Oriol Alamany / View of the night sky looking up through trees, with stars and the Milky Way, Mopani, Kruger National Park, Transvaal, South Africa, September.

Bruno D'Amicis / Southern slope of Mount Kazbek / Mkinvartsveri and Gergeti glacier in the Khokh range under Milky Way. Greater Caucasus, Georgia, September 2010.

Jack Dykinga / Eroded formation known as the 'Tres Maries', in the Valle de la Luna. One million year old composition of gravel, clay, salt, gems and quartz, against The Milky Way and Southern Cross in the night sky...

Jack Dykinga / Eroded rock formation known as the 'Tres Maries', in the Valle de la Luna. One million year old composition of gravel, clay, salt, gems and quartz, against The Milky Way and Southern Cross in the nigh...

Floris van Breugel / The milky way over alpine lake in the Cascades, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington, August.

Mark Taylor / Lake at night with reflected stars of the Milky Way and silhouetted trees, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA

Mark Taylor / Lake with reflected stars of the Milky Way and silhouetted trees, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA

Mark Taylor / Sliding Stone or Moving Rock of Racetrack Playa, taken at night by moonlight, with the stars of the Milky Way in the background, Death Valley, California, USA

Mark Taylor / Sliding Stone or Moving Rock of Racetrack Playa, taken at night by moonlight, with the stars of the Milky Way in the background, Death Valley, California, USA

Mark Taylor / Sliding Stone or Moving Rock of Racetrack Playa, taken at night by moonlight, with the stars of the Milky Way in the background, Death Valley, California, USA

Martin Dohrn / Lake at night with band of the Milky Way overhead and Glow worm (Lampyris noctiluca) in foreground. Lilhac, near Toulouse, Haute Garonne, France, July.

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Beach and stars in night sky, Apollo Bay, Otway National Park, Victoria, Australia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Gum Tree (Eucalyptus sp) forest and Milky Way, New South Wales, Australia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Milky Way above Ayers Rock, Uluru-kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Milky Way above desert, South Australia, Australia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Milky Way, South Australia, Australia

Ingo Arndt / Milky way galaxy over Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

Fraser Gunn / Church of the Good Shepherd underneath the Milky Way, New Zealand

Aflo / Y-11904 Andromeda galaxy, otherwise known as M31, the nearest galaxy to our own - the Milky Way

Aflo / Y-11903 Milky Way galaxy, the brightest part extending from Scutum to Scorpio, through Sagittarius

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Water well at night with the milky way, Hortobagy National Park, Hungary, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Zupci on Saddle peak at night, Durmitor NP, Montenegro, October 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Prutas peak, showing geological folds, at night, Durmitor NP, Montenegro, October 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Zupci on Saddle peak at night, Durmitor NP, Montenegro, October 2008

Jorma Luhta / The Milky way viewed on a September night, with dead tree in foreground, North Finland 2006

Nature Production / The Milky Way in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Gum Tree (Eucalyptus sp) forest and Milky Way, New South Wales, Australia

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Milky Way above Ayers Rock, Uluru-kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia