Milky Way Galaxy Sparkles Over Mountains in Iran (Photo)

Milky Way Over Alamut Valley in Alborz Mountains Abolfath

Amir H. Abolfath of The World at Night took this photo of the Milky Way over Alamut Valley in the Alborz Mountains of Iran in August 2010. (Image credit: Amir Abolfath, Torgheh.ir/en)

The serene Milky Way galaxy towers over Alamut Valley in Iran in this spectacular night sky photo.

Amir H. Abolfath of The World at Night took this stunning photo from the Alborz Mountains of Iran in August 2010.

Scientists estimate the Milky Way galaxy contains roughly 400 billion stars bound together by gravity. Above the glow of the mountains, the barred spiral galaxy appears as a faint band in the sky. In the image, car headlights can be seen on a winding road in the valley. Lights from nearby cities also reflect within southern horizon clouds.

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The Milky Way Galaxy is organized into spiral arms of giant stars that illuminate interstellar gas and dust. The sun is in a finger called the Orion Spur.

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Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.