, composites that do not represent an actual scene or taken on different nights or in different locations, or manipulated elements that misrepresent reality.
d. Images that do not comply with the file specifications described above.
e. Images not named according to the required format.
f. Images missing required submission form details such as photography title, date taken, location, description, complete EXIF data, and full camera gear list.
g. Images incorporating data captured by organizations (e.g. NASA, etc.), but processed by the entrant.
All entries are subject to the laws of the US.
By entering the contest, entrants hereby accept these contest rules, terms and conditions, including the rules summary above.

4. Entry Submission & Content Moderation

All entries to the contest must be submitted via the contest website. Capture the Atlas will not accept images submitted by any other means.
Capture the Atlas does not assume responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, corrupted, damaged, misdirected, or incomplete or which cannot be submitted for any technical or delivery issue, or other reason. Proof of submission will not be accepted as proof of receipt. Capture the Atlas cannot guarantee continuous, uninterrupted, or secure access to the website.
By submitting an image for entry into the contest and for publishing on the website, entrants confirm that the content of the image is and will not be taken to be obscene, racist, pornographic, indecent, harassing, threatening, or offensive.
Capture the Atlas reserves the right to pre-vet and/or moderate submitted images on any basis and reserves the right to not display uploaded content to the website or remove, suspend, or disable access to images, at any time, at its sole discretion, without liability or prior notice.

5. Judging & Curation

The judging process for the Milky Way Photographer of the Year consists of two stages:

Stage 1 – Jury Scoring

A panel of five judges, each with diverse backgrounds in photography and astronomy, will review all eligible submissions. Judging will be blind in terms of author identity, meaning no names, titles, captions, or identifying marks will appear on the image itself; however, the location of the photo will be visible, as it is an important factor in the evaluation. Each judge will score every image on a scale of 1 to 10, giving priority to the uniqueness of the location — with rarer or less-photographed places receiving higher consideration — followed by the technical quality of the capture and the strength and impact of the composition. Adherence to contest rules and originality will also be strictly assessed at this stage.

The scores from all judges will be averaged to produce the initial ranking for the next stage of the process.

Stage 2 – Final Curation by Dan Zafra

The final Milky Way Photographer of the Year collection is curated by Dan Zafra, founder of the contest and editor of Capture the Atlas. While jury scores strongly influence the outcome, the highest-scoring images are not automatically guaranteed a spot.

At this stage, the curator has access to the photographer’s name and the story behind the image, as both the overall inspiration it provides and the need to include only one image per photographer are key factors in the decision. In such cases, the curator will select the single image that best represents that photographer’s work and the spirit of the contest. The curation process also ensures the collection aligns with the contest’s mission of raising awareness about the preservation of dark skies and maintains a balanced global representation of locations. If certain regions are overrepresented in the top jury picks, some images will be replaced with the next highest-scoring entries from other locations to enhance diversity. This approach ensures the final selection spans from iconic astrophotography sites to remote, rarely captured skies — highlighting the importance of protecting dark skies around the world and sharing the magic of the Milky Way with a wider audience.

Judging & Curation Rules

The final curated selection is definitive, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the choice of selected photographers and images.
Should the quality of entries fall below the standard required, the Organizer reserves the right to cancel the contest.
The Jury Panel and Curator evaluate images according to the core values of this contest: the uniqueness of the location, the story behind the shot, powerful composition, technical excellence, authenticity, adherence to contest rules, and overall originality.
Where there is reasonable doubt about whether an image meets the contest criteria or has been taken with the equipment and under the circumstances described on the entry form, Capture the Atlas reserves the right to disqualify the image. Wherever possible, entrants will have the opportunity to respond to queries from the judges or provide RAW files before a final decision is made.
Selected photographers will be published on the Milky Way Photographer of the Year website, the Capture the Atlas website, and official social media channels.
All judging and curation decisions are final. Judges and the Organizer accept no liability for consequences arising from awarded scores and may revise, re-issue, or revoke scores for any reason. The right to re-score, re-announce, reject, or refuse entries rests solely with Capture the Atlas and may be exercised at any time.
Only the final curated selection of Milky Way photographs will be announced. Individual rankings, scores, or jury deliberations will not be recorded, published, or discussed.

