Η ΓΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΤΟ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΑ ΑΠΟ ΑΥΤΟ
A new experimental painkiller has shown promise in dulling or eliminating pain without the addictive qualities exhibited by today's most popular opioids. The drug also sidesteps common opioid side effects including constipation and sedation.
Category: Chronic Pain, Illnesses and conditions, Body & Mind
Tags: Opioids, Painkillers, Chronic pain, Pain, Duke University, Neurological, Brain, Spinal
Following the fifth-gen RAV4 that first appeared in 2019, Toyota's updated its beloved compact SUV for 2026 with revised styling and electrified powertrains. And for the first time ever, the US is getting a GR Sport model.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Toyota, SUV, Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid
Scientists have recently shed some light on exactly why elephants, one of the biggest animals on the planet, paradoxically experience unusually low rates of cancer. The research found these remarkable mammals carry unique genetic variants that reduce their risk of tumors, and the findings could help develop new cancer therapies for humans.
Tags: Elephant, Animals, Animal science, Cancer, Protein, Genetics, University of Oxford, 2025 Updates
It’s not often that an acclaimed masterpiece goes to auction without a reserve price, but this week’s fabled Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este will host an extraordinary auction on 25 May 2025 where a Talbot-Lago T150C Teardrop Coupé will face the hammer without a safety net.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Auction, Classic Motor Cars
Another study has added to the growing evidence linking the cold sore-causing herpes virus with Alzheimer’s disease. It also found that those people who used herpes treatments such as antivirals were 17% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Category: Alzheimer's & Dementia, Brain Health, Body & Mind
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Herpes simplex virus, Herpesvirus, University of Washington
The winners of the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi have been announced, highlighting food photography across the globe. Yotam Ottolenghi, a renowned chef, restaurateur and food writer, revealed the winners at an event at the Mall Galleries, London. The awards showcase a diverse range of images across more than 25 categories, including ones dedicated to street food, cakes, innovation, drinks, food prep, photojournalism, harvest and much more.
This year's contest saw more than 10,000 entries from 70 countries. The submissions were judged by an extensive panel that included photographers, magazine editors, creative directors, film directors, food retailers and chefs. The best overall winner earned a £5000 prize, along with an exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. Category winners also have the opportunity to have their work displayed in the exhibition and each receives a trophy. There are individual prizes for each of the different categories as well.
To see more of the winning images and learn more about the contest, head to the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi website.
Overall winnerCategory: Overall winner and Food for the Family supported by the Felix Project
Photographer: Xiaoling Li/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: The Elderly Having Delicious Food
Photographer's description: In an early spring afternoon in Shuangliu Ancient Town, Sichuan Province, China, five elderly ladies in their eighties sit together. Wearing colourful jackets and wool hats, they happily eat the famous Sichuan snack 'Spring rolls’. A wrap of thin homemade dough, filled with cucumber, carrot and shredded scallions, drizzled with green mustard, Sichuan pepper, red oil, sweet sauce, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. They are “setting up a Dragon Gate formation” - an expression used in China to refer to neighbourhood friends coming together to chat, gossip and share stories. Food makes these people happy; they enjoy a beautiful and joyful life.
Bring Home the HarvestCategory: Bring Home the Harvest
Photographer: Chang Jiangbin/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Net Fish in Water Fields
Photographer's description: After the rice harvest, the river water filled the paddy fields, and at some point, some fish from the river ended up here too. After school, the two children went to the field together to catch fish with their covers. Approaching quietly, leaping vigorously, and pouncing towards the target.
Champagne Taittinger Food for CelebrationCategory: Đặng Hoài Anh
Photographer: Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration
Title: Banh Hoi Cake
Photographer's description: Banh hoi is a specialty dish in Vietnam found in many places such as Binh Thuan, Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Phu Yen, Nha Trang and Binh Dinh. The cake is made from rice flour and has an elaborate and meticulous preparation process. Banh hoi is often eaten with scallion oil, roasted meat, grilled meat and pork offal. This is an indispensable dish in holidays, death anniversaries, weddings, and ceremonies at communal houses and pagodas of the people. It is a culinary culture of the locality.
Claire Aho Award for Women PhotographersCategory: Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers
Photographer: Lizzie Mayson/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Delfina, A Pasta Granny
Photographer's description: This is Delfina, I took her portrait as part of a bigger project documenting pasta grannies in Italy. Here, we are in the region of Lazio. On the bed is an angel hair type of pasta called Fieno di Canepina. It is technically very hard to make: Delfina rolls the pasta out, flicks a huge piece the size of the table out like a bed sheet, folds it concertina style, then slices it up finely. The best part is that she makes this huge amount then delivers it to the local church where they cook it up and feed homeless people.
