# AstroPrize 2026: New Zealand Night Image Wins

> Evan McKay's radiant green airglow photo wins AstroPrize 2026.
- Title: AstroPrize 2026: New Zealand Night Image Wins | Shortify
- Summary: Evan McKay's radiant green airglow photo wins AstroPrize 2026. Evan McKay's New Zealand night image with radiant green airglow wins AstroPrize Photographer…
- Keywords: evan mckay, astroprize, new zealand, radiant green airglow, astrophotography, cathedral cove, milky way, moonrise, 2026, Zealand, Night, Image
- Source: Digital Camera World — https://digitalcameraworld.com/photography/awards-and-competitions/radiant-green-airglow-adds-a-magical-finishing-touch-to-this-award-winning-astrophotographers-image-of-new-zealand-at-night
- Published: 2026-10-21T13:07:18+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: evan mckay, astroprize, new zealand, radiant green airglow, astrophotography, cathedral cove, milky way, moonrise
## Evan McKay's Night Shoot
Evan McKay arrived at Mautohe Cathedral Cove in New Zealand at sunrise, stunned by the light beauty.

> i knew the moon would be rising early in the night, leaving no time to photograph the scene under true starlight.
## Unexpected Airglow
Unanticipated solar activity created a radiant green airglow that tied the scene together with the rising moon.

> the beautiful, radiant green airglow was an unexpected paid actor in the scene.
## AstroPrize Win
McKay won AstroPrize Photographer of the Year 2026 for his exceptional detail and atmospheric depth.

> the judges praised mckay's image for its exceptional detail and depth, along with its strong sense of atmosphere and place.
## Prize Money
McKay received 3,000 (approximately £2,200/AU4,200) in prize money for his win.

> mckay took home 3,000 (approximately £2,200/AU4,200) in winnings.
## Other Winners
Marzena Rogozińska won Deep Space, Jason Perry won Aurora, and Alpha Zhang won Remote Imaging.

> marzena rogozińska won the deep space category for her shot of intricate streams of interstellar dust within the chameleon dark clouds of the constellation chamaeleon.
## Aurora Winner
Jason Perry captured the Aurora Borealis dancing above Norway's Lofoten Islands with vibrant green light.

> the aurora borealis dances above the mountains of å in norway's lofoten islands, its vibrant green light reflected across the calm waters below.
## Remote Imaging Winner
Alpha Zhang won Remote Imaging for Galileo's Finger, a cosmic dust cloud in the constellation Lacerta.

> galileo's finger through a faint h alpha veil a near-threshold h alpha veil rather than a bright red sea: dust sets the direction, ha builds the depth, and distant galaxies still thread through the field.
## Key takeaway

Evan McKay's New Zealand night image with radiant green airglow wins AstroPrize Photographer of the Year 2026.