Mangaluru: The Milky Way, a magnificent swirl of stars, earns its ethereal name from its soft, glowing band seen across the night sky — like a milky trail suspended above. Eager to capture its brilliance, photographers often search for the darkest skies. One such spellbinding view recently surfaced on Instagram, taken by a photographer in a remote corner of South India.
Brijesh Naik, a photographer from Kepu, a small village near Mangalore, posted a mesmerizing shot on Instagram. He shared the unexpected story behind it.
With his village plunged into darkness for two straight days due to torrential rain and powerful winds, Brijesh found himself restless indoors. Stepping out for some fresh air, he noticed something odd above.
“At first glance, it looked like just another rainy-season cloud,” he explained. “But then I noticed stars twinkling right through it.” Acting on instinct, he grabbed his camera and took a few long-exposure shots. What he had thought were clouds revealed themselves to be the Milky Way in full glory.
“No electricity that night… but the cosmos lit up instead,” he wrote. “First time seeing the Milky Way.”
His video concluded with captivating photos of the galaxy — drawing admiration from travellers and stargazers alike.
One viewer remarked, “Amazing shots! Light pollution is a big hurdle — you’re lucky to have skies like this.” Another said, “That green fireball meteor… super rare!”
A poetic fan wrote: “Not a cloud… but a river of stars.”