Snap the Stars: Capture the Dark 2025 Is Open for Entries

If you’ve ever fumbled with a tripod under the stars or tried (and failed) to get your phone to do justice to a firefly-filled forest, this one’s for you: Capture the Dark 2025 is officially open. This contest is as dazzling as it sounds.

Run by DarkSky International, the folks championing natural night skies around the globe, Capture the Dark invites photographers of all skill levels to submit images that celebrate and protect the night. Whether you’re wielding a DSLR or just tapping your phone screen, there’s a category for you—including shots of dark sky-friendly lighting, wildlife, and the very real impact of light pollution.

Key Dates:

• Entries are open: May 1–June 30, 2025

• Public voting: July 1–21, 2025

• Awards announced: August 2025

Why it matters:

This isn’t just about pretty pictures (though trust me, there will be many). It’s about using photography as a form of advocacy—helping more people see what we’re losing as light pollution spreads. (When was the last time you saw the Milky Way from your backyard?)

Bonus points: The contest is totally free to enter. You can submit up to three photos per category, and there are categories just for youth photographers and mobile shooters.

So grab your camera, find your favorite patch of darkness, and join the global crew of stargazers, storytellers, and sky-lovers helping to #CaptureTheDark.

Enter the contest:

https://capturethedark.us.launchpad6.com/contest2025

This author is a proud DarkSky Advocate, which means I care deeply about preserving our night skies as wild and wonder-filled as possible. I wasn’t paid to promote this contest—I just think it’s one of the coolest ways to turn your lens into a tool for change. Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to stay up late under the stars?