Cream of the CropCategory: Cream of the Crop
Photographer: Dorien Paymans/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Flour Swirl
Photographer's description: Part of the series ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ where I captured the process of baking sourdough bread while incorporating the symbolism of the Japanese Ensō sign (imperfect circle). Preparing food and photography are both mindful activities where calmness and creativity exist in the moment of creation. This makes the combination of both so magical.
Overall Winner of Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the YearCategory: Overall Winner of Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year (and People sub-category)
Photographer: Heather Daenitz/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Pinot Noir at Midnight
Photographer's description: Under the glow of a tractor’s lights, vineyard workers handpick Pinot Noir in the cool, misty midnight air at Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located at the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley in California's Central Coast wine region. One worker adds his contribution to the back of the tractor, a cascade of Pinot Noir falling from his picking bin.
Hotel Art Group Food Stylist AwardCategory: Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award
Photographer: Costas Millas/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Put All Your Pasta In One Basket
Photographer's description: Part of a wider food story concept titled Spaghetti. Traditionally styled in strands and swirls, the concept of pushing how we could capture spaghetti was the focus here. The aim was to painstakingly weave groups of spaghetti strands into this striking graphic pattern.
Jamie Oliver Youth Prize 13 -17Category: Jamie Oliver Youth Prize 13 -17
Photographer: Indigo Larmour/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Early Morning Puris, Delhi, India
Photographer's description: Pooris are a staple breakfast dish in the winding alleyways of Old Delhi. Frequently cooked in huge vats of boiling oil on street corners and served with chole, a chickpea dish.
Marks & Spencer Food PortraitureCategory: Marks & Spencer Food Portraiture
Photographer: Simon Détraz/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Crispy Kale
Photographer's description: A drizzle of olive oil, oven at 180°C, salt and pepper, 10 minutes... delicious and so crispy!
MPB Award for InnovationCategory: MPB Award for Innovation
Photographer: Pieter D'Hoop/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Laundry Day
Photographer's description: Sometimes I have some weird ideas that randomly come to my mind. I had an idea of putting an octopus inside a washing machine or tumble dryer. This is one of the results.
Politics of FoodCategory: Politics of Food
Photographer: Jo Kearney/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Afghan Refugee Women Wait for Free Bread
Photographer's description: Afghan women sit and wait for free bread handouts at the market as it's difficult for them to earn money.
Production Paradise Previously PublishedCategory: Production Paradise Previously Published
Photographer: Diego Papagna/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Sky Mushrooms
Photographer's description: Mushrooms enveloped in steam, immersed in a play of light and transparency, evoking the warmth of the kitchen like a sun in the sky.
Street FoodCategory: Street Food
Photographer: Debdatta Chakraborty/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Ramadan Special Parantha Halwa
Photographer's description: During the Ramadan months, Kolkata turns into a foodie's paradise. Just after noon, huge ovens are lit and giant paranthas are prepared for the iftar. Not only Muslims, but people from all communities, throng around the food stalls, making it a culinary haven.
The James Beard Foundation Photography AwardCategory: The James Beard Foundation Photography Award
Photographer: Luke Copping/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Tom Moriarty - Moriarty Meats and Cafe Bar Moriarty, Buffalo NY
Photographer's description: Tom Moriarty and his wife, Caitlin, own Moriarty Meats and its adjacent restaurant, Cafe Bar Moriarty. Moriarty Meats is a whole-animal butcher shop in Buffalo, NY, sourcing local meats and inspired by traditional European butcheries. Tom and his team work exclusively by hand.
Tiptree Cake AwardCategory: Tiptree Cake Award
Photographer: Audrey Laferrière/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Pavlova’s Arabesque
Photographer's description: None
The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action supported by International Salon CulinaireCategory: The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action supported by International Salon Culinaire
Photographer: Diego Marinelli/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: La Matassa. A Real Work of Craftsmanship
Photographer's description: Fresh pasta is a symbol that represents the cultural richness of the Italian territory. An image of its processing becomes a means to telling history, traditions and centuries-old passions. Matassa pasta is made in Irpinia in southern Italy with a truly exceptional technique.
World of DrinksCategory: World of Drinks
Photographer: Alessandra Bartoloni/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Sunshine Gin
Photographer's description: Sun, ice and a gin tonic. Condensation drips, the table’s a mess, and the afternoon heat is winning the battle. But who cares? It’s cold, it’s strong and it’s exactly what this day needed. Cheers to the simple pleasures!
The Bimi® PrizeCategory: The Bimi® Prize
Photographer: Ryan Kost/World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi®
Title: Buddhist Offerings
Photographer's description: Monks at a temple in Angkor Wat, Cambodia prepare traditional Buddhist offerings. This practice is deeply symbolic in Buddhism, often representing celebration, gratitude, respect and devotion to the Buddha, and the teaching and monastic community. The intricate arrangement of fruits and flowers emphasises mindfulness and respect.
Before getting its blade-like 1000 portable electric outboard to the American market, Temo announced its official US presence with another mobile e-outboard system. The Temo 450 Carbon carries like a canoe paddle, but instead of manual muscle power, it tasks an integrated propeller drive with delivering up to 200 watts of propulsive power.
Tags: Outboard Motor, Electric Boats, Electric Motors, Portable
Solo Stove has long built its brand around fire, starting with camping and backpacking stoves and moving into the smokeless fire pit market. As it began expanding into adjacent product segments, a cooler seemed almost inevitable. But Solo has developed its cooler a little differently, turning it into a summertime answer to the central gathering place its fire pits provide. This ice chest spits out cold air and mist to keep everyone cooler through the dog days of summer.
Tags: Coolers, Cooling, Air Conditioners, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, Picnic, tailgating
"That is so cool! But what do you do with it?" Those are the two main things that just about everyone says upon seeing my Unitree Go2 Pro robot for the first time. The latter is a hard question to answer, as the bot is kind of a tool and kind of a toy.
Category: Robotics, Technology
Adobe is shaking up its Creative Cloud subscription tiers in North America, doing away with the current All Apps plan and introducing two tiers in its place: a 'Standard' plan, which will cost less, and a 'Pro' plan, which will cost more.
To set the stage, the current All Apps plan, which will be available until June 17th, costs $59.99 a month if you have an annual plan. As the name implies, it includes access to pretty much every Creative Cloud app, as well as 100GB of cloud storage and 1000 generative AI credits per month.
The main differentiation between the new plans is – what else – AI. Until now, Adobe's been playing things a little loose with features like Generative Fill in Photoshop and the ability to extend videos and audio in Premiere; you could use them without thinking too much about it. Now, they're getting segmented. There are "Standard" features like Generative Fill and text to vector, and "Premium" ones like generating video or audio with Adobe Firefly, using third-party models, or extending video in Premiere.
The new Creative Cloud Standard plan will give you 25 Standard credits a month; each use of a Standard feature costs one credit. With Creative Cloud Pro, you get unlimited use of standard AI features plus 4000 Premium credits. That may seem like a lot, but it's not one-credit-per-use like Standard features; for example, it costs 100 credits to generate a second of 1080p, 24fps video, 20 credits to generate an image using the company's Image Model 4 Ultra and five credits per second of audio translation.
Price per month (Annual) Month-to-month price Annual Price Web apps Cloud Storage AI features Current Creative Cloud All Apps$59.99
Education: $19.99 first year, $34.99 after
Beyond AI, the major difference between the plans is access to web apps. Both plans include full access to desktop apps and Acrobat on mobile and web, but with Standard you're limited to the free features for the mobile and web versions of Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, Express and Fresco.
If you're currently using the All Apps plan and have an annual subscription to it, you'll automatically have the benefits of the Pro plan without the subsequent price increase until your next monthly or annual renewal date. So, for example, if you renew your annual plan on June 1st, 2025, you'll essentially have the Pro plan at the old price until June 1st, 2026. If you sign up on June 18th, 2025, however, you'll have to pick from the Standard and Pro plans.
Currently, you can only choose to renew with the Standard plan by contacting Adobe support, but the company says a self-service option is coming within the next few days.
For those on the Photography plans, there won't be any changesFor those on the Photography plans, there won't be any changes, though after June, 17th, new subscribers will get fewer monthly generative AI credits. Adobe updated the pricing for those plans in December, so it would've been surprising to see another change so soon after.
If you're outside North America, there will be a few changes to Creative Cloud plans. The company says that new subscribers to its Photography plans, single app plans, and Lightroom Mobile Premium, Photoshop Express and Illustrator on iPad subscriptions, will receive fewer monthly generative AI credits. Creative Cloud for teams Pro edition is also being rebranded as Creative Cloud Pro Plus for teams.
Apart from that, "there will be no plan, naming, or pricing changes for all other existing subscribers outside of North America at this time," according to an Adobe support document.
Sometimes in life, you unexpectedly find yourself in situations where you just wanna say, "Screw it." That's where the FixBoy is designed to come in, as it's a compact titanium bit driver with magnetic storage slots for five bits.
Tags: Tools, Titanium, Kickstarter
The Double Duo shipping container-based tiny house is not built from one container like we usually see, but two. The extra floorspace allows it to offer a roomy interior arranged around a large living area, as well as two bedrooms and bathrooms.
