The Milky Way in the Smart World

Photographer: Biagio Meli
Country: Italy

In this tranquil image, taken in July 2022 in the darkness of Sicily’s Nebrodi Park, the grandeur of the Milky Way stretches above the natural megaliths of the Argimusco plateau, akin to a Sicilian Stonehenge. This celestial tapestry displays a multitude of astronomical sights: the constellations of Sagittarius (towards the bottom left of the image) and Scorpius (partly obscured by the megalith), the Lagoon Nebula (the pinkish region in the top left of the megalith), and the small Sagittarius Cloud (the fuzzy region in the top left of the Lagoon Nebula). Remarkably, the photo was taken with a smartphone, and serves as a testament to the wonders that lay hidden in the night, accessible to those who venture away from the glare of city lights into the serene embrace of unspoiled darkness. It is one of six winners in the category of Still images taken exclusively with smartphones/mobile devices.

Also see image in Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10357946

Credit: