The Milky Way Galaxy has long been celebrated as the brightest object in the sky. It's beautiful glow provides a gorgeous backdrop for a series of stunning photos taken by British photographer Rob Dickinson.

According to NASA, the glow from the Milky Way is the result of and producing gamma rays.

In Dickinson's pictures, the shining galaxy is captured from various angles. To create these images, Dickinson stitched together , an effort that takes about 30 minutes per photo, Buzzfeedreports.

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Though time consuming, capturing the landscapes of New Zealand is a labor of love for Dickinson.

"Having explored many areas of photography, I've , and its dark night skies," Dickinson writes on his blog. "It's this connection that gives me my passion for getting out at any time of day or night, often in freezing conditions with long trips in the dark to places people often don't ever see, or at least at the hours I am there."

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The photos above were taken in the winter during new moon weekends, which is the best time to capture the Milky Way, according to Dickinson.

"You really want new moon, because [as the moon gets larger] it causes light issues," the photographer told Buzzfeed.

Armed with a series of helpful phone apps to determine the position of the Milky Way and the stars, Dickinson is able to map a plan for capturing his shots up to a year in advance, Buzzfeed reports.

"The planet and the Milky Way work like clockwork, so you can plan ahead and look for the weekends and the days you think are best," said Dickinson. "You only really get one great shot a day."

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