/ 2026 / Nature / Astrophotography

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Hideo Hori, Japan
• Date of Photograph
  2026.6.13

An arch of the Milky Way spanning the night sky.

Beneath it lie the lights of the town and the crater lake known as "Sanno-ike."

The Milky Way seems to quietly watch over both this ancient lake and the lives of the people below.

It is deeply moving to look up at a scene like this once again. Viewing the world from such a perspective makes me keenly aware of my own small existence—and prompts me to reflect on how I conduct myself.

It would bring me immense joy if those who view this work could share in that same feeling.