Mesmerising photos of the Milky Way above the UK showcase our galaxy in all its beauty
STUNNING photos of the Milky Way over Britain have been shared by space photographers.
Snapped on Monday, the images show our gorgeous galaxy shining bright over picturesque spots like Stonehenge, Anglesey and Dorset.
The Milky Way appeared especially bright thanks to crystal clear night skies and the start of the Autumn equinox.
The equinox begins today and marks the moment hours of daylight and darkness are of equal length.
"Our galaxy’s bright core is only visible to those in the northern hemisphere in summer, with September offering virtually the last chance to observe it," according to travel site Travel and Leisure.
"However, it’s also one of the best times to see it because it’s visible soon after dark above the southwestern horizon."
One incredible photo captured on Monday shows the stars of the Milky Way above a chapel in Dorset.
Photographer Graham Hunt nabbed the postcard-worthy snap at St Aldhelm's Chapel, near the village of Worth Matravers.
Another image, shared by space-watcher Nick Bull, shows the Milky Way over Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
The snap appears to show a cloud of colourful stars erupting from the centre of the 5,000-year-old monument.
Finally, astrophotographer Peter Byrne got an amazing shot of our galaxy behind South Stack lighthouse on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales.
Space fans from across the country took to social media to marvel at Monday's impressive display.
One observer in Wales wrote on Twitter: "I laid down on a picnic table and gazed at the Milky Way, for how long I couldn't be sure."
Alongside images they took of the sky, they added: "These pics don't do it any kind of justice."
The Milky Way is home to Earth and is roughly 13.5billion years old – almost as old as the universe itself.
The galaxy is disc-shaped, with several "arms" that stretch outwards.
They curl away from the plane of the Milky Way's disk, giving us a clear view of stars and planets that share our home galaxy.
A supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way will likely gobble up Earth within the next few billion years.
Milky Way facts
Here's what you need to know...
- The Milky Way galaxy is home to Earth and is almost as old as the Universe itself
- Recently estimates suggest the Universe is around 13.7billion years old, while the Milky Way is thought to be 13.6billion years old
- The Milky Way is disk-shaped and measures about 120,000 light years across
- It has a supermassive black hole in the middle called Sagittarius A*
- Our galaxy is thought to be home to more than 200billion stars
- It is thought to have an invisible halo made of dark matter
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In other news, a young galaxy that looks just like our Milky Way was spotted by astronomers last month.
Conspiracy theorists think they've spotted a human bone on Mars.
And, a fireball has been filmed soaring across the night sky in Tennessee.
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