Just wow.” That’s how astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers described a sprite she witnessed from the International Space Station. Rao’s stunning image (seen below) took first place honors at the Capture the Dark 2025 photography contest. It’s known as a ‘jellyfish’ sprite, the largest and fastest of all sprites.”Credit: JJ Rao / Capture the Dark 2025 JJ RaoMore than 2,220 images from photographers in 22 countries competed in this year’s edition of DarkSky International’s premier nighttime photography contest. The sign marks the entrance to the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve—one of the most significant dark sky reserves on earth.”Credit: Tom Rae / Capture the Dark 2025“Celestial Dance Over Lupine Fields”Third place | International Dark Sky PlacesCredit: Lucy Yunxi / Capture the Dark 2025“Kids and Comets“First place | Visit Utah Location Award“Chasing Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) with these two is one of my favorite memories of 2024. They asked questions, watched the comet through binoculars, and even posed for pictures.”Credit: Carly Stocks / Capture the Dark 2025 CARLY STOCKS“Clash In Winter Sky: A Legend Tupi – Guaran”Second place | People’s Choice AwardCredit: Rodrigo Guerra / Capture the Dark 2025“Furnace of Life”Second place | Deep Sky ObservationsCredit: Rod Prazeres / Capture the Dark 2025“Moonstruck”Second place | Visit Utah Location AwardCredit: Michelle Bragg / Capture the Dark 2025“Milky Way Over Quiver Tree”Second place | Mobile Nighttime PhotographyCredit: Jilanfeng Dai / Capture the Dark 2025“The Perfect Ghost”Second place | Creatures of the NightCredit: Will Hudson / Capture the Dark 2025