New Zealand landscape astrophotographer Tom Rae has claimed victory in the prestigious Royal Museums Greenwich Skyscapes Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition for the second time. His award-winning image, titled 'The Ridge,' captures a breathtaking panoramic view of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park with the Milky Way stretching dramatically across the sky above the mountain's sharp ridge line.

Rae's fascination with astronomy began in childhood when he would gaze up at the night sky in wonder. Now established as a leading figure in the specialized field of landscape astrophotography, he creates his stunning images through a meticulous process of combining multiple photographs into single, spectacular compositions. His winning photograph this year consists of 62 individual photos carefully stitched together to form the panoramic masterpiece.

The Canterbury-based photographer explained his methodical approach to capturing the perfect shot. "It's an image of a very sharp ridge line in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park with the Milky Way essentially banding over the top of the ridge line and the two valleys that I captured it over," he told RNZ's Culture 101. Rae first scouted the location by climbing the ridge line and taking preparatory shots with his phone, then waiting an entire year for the Milky Way to align perfectly for the final capture.

For Rae, astrophotography offers a deeply personal and tranquil experience. "I usually like shooting astro photography just by myself, it's quite a tranquil experience and it really allows you to be immersed in the entire environment and enjoy the experience a lot more," he explained. His specialty lies in wide-field astrophotography, using standard cameras and lenses to capture expansive portions of the sky while incorporating the landscape beneath.

Rae's technical expertise involves using two specially modified Nikon cameras that can detect wavelengths of light invisible to the human eye. "A camera can see a huge amount more than what your eye can see. And that's one of my main draws to astro photography is revealing what is real, but what you can't see," he said. These modifications allow wavelengths typically filtered out by standard camera glass to be captured, particularly light from hydrogen gas that creates beautiful red coloration in his images.

The photographer emphasized how his work reveals the hidden beauty of the night sky. "In the night sky, there's a huge amount of hydrogen gas floating around, and that emits a beautiful red colour. And if you look at my images, you'll be able to see that red colour showing through," Rae explained. He combines elements like mountain ranges, rivers, and other landscape features with the celestial displays above, taking particular advantage of South Canterbury's exceptional natural beauty.

Beyond his photography, Rae leads night sky guiding and photography groups, sharing his passion with others. He believes that observing the cosmos provides valuable perspective on humanity's place in the universe. "The fact that we're just a little planet orbiting around a little star in a small galaxy amongst hundreds of billions of other galaxies, that is like an amazing thing to grasp," he reflected.

Rae's work has gained international recognition, with publications in National Geographic, The Guardian, NASA, and Forbes. His winning photograph will be featured in the Royal Museums Greenwich exhibition, cementing his status as one of the world's premier astrophotographers. The achievement represents not only personal success but also showcases New Zealand's spectacular night skies to a global audience.