The 2025 Capture the Dark photo contest has revealed its winners, showcasing breathtaking images of rare atmospheric phenomena and nocturnal wildlife that highlight the beauty of unpolluted night skies. JJ Rao's extraordinary photograph "The Watchers," capturing rare red sprites dancing over the tidal flats of Western Australia, claimed first place in the main Capture the Dark category. The image features a jellyfish sprite, the largest and fastest type of sprite, which exists for just 10 milliseconds - up to 40 times faster than an eye blink.
Light pollution continues to be a growing environmental concern, increasing at a rate of 10 percent annually according to DarkSky International, the nonprofit organization behind the contest. These artificial lights not only obstruct our view of the night sky but also disrupt wildlife behavior and negatively impact human wellness. The Capture the Dark contest serves as a powerful tool to raise awareness about these issues by demonstrating the spectacular beauty that becomes visible when artificial lighting is reduced.
Now in its fifth year, the competition attracted 2,284 submissions from photographers in more than 22 countries. The diverse entries ranged from Milky Way panoramas and comet trails to bioluminescent wildlife and crescent moon compositions. An expert panel of judges evaluated each submission based on composition quality, technical skill, and adherence to DarkSky's Principles for Responsible Astrophotography.
Oscar Leonardo Chavez Torres earned top honors in the Creatures of the Night category with his compelling image "Scorpion and Scorpio," photographed in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The photograph captures a scorpion hunting in the desert darkness, illustrating how these organisms thrive in the dark nights of the desert, where even moonlight can significantly impact their activity levels. This category celebrates the nocturnal wildlife that depends on natural darkness for survival.
The People's Choice Award went to an inspiring young photographer, 12-year-old space enthusiast and aspiring astronaut Siddharth Patel. Using his mother's Samsung phone, Patel captured Comet C/2023 A3 streaking through the sky in Fingal, Ontario, Canada. His winning image, "Milky Way with Comet C/2023 A3," required the family to leave the city's light pollution behind to properly observe and photograph the celestial phenomenon.
Other notable winners included Sadeq Hayati's "A Gateway to the Universe," which took first place in the Mobile Nighttime Photography category. Shot in Raufarhöfn, Iceland, the image captures the northern lights during a massive aurora storm, demonstrating how modern smartphone technology can reveal celestial beauty in remarkable detail. Hayati noted the fascinating experience of using a small handheld device to capture the intricate beauty happening in the sky above.
The International Dark Sky Places category was won by Tom Rae's "Starlight Highway," photographed at New Zealand's Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in Canterbury. The image features the distinctive Starlight Highway sign that marks the entrance to one of Earth's most significant dark sky reserves, where visitors can experience truly unpolluted night skies.
Gwenael Blanck's "Paris, Asleep In The Pre-Dawn Hours" claimed victory in the Dark Sky Friendly Lighting and Design category. The photograph demonstrates how the City of Lights transforms after midnight when iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur are turned off to conserve energy and reduce light pollution. Blanck captured the Pleiades star cluster above the city from a viewpoint in Sèvres, just 8 kilometers from the Eiffel Tower.
The Deep Sky Observations category featured Alpha Zhang's mesmerizing "Breathing Vela Supernova Remnant Mosaic," a four-panel composition of one of the most spectacular nebulae visible from Earth. The Vela Supernova Remnant showcases complex layers of ionized hydrogen and oxygen that create an otherworldly structure Zhang describes as "beyond words."
Ambre de l'AIPe's "Requiem for a Dream" won the Impact of Light Pollution category, dramatically illustrating how urban lighting affects even remote mountain locations. The photograph, taken in the northern Alps of France, shows how light from the town of Chamonix penetrates through clouds and reaches all the way to the summit of Mont Blanc, demonstrating the far-reaching effects of light pollution.
Additional winners included young astrophotographers who showcased exceptional talent despite their age. Oldřich Špůrek's "Gems of Jizerka" captured the peaceful atmosphere of the Czech Republic's Jizerka valley under pristine Bortle 4 dark skies, while Haohan Sun's "Aurora at 38N" documented the rare appearance of northern lights as far south as Dalian, China.
The contest also featured special categories highlighting specific regions, with Celeste Boudreaux winning the Visit Tucson category for "Tumacácori's Secret," showcasing Arizona's little-known southwest synchronous fireflies. Carly Stocks claimed the Visit Utah prize with "Kids and Comets," a heartwarming image of children observing Comet C/2023 A3 in Tooele County, emphasizing the importance of sharing astronomical wonders with the next generation.
According to DarkSky International, "Capture the Dark has become a key initiative in raising awareness, using the power of photography to illustrate not only the wonders of the night but also the impacts of light pollution through a series of contest categories. The result is more than a gallery of stunning images—it's a call to action to protect the night." The complete winners gallery is available on the DarkSky International website, serving as both an inspiration for photographers and an educational resource about the importance of preserving our natural night skies.