Category: Tiny Houses, Lifestyle
Tags: Building and Construction, shipping containers, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House
Finding the perfect camera for travel is often a Goldilocks scenario. You generally want something relatively small and lightweight so that it's easier to carry around. However, you still want flexibility and good image quality to capture your travels successfully. Some people bill GoPros and other action cameras as ideal options, but you may wonder if they are actually worth buying for travel.
Benefits of GoPro cameras for travelGoPros are very compact and easy to use.
Photo: William Brawley
There are certainly qualities that make GoPros ideal for travel. First and foremost, they're tiny; it's easy to throw your GoPro in a small bag or even your pocket without having to worry about its size and weight. No matter how light you're traveling, you probably have room to bring a GoPro along.
Action cameras are designed for adventures, so they're built to be extremely durable. They can handle lots of falls, drops and bumps and are generally waterproof to depths of several meters without any extra protection, so you won't run into issues whether you accidentally drop it in a stream or purposefully take it snorkeling.
GoPros are also easy to use with minimal options in the settings menu. You can start taking photos or videos without thinking much about settings. They are relatively easy to use, even if you don't know anything about cameras. If you want something to simply point and shoot on your adventures, GoPros are a good option.
Downsides to using a GoPro as a travel cameraGoPros are good at capturing sweeping views, but not at highlighting specific subjects.
Photo: William Brawley
Unfortunately, there are also plenty of GoPro qualities that make them less than ideal for travel. First, action cameras use ultra-wide-angle lenses that capture broad, sweeping views. While they often offer multiple fields of view settings (how much of the scene is captured), even the narrowest options are still quite wide.
While that broad view is ideal for some situations, it isn't good for many others. It will make everything look further away from you, which isn't what you likely want for many travel photos or videos. Unless you can get close to your subject, or are simply trying to capture an entire scene, GoPros won't give you the images you're after. Plus, it's not the best choice if you want to take flattering portraits or selfies.
Partly because of the wide-angle lens, GoPros aren't good at capturing detail by default. They can only focus as close as 30cm (12"), have a fixed aperture and don't allow you to choose where the camera is focusing. They will essentially capture everything in the scene in focus, so you won't be able to highlight smaller details or clearly isolate your subject from the background. The latest models are compatible with a macro lens accessory that allows you to focus as close as 11cm (4.33"), but that involves an extra piece of equipment you need to buy and keep with you.
GoPros aren't going to give you very flattering selfies, but are useful for quick snaps.
Photo: Mitchell Clark
GoPros aren't good in low-light situations, partly because of their small sensors. Shooting in dim conditions will introduce a lot of noise, taking away from image quality. It will also limit when and where you can take photos or videos, which can be frustrating.
Despite their video focus, GoPros can take photographs, though they won't provide the greatest experience or image quality. Your phone will give you better results with more flexible options in terms of the look of the images as well as a more familiar field of view. After all, most phones offer multiple cameras with different focal lengths and specific modes for portraits, macro and more.
Finally, while the lack of settings makes them easier to use, it limits your control over the visual style of your images and videos. If you want to manage things like exposure and focus points to dictate the style of the image, a GoPro isn't for you.
Is a GoPro good for travel? Photo: William BrawleyThe short answer to whether GoPros (and other action cameras) are good for travel is: It depends. If your type of travel is highly adventurous and requires a durable, compact device, then a GoPro will be a good choice. Likewise, if you are mostly concerned with documenting your trips and don't want to think about settings or having control over the style of your images and videos, then bringing a GoPro on your trips would be smart.
However, if you want more control over your photographs and videos, want to capture more than broad views, need the flexibility of shooting in a variety of lighting conditions, or mostly take still photos, you're better off with a different travel camera.
Taiwan multinational Acer is showcasing a bunch of new products at Asia's largest tech expo this week, including a new compact smart projector. The PD1520s shines bright with 4,000 LED lumens, can throw up big-screen HD visuals and promises easy setup.
Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Acer, Projectors, HD, LED, Compact
The very first blood test for Alzheimer's disease detection has been green-lit by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), providing a simpler and less invasive method for early diagnosis and speedier intervention. It's a milestone moment for medical science.
Category: Alzheimer's & Dementia, Brain Health, Body & Mind
Tags: Diagnostic tools, Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Cognitive functioning, Blood, Plasma, Brain, Treatment, clinical trials
Chinese hardware giant Huawei's latest piece of gear is wild. The MateBook Fold Ultimate Design looks like a 13-inch laptop on the outside, until you open it to reveal an 18-inch foldable screen that's just 7.3 mm thick. For reference, an iPhone 16 has a depth of 7.8 mm.
