Young Astronomy Photographer Winner: Milky Way

Dusky brown dust lanes cross the star-studded core of our Milky Way galaxy in this mesmerizing portrait taken on July 15, 2012, by 14-year-old Jacob Marchio from the USA.

In this breathtaking cosmic vista, the central bulge of the Milky Way—obscured by the dark rifts of dust seen here—is located some 26,000 light-years from Earth. Dominating the foreground of the picture is a rich star-field home to countless nebulae and star clusters scattered through the plane of our galaxy.