Note on Image Order in the Final Collection

The images in the final Milky Way Photographer of the Year collection are presented in a curated sequence that enhances the viewing experience and showcases the diversity of the featured photographs. The order does not reflect ranking or scoring. Placement considers the overall flow of the collection — for example, mixing vertical and horizontal formats, varying locations, and alternating styles — to keep the audience engaged and inspired throughout the list.

6. Shortlisted Images

Approximately 50 photographs are shortlisted for final consideration; being shortlisted does not guarantee inclusion in the final 25 selected images.
Entrants will not be notified if their entries have been shortlisted, except in cases where additional information or clarification is required during the data verification stage. If contacted, inclusion in the shortlist must remain strictly confidential until the selected images are officially announced.
The full shortlist will remain confidential; only the final curated selection will be made public. Images may be removed from the shortlist if they fail to meet contest rules, if the entrant discloses or hints at their shortlisted status, or if concerns arise regarding their authenticity.
Selected images must not be submitted to any news agency, picture agency, or media outlet until six (6) weeks after the official announcement to maximize contest publicity. Any image already submitted to such outlets must be withdrawn to avoid disqualification.
No rankings, scoring breakdowns, or detailed placement results will be disclosed at any stage of the contest, not even after final announcement of the Milky Way Photographer of the Year.

7. Images Featured in the Milky Way Photographer of the Year Selection

Photographers whose work is included in the final list will be notified by email approximately two weeks before the public reveal in June 2026. This information is strictly confidential until the official public announcement takes place.
A press release featuring a limited selection of winning Milky Way images will be issued; inclusion in press coverage is not guaranteed.
The full names of the selected photographers will be published on the contest website for a period of at least three (3) months.
By submitting an entry, entrants grant Capture the Atlas unrestricted rights to use submitted images in promotional materials, physical and digital book publications, exhibitions, online publications, as informational resources on the Capture the Atlas website, and in other projects related to the Milky Way Photographer of the Year. These rights include, but are not limited to, use in printed or digital books offered for sale, with proceeds benefiting non-profit organizations aligned with the contest’s mission, such as dark sky preservation. Entrants who do not agree to these terms should not submit images to the contest.

8. Copyright and Use of Images

Capture the Atlas aims to inspire and support photographers through resources and images of the night sky and natural world. The images submitted to the Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest serve as community resources to promote astrophotography in practice and preserve our dark skies. As such, Capture the Atlas must be able to use your submitted image(s) in certain ways.
Entrants will retain copyright and moral rights in their submitted images and will therefore retain the rights to sell their images or grant licenses to other parties. In all instances, the copyright holder will be credited when the image is used and published by Capture the Atlas. The first and last name provided during the submission process will be used for crediting purposes. Although Capture the Atlas will always supply the correct information to third parties (e.g., press/media), it cannot accept responsibility for any credit line errors or omissions made by these parties.
By entering, all entrants grant Capture the Atlas a non-exclusive, irrevocable worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, and publish or communicate to the public any image, by any means, entered into the contest:
a. in the contest’s judging process (e.g. Jury Panel);
b. in promotional, press, and marketing materials (including social media and Capture the Atlas’s website) to promote and publicize the contest, future activities, and to promote the understanding of astrophotography to a wider audience;
c. in any Capture the Atlas publications about the contest. These may be produced by Capture the Atlas, or under license to a third party (who reserves the right to further sub-license such publications) in all editions, languages, territories, and media. This includes both physical and digital formats;
d. in books, exhibitions, or other printed/digital publications related to the contest;
e. for brand licensed Milky Way Photographer of the Year products for a period of ten (10) years;
If commercial opportunities arise outside the scope of the contest promotion or its mission — such as requests for custom prints, private assignments, or proposals from third parties — Capture the Atlas will inform and consult with the selected photographers before proceeding.
In the event that the entrant is shortlisted by Capture the Atlas, it is understood and accepted that the written information submitted by the entrant alongside their image(s), including image description/caption, will be used by Capture the Atlas including in, but not limited to, the following contexts: the official publication and for press/publicity purposes. The entrant hereby assigns to Capture the Atlas the entire copyright in the aforementioned written information to include exploitation in all media for the legal term of copyright and acknowledges that Capture the Atlas is permitted to edit, amend, and adapt the information without seeking further permission from the entrant. Further, the entrant grants Capture the Atlas the right to license others to exercise any or all such rights throughout the world.
Capture the Atlas will make every reasonable effort to credit the photographer whenever an image is used. In cases where displaying a credit is impractical, the credit will appear in accompanying materials whenever possible.
Any commercial usage not covered by Clause 8.3 would be agreed with the individual photographer on a case-by-case basis.
Capture the Atlas is committed to processing information in accordance with the current Privacy Act of 1974 and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Shortlisted images will be stored securely in appropriate file formats on servers belonging to Capture the Atlas. The contest interface (milkywayphotographeroftheyear.com) is hosted by Siteground.
Please do not submit your image(s) to the contest if you do not wish to grant these rights.