Category: Laptops, Consumer Tech, Technology
Axial flux motors have really started to make some noise in the electric mobility market of late. Adding to the hype, British market innovator YASA announced that it's opening a state-of-the-art "super factory" to boost production beyond 25,000 axial flux e-machines a year. Those ultra-slim, potent pancake motors will find their way into a variety of world-class vehicles from the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Motor, Electric Motors, Electric Vehicles, Manufacturing
A new study has found that after just a few days of eating a high-fat diet, the gut’s defenses are broken down, and an asymptomatic inflammation is triggered that can develop into a long-term problem. Importantly, the effects were reversible.
Category: Wellness & Healthy Living, Body & Mind
Tags: Diet, Inflammation, Gut health, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
The winners of the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest have been announced, highlighting epic imagery of the Milky Way from around the world, and even from above it. The contest, hosted by travel photography blog Capture the Atlas, is in its eighth year.
This year, the contest received 6,000 entries from photographers of 16 different nationalities. Images spanned 25 locations around the globe, including Chile, the United States, Greece, Switzerland, Guatemala, New Zealand, Taiwan, Yemen, Chad, India, Namibia, Spain and more. Plus, an image taken from space was included in the collection for the first time. Some photos captured celestial events like a comet, a meteor shower and a lunar eclipse.
Dan Zafra, the editor of Capture the Atlas, curates the annual list based on image quality, the story behind the shot and the overall inspiration it provides. Zafra says the project's goal is to inspire people to connect with the night sky and "to encourage photographers to explore and photograph the Milky Way from new angles."
You can see all of the winning images at Capture the Atlas, along with tips on how and where to photograph the Milky Way.
One in a Billion by Don PettitPhotographer: Don Pettit
Image title: One in a Billion
Image location: ISS (International Space Station)
Camera settings: 8 sec, F1.4, ISO 6400
Gear: Nikon Z9, Sigma 14mm F1.4. Sky Watcher modified tracker
Caption: I float in the Cupola, looking out the seven windows composing this faceted transparent jewel. While my mind is submerged in contemplation, my eyes gorge on the dim reflections from a nighttime Earth. There are over eight billion people that call this planet home. There are seven of us that can say the same for Space Station. What a privilege it is to be here. I used an orbital star tracker to take out the star streak motion from orbit.
Tololo Lunar Eclipse Sky by Petr HorálekPhotographer: Petr Horálek
Image title: Tololo Lunar Eclipse
Image location: Cerro Tololo Observatory, Chile
Camera settings: ISO 8000, 81 x 10 sec (single exposures stitched to panorama). Moon is result of HDR work.
Gear: Canon Ra, Sigma Art 35mm F1.8
Caption: On March 14, 2025, a total lunar eclipse occurred, especially visible over the Americas and the Pacific Ocean. I was fortunate to observe this particular eclipse from the NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. You can see how epic the sky was during totality, as the Moon darkened enough for the majestic Milky Way, the faint belt of Zodiacal Light, and prominent airglow to stand out.
Boot Arch Perseids by Mike AbramyanPhotographer: Mike Abramyan
Image title: Boot Arch Perseids
Image location: Alabama Hills, CA, USA
Camera settings: Sky: Mosaic of 9 images at 50mm, 92 sec, F2, ISO 400; Foreground: Mosaic of 4 images at 50mm, 92 sec, F2.8, ISO 400; Meteors: 14mm, 15 sec, F1.8, ISO 400
Gear: Sony A7IV Astromodified, Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM, Benro Polaris, Leofoto LS-324C, Sony A7IV, Sony 14mm 1.8 GM
Caption: The Perseid Meteor Shower occurs every August, raining down hundreds of meteors over a few nights. In 2024, I had planned to photograph it from the Canadian Rockies, but wildfires forced me to change my plans at the last minute. After checking wildfire maps, I found a safe haven in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
After three full nights of capturing meteors, I created this image. Sitting on the rock is my friend Arne, who often joins me on these adventures, gazing up at the magnificent core of our galaxy. Each meteor is painstakingly aligned to its true location in the night sky. The final depiction shows all the meteors I captured, combined into one frame—as if the Earth hadn’t been rotating and all the meteors had fallen at once.
Bottle Tree Paradise by Benjamin BarakatPhotographer: Benjamin Barakat
Image title: Bottle Tree Paradise
Image location: Socotra, Yemen
Camera settings: Foreground (blue hour): 10 sec, F8, ISO 400; Sky: 5x 120 sec, F2.0, ISO 400
Gear: Sony A7IV, Sony 14mm F1.8, Sunwayfoto T2840CK, MSM Nomad
Caption: Socotra is one of my favorite places on Earth, but when it comes to a specific location, this one stands out. It doesn’t have an official name, as it’s not a destination for the few fortunate tourists who visit Socotra. After shooting there for the past four years and scouting the island, I’ve discovered hidden gems like this one, which I call Bottle Tree Paradise.
