The Universe Reveals Its True Colors in This Stunning Milky Way Photo

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"Under the darkness, the sky is anything but black."

A colorful star field lights up the night sky around the bright arm of the Milky Way in this cosmic scene captured from Noudar Park, in Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve. (Image credit: Miguel Claro)

Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory Photo Ambassador and member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical "Skyscapes" that connect both Earth and night sky. Join Miguel here as he takes us through his photograph "Under the Darkness the Sky is Anything but Black."

Our eyes are not so good at distinguishing colors in darkness, but a simple DSLR camera can show us that the universe is anything but black. 

The scene above, captured from Noudar Park in Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, shows a colorful star field around the bright arm of the Milky Way, which is visible behind a thin layer of clouds. 

Each star's color is related to its type and temperature, and the colors can range from blue and white, to yellow or even orange. The hottest stars show a blue color, while the coolest can reveal an orange-reddish color. 

Related: How to Tell Star Types Apart (Infographic)

What may look like "Christmas balls" adorning the old olive tree in the foreground are not only stars, but also the planets Mars and Saturn shining brightly in the center of the tree in yellow-orange and white.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share with us and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

To see more of Claro's amazing astrophotography, visit his website: www.miguelclaro.com. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. 

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Miguel Claro
Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory photo ambassador, a member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical skyscapes that connect Earth and the night sky.