Stellar work: Our dazzling galaxy at night captured by photographer during 16-year mission around the world




The twinkling stars that shine above our planet will cause most of us to gaze up in amazement every so often.

But for Iranian photographer and journalist Babak Tafreshi they are a daily obsession. Spending the last 16 years travelling the world, he has spent every day for his entire adult life capturing the sky at night.



From his native country to as far afield as Norway and Nepal, the 34-year-old has set up his camera to reveal our galaxy in all its splendour while also showing some of the most awesome sights of this world.



Mr Tafreshi, who won last year's Lennart Nilsson Award for best scientific photography,

has visited all the continents including Antarctica in his quest. Now scroll down to view his incredible work...



Milky marvel: The Milky Way in a dark starry sky with the planet Jupiter shining above the prominent figure of constellation Scorpius

Dazzling: An extended-exposure shot showing the movement of stars at Namche Bazaa, the gateway to the Himalya mountains in Nepal

Glowing: The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. shine above a fjord in Lofoten Islands in northern Norway

Natural wonder meets manmade marvel: The Full Moon rises over the Taj Mahal in Agra, India

Split view The Milky Way above the Alborz mountain range (top) and polluted, starless sky of Iran's capital Tehran only 40 miles away

Guiding light: Bright star Capella, the sixth brightest in the night sky, rises above the top of the world at Mount Everest

Eerie: Fog going down in the World Heritage Sagarmatha National Park of Nepal, to reveal a spectacular view of Himalayas appears under the starry sky

Mysterious: The Milky Way and the majestic planet Jupiter shine above the tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadas - a 2,500-year old World Heritage Site in southern Iran