Bottle trees are unique to Socotra, a result of the island’s long isolation from the mainland. This separation allowed them to evolve distinctive features, such as their water-storing, bottle-shaped trunks, which help them survive Socotra’s harsh, dry climate. They are believed to have originated from ancient plant species that adapted to the island’s unique environment over millions of years.
Double Milky Way Arch Over Matterhorn by Angel FuxPhotographer: Angel Fux
Image title: Double Milky Way Arch Over Matterhorn
Image location: Zermatt, Switzerland
Camera settings: Both arches share the same Exif: 20mm, F5.6, 127 sec, ISO 2500; Foreground / Landscape: 15.5mm, F5, 1/5 sec, ISO 800
Gear: Nikon Z6 Astromodified (for the sky part), NIKKOR Z 20mm F1.8, Nikon Z8 (for the landscape part), NIKKOR Z 14-24mm F2.8, Benro Polaris Astro Kit, Peak Design travel tripod
Caption: This image captures the rare Double Arch Milky Way, where both the Winter Milky Way (with Orion rising) and the Summer Milky Way (with the Galactic Center) appear in the same night—a seamless transition between seasons.
Taken at 3,200 meters in the heart of winter, the night was brutally cold, testing both my endurance and equipment. This is a time blend, preserving the real positions of both arches by combining frames taken hours apart, with the foreground captured at dawn for the best detail.
Zermatt and the Matterhorn have been photographed countless times, but I aimed to create something truly unique—an image captured under conditions few would attempt. I’m incredibly proud of the effort and patience it took to bring this vision to life.
Valle de los Cactus by Pablo RuizPhotographer: Pablo Ruiz
Image title: Valle de los Cactus
Image location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Camera settings: Sky: 9 x 240 sec, F2.8, ISO 800, 14mm; Foreground: 9 x 120 sec, F2.8, ISO 2500, 14mm
Gear: Nikon D810, Nikon Z6 A, Nikkor 14-24 F2.8 ,Rollei Gamma, Sky Watcher Star Adventurer
Caption: A panoramic shot of the Milky Way in a remote area of the Atacama Cactus Valley, known for its large concentration of cactus plants. I love this place with its countless possibilities. The panorama was taken just as the galactic center began to rise, with the spectacular Gum Nebula visible on the right.
It was an especially bright night with a breathtaking sky. The valley isn’t easy to navigate, but it’s always worth trying to find new compositions in such stunning locations beneath the night sky.
Cosmic Fire by Sergio MontúfarPhotographer: Sergio Montúfar
Image title: Cosmic Fire
Image location: Volcán Acatenango, Guatemala
Camera settings: 10 sec, F2.8, ISO 3200
Gear: Canon 6d Astromodified, Samyang 24mm F1.4, Sirui tripod
Caption: On the early morning of June 2, 2024, I summited Acatenango Volcano for the first time, hoping to witness the fiery beauty of the neighboring Volcan de Fuego against the Milky Way’s backdrop. That night, the volcano was incredibly active—each thunderous explosion reverberated in my chest, while glowing lava illuminated the dark slopes. Above, the Milky Way stretched diagonally across the sky, a mesmerizing band of stars contrasting with the chaos below. As the volcano erupted, the ash plume rose vertically, forming an acute angle of about 45 degrees with the galaxy’s diagonal path, creating a stunning visual contrast between Earth’s fury and the cosmos’ serenity.
Capturing this required a fast, wide-angle lens (f/2.8), an ISO of 3200, and a 10-second exposure to balance the volcanic glow with the starlight. The challenge was timing the shot during a new moon and aligning the right moment for the Milky Way to cross the frame next to the volcano. I used Lightroom as the editor. This image is special for its storytelling—the raw power of Volcan de Fuego meeting the tranquil expanse of the galaxy.
A Sea of Lupines by Max InwoodPhotographer: Max Inwood
Image title: A Sea of Lupines
Image location: Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Camera settings: Sky: 30 sec, F2.0, ISO 3200; Foreground: 30 sec, F2.4, ISO 6400
Gear: Canon 6D Astromodified, Sigma 28mm F1.4 Art, Samyang 14mm F1.4 XP, iOption SkyGuider Pro
Caption: The annual lupine bloom in New Zealand is spectacular, with fields of colorful flowers stretching across the Mackenzie Basin. This region, located in the heart of the South Island, is renowned for its dark skies, making the scene even more surreal at night.
