Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Geological History in Altyn Emel

The Milky Way rises above the stunning geological layers in the Aktau Hills of Kazakhstan's Altyn Emel National Park. We explored the area shortly before sunset, and as night set, we saw the darkest skies we had ever scene with the Milky Way extremely resonant in the night sky.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Kazakhstan
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Anton Andreev