Mangalore Photographer Captures Milky Way After Power Cut In His Village

The Milky Way is a vast collection of stars, and its dreamy name comes from how it appears from Earth: a hazy, spiral band of light formed by countless stars, resembling a stream of milk across the sky. Nature and astronomy photographers are constantly searching for locations to capture its beauty. One such hidden spot is now going viral on Instagram after a photographer stumbled upon a striking view in his village in South India.

Mangalore-based photographer Brijesh Naik shared the image on his Instagram handle, describing how he came across the view. He lives in Kepu village in Mangalore.

He said, "My village had no electricity for two days because of heavy rain and strong winds. I was bored at home, so I stepped outside for some air."

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Noticing something unusual in the sky, he added, "I looked up... I saw something unusual. It looked like a cloud. Since it's the rainy season, I didn't think much of it. But then I noticed... the stars were shining through it. I grabbed my camera and took long-exposure photos. Then I realised it wasn't clouds. It was... the Milky Way."

"No power that night... but the universe lit up," he wrote, adding in the caption, "Saw Milky Way for the first time."

The video ended with photos of the Milky Way galaxy that he captured that night.

Watch the video below:

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A post shared by BRIJESH NAIK (@brijeshnaik.pic)

The photographer's shots impressed nature enthusiasts and travellers on social media. Here are some of the reactions:

"Light pollution is the greatest enemy for astrophotography. Your captures are really awesome. I wish I could take photos like this too," one user wrote. Another shared, "I still remember those nights from my childhood, around 2012, lying on the rooftop, staring at the stars. The Milky Way was clearly visible at that time. I used to wonder... what's really out there."

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One viewer commented, "I liked the reel even before the photos arrived, because I knew it had to be good... stunning capture."

Another said, "Dude, you are lucky!! Look up, there's a green fireball meteor. Very, very rare!"

A poetic comment read, "It wasn't a cloud. It's a river-a river of stars."