I had to wait until the early hours of the morning for the wind to calm down, but eventually everything became still, and I was able to capture this image. Above the flowers, you can see the band of the outer Milky Way, alongside the constellations Orion, Gemini, and the Pleiades. Joining them are the bright planets Jupiter and Mars, with a strong display of green airglow visible along the horizon.
Diamond Beach Emerald Sky by Brent MartinPhotographer: Brent Martin
Image title: Diamond Beach Emerald Sky
Image location: Great Ocean Road, Australia
Camera settings: Sky: 13 frames x 3 rows, @ 20mm, F3.5, ISO 1600, 60 sec tracked exposures; Foreground: 13 frames x 2 rows, @ 20mm, F2.5, ISO 1600, 60 sec exposures.
Gear: Sony A7III Astromodified, Sony 20mm F1.8 G, Sky-watcher Star Adventurer 2i
Caption: With a clear night forecast and the Milky Way core returning for 2025, I set out to explore the Great Ocean Road. After a few setbacks—such as a failed composition and getting the car stuck on a sandy track—I almost gave up. However, I pushed on and found a great spot above the beach to capture the scene.
The night was full of color, with Comet C/2024 G3 Atlas and a pink aurora in the early hours, followed by the Milky Way rising amid intense green airglow near dawn. Despite the challenges, the reward of this stunning image and the memory of the view made it all worthwhile.
Blossom by Ethan SuPhotographer: Ethan Su
Image title: Blossom
Image location: Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park, Taiwan
Camera settings: Sky: 1 row tracked panorama at F2, 90sec, ISO 800; Foreground: 2 row panorama and focus stack, F2.8, 60 sec, ISO 6400; 65 images in total.
Gear:
Caption: After three years of waiting, the Yushan alpine rhododendrons are finally in bloom once again on Taiwan’s 3,000-meter-high Hehuan Mountain. On this special night, distant clouds helped block city light pollution, revealing an exceptionally clear view of the Milky Way. A solar flare from active region AR3664 reached Earth that evening, intensifying the airglow and adding an otherworldly touch to the sky.
Together, these rare natural events created a breathtaking scene—vivid blooms glowing softly beneath a star-filled sky.
The Night Guardians by Rositsa DimitrovaPhotographer: Rositsa Dimitrova
Image title: The Night Guardians
Image location: Easter Island, Chile
Camera settings: Blend of 2 shots: foreground: 88 sec, F3.5, ISO 3200; sky: 20 sec, F2.0, ISO 2000
Gear: Sony A7iii Astromodified, Sony GM 14mm F1.8
Caption: Easter Island had been on my bucket list for a long time, and it once seemed almost impossible to reach. On our first night there, the weather forecast looked promising, so we decided to go ahead with the tour our group had booked 4–5 months earlier. However, Rapa Nui sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where the weather is notoriously unpredictable. When we woke up at 3 a.m. in our hotel, the sky was completely covered in clouds. Still, we decided to take the risk, knowing the forecast for the next few nights was even worse.
An hour later, we were frantically photographing the statues at Rano Raraku—the quarry where nearly all of the island’s 900 statues were carved—when the sky suddenly began to clear. By 5 a.m., it was completely clear, and we had less than two hours to capture all the shots we wanted. We felt incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
Evolution of Stars by Kavan ChayPhotographer: Kavan Chay
Image title: Evolution of Stars
Image location: Otago, New Zealand
Camera settings: Sky RGB: 4 frames x 3 rows, each shot at 40mm, F1.8, ISO 1250, 50 second exposures; Sky (Rho region): Stack of 10 frames, each shot at 40mm, F1.8, ISO 1250, 60 second exposures; Foreground: 4 frames x 3 rows, each shot at 40mm, F4, ISO 2000, 60 second exposures.
Gear: Nikon Z7 (astromodified), Sigma Art 40mm F1.4, Benro GX-35 ballhead, Sirui AM-254 tripod legs, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro 2i
Caption: The first image I captured from this spot is the one I feel truly kickstarted my astrophotography journey years ago. It was the first time I shot a tracked panorama using a “longer” focal length lens (50mm). The set of sea stacks provided a prominent foreground subject facing the right direction, and being a local spot relatively free of light pollution, it was the perfect location to capture the Milky Way core.
It felt fitting to try again with a few extra years of experience and an astro-modified camera, which allows for easier capture of hydrogen-alpha-rich regions of the sky (like the reddish nebulae around Zeta Ophiuchi, as seen in the image). The years of experience certainly made panoramic shooting and editing easier, though the shoot wasn’t without its challenges.
I managed to drop a tiny screw adapter in the dark, so I had to improvise a quick solution to make use of the star tracker. With a dying headlamp and the mysteries of wildlife lurking in the dark, all while the tide rapidly rose, it felt like enough adventure for a weekday night.
