Astonishing timelapse video of the Milky Way

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to travel to some of the truly dark places still left in the world, you’ll have seen the Milky Way stretched out across the sky like a liquid river of stars. If you haven’t, then Denis Frantsouzov’s video from the wilds of Kazakhstan is the next best thing.

Moscow-based photographer Frantsouzov captured the images of the Milky Way — plus more beautifully desolate scenery than it is almost possible to imagine — in May during a two week sojourn on western Kazakhstan’s Mangyshlak Peninsula.

Equipment was a Canon 5DM3 with 16-35mm lens and a Canon 5DM2 with a 24mm lens. Frantsouzov has titled the results Amazing Kazakhstan and it’s hard to argue with him.

Lower the blinds, turn up the volume, and we’ll leave you with a bit of Shelley:

"I love all waste

and solitary places; where we taste

the pleasure of believing what we see.

Is boundless, as we wish our souls to be."

With thanks to Peta Pixel for the tip-off.