9. Liability

Capture the Atlas is not obliged to display photos and is not liable for any entrant’s loss of publicity or enhancement of reputation.
Capture the Atlas is not liable for any loss (including, without limitation, indirect, special, or consequential loss or loss of profits), expense or damage which is suffered or sustained (whether or not arising from any person’s negligence) in connection with this contest, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law (including personal injury, death, and fraud), in which case that liability is limited to the minimum allowable by law.
Capture the Atlas assumes no responsibility for any incorrect, inaccurate, or incomplete information, whether caused by website users or by human error or any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the contest, and Capture the Atlas assumes no responsibility for technical, hardware or software failure of any kind, for lost network connections, garbled computer transmissions, other problems or technical malfunctions with regard to the contest. Capture the Atlas assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, corruption, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alteration of entries.
Capture the Atlas cannot be held responsible for emails that do not arrive due to an entrant’s email security settings or restrictions placed by their internet service provider. Entrants must ensure that their settings accept emails from info@capturetheatlas.com.
Capture the Atlas does not guarantee the storage of any submitted entries or related email correspondence after the announcement of the final Milky Way Photographer of the Year selection.
Capture the Atlas reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or amend the Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest at any time where circumstances make this unavoidable, but will always use all reasonable endeavors to minimize the effect on participants to avoid undue disappointment.
In no event will Capture the Atlas be responsible or liable for any damage or losses of any kinds, including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or punitive damages arising out of any entrant’s access to and use of the website. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, everything on the website is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for purpose or use or non-infringement.
If any of these clauses should be determined to be illegal, invalid, or otherwise unenforceable, then it shall be severed and deleted from these rules and the remaining clauses shall survive and remain in full force and effect.

10. Terms and Conditions

The contest entry fee is USD $10.00 per submitted image.
Please note that Capture the Atlas currently only accepts payment in US Dollars (USD) for Milky Way Photographer of the Year submissions. If an entrant pays the entry fee using a payment card for a foreign currency denominated account, the conversion rate will be that applied by the relevant payment scheme at the time of processing the transaction.
The entry fee includes all applicable taxes.
Payments must be made by credit or debit card or PayPal. By submitting a credit or debit card number, you: (a) represent and warrant that your use of the particular card is authorized and that all information that you submit is true and accurate; and (b) authorize Capture the Atlas to charge to the card you tendered all amounts payable by you to Capture the Atlas based on the services rendered.
Entrants may be subject to validation checks and/or third-party authorizations depending on the method of payment.
Capture the Atlas’s decisions are final. Right of rejection and/or right of refusal are at the discretion of Capture the Atlas and can happen at any time.
By entering an image to the Milky Way Photographer of the Year content, entrants are deemed to have accepted the above rules and to have granted the rights to Capture the Atlas set out above. Individuals are asked not to submit an image to the contest unless they are prepared to agree to these terms.
These rules prevail in the event of any conflict or inconsistency with any other communications, including promotional materials.
If individuals have any questions about the rules or contest, they may contact Capture the Atlas at info@capturetheatlas.com.
Judges, entry fees, and ranking process may be changed without notice up to the closing date of the contest.
All terms and conditions are subject to change without notice, with the exception of copyright and use Clause 9.6.

10a. Refund Policy

The entry fee is non-refundable unless Capture the Atlas cancels the Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition owing to circumstances outside its reasonable control. In this instance, entrants will be notified by email and refunded the entry fee.

10b. Privacy Policy

Capture the Atlas will collect personal data about entrants at the time of registration. Any personal information of entrants will only be used and, where necessary, disclosed to third parties (such as the press/media) for the purposes of running the contest and otherwise in accordance with Capture the Atlas’s Privacy Policy (Clause 10b).
Entrants may request access to their personal data, or have any inaccuracies rectified, by sending an email to info@capturetheatlas.com. By participating in the contest, you agree to the use of your personal data as described here.

Milky Way Photographer of The Year