Winter Fairy Tale by Uroš FinkPhotographer: Uroš Fink
Image title: Winter Fairy Tale
Image location: Dobratsch Nature Park, Austria
Camera settings: Sky: ISO 800, F1.8, 90 sec, 8 panels, low exposure frames for brighter sky parts (30 sec) + lee soft 5 for stars (ISO 3200, F1.8, 20 sec); Foreground: ISO 1250, F2.2, 80s, 8 panels + multi exposure frames for lightning the hut (80 sec, 20 sec,10 sec,5 sec,2 sec,1 sec)
Gear: Nikon Z, Sigma 20mm 1.4 Dg Dn, Megadap tze21, Fornax Lightrack 2i, Sunwayfoto t3240ck, Lee soft 5 filter for stars, Focus on star mask
Caption: Undoubtedly my wildest location this winter: Austria’s Dobratsch mountain! If I had to describe it in two words, it would be a “Winter Fairytale”!
Despite a 5 a.m. work shift, I drove to Austria by 1 p.m., worried about my fitness and lack of sleep. After a 2-hour hike through the snow with a 22kg backpack and sled, the stunning views kept me energized.
Arriving at the cabin (where I had planned my winter panorama two years ago), I was greeted by untouched snow, completely free of footprints. I spent the evening exploring compositions, and this is my favorite: a panorama of the winter Milky Way with reddish nebulae, stretching above Dobratsch Mountain.
I captured the Zodiacal light and even the Gegenschein glow! The sky was magnificent, with Jupiter and Mars shining brightly. In the foreground is the cabin, where I spent 3 freezing hours (-12°C), waiting for the perfect shot of the Milky Way’s core. It turned out exactly as I envisioned—a true winter fairytale.
Echiwile Arch by Vikas ChanderPhotographer: Vikas Chander
Image title: Echiwile Arch
Image location: Ennedi, Chad
Camera settings: Sky Exposure: 300 sec, F2.8, ISO 800, stack of 6; Foreground exposure: 480 sec, F2.8, ISO 800, LENR, LLL; Software: Pixinsight and Photoshop
Gear: Sony A7rV Ha modded, Sony 12-24 F2.8 GM, Rainbow Astro RST 135e
Caption: When one first Googles information about visiting Chad, the results aren’t very encouraging from a safety perspective. Nevertheless, the intrepid astrophotographer in me decided to take the chance and visit this landlocked country, specifically the Ennedi Massif in the north.
Sparsely populated and completely devoid of light pollution, the three-day drive from the capital, N’Djamena, was well worth the troubles and risks involved. The region is filled with numerous rock formations, shapes, and arches, offering an abundance of options for foreground elements to frame the dramatic night skies. Seen here is a small arch in the shape of a hoof in the Ennedi region.
Starlit Ocean: A Comet, the setting Venus, the Milky Way, and McWay Falls by Xingyang CaiPhotographer: Xingyang Cai
Image title: Starlit Ocean: A Comet, the setting Venus, the Milky Way, and McWay Falls
Image location: California, USA
Camera settings: Sky: Stack of 20 images, each at ISO 1600, F1.4, 4 sec; Foreground: Stack of 10 images, each at ISO 3200, F1.4, 20 sec
Gear: Sony A7 III (astro-modified), Sony 14mm F1.4
Caption: Capturing this image was a race against time, light, and distance. With Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS (C/2023 A3) making its approach, I knew I had a rare opportunity to see it with the naked eye before it faded into the cosmos. I embarked on a five-hour round trip to McWay Falls in Big Sur, one of the few Bortle 2 locations accessible along California’s coast. My window was narrow—just six precious minutes of true darkness before the Moon rose and washed out the night sky. But those six minutes were unforgettable.
In that brief span, the Milky Way arched high above the Pacific, Venus shimmered as it set over the ocean, and the comet streaked quietly across the sky—a celestial visitor gracing this iconic coastal cove. The soft cascade of McWay Falls and the stillness of the starlit ocean created a surreal harmony between Earth and sky. It was one of the most vivid and humbling naked-eye comet sightings I’ve ever experienced—an alignment of cosmic elements that felt both fleeting and eternal.
An overland trailer builder with a unique background in airborne adventure, Mammoth Overland hit the off-road camper market sprinting a few years ago, releasing a slew of crazy-rugged camper trailers one after another. This time around, it's ditching the chassis and wheels and showing a hardcore off-road camper that leaps up atop the tow vehicle roof or rack. Still a concept at the moment, the all-new SKL is a highly impressive rooftop shelter that brings along its own solid-state battery bank and insulated aluminum walls.
Tags: roof-top tent, RV, Camping, Off-road, Outdoors and Camping, Overland Expo, Off-grid
