Kiwi photographer's night-sky photos turn heads worldwide

Photographs of the New Zealand night sky are turning the heads of stargazers around the world.

Photographer Paul Wilson

, who is based in Christchurch, has had his incredible snaps of the night sky shared by BBC Earth and is garnering thousands of likes on Facebook.

Wilson took this shot in Wanaka. Photo / Paul Wilson Images

This mesmerising photo, taken at Cannibal Bay, has been shared more than 3000 times.

"There was some pretty awesome airglow on this night. With cloud rapidly approaching we had to be quick and get our shots in. Thirty minutes after this was taken it was completely overcast," Wilson wrote of the image.

"It's winter here when the Milky Way galaxy is at its most visible, meaning more dark hours to get out there and capture it," Wilson told the Herald last year.

Another factor was the lack of light pollution in the South Island, making it easier to capture the galaxy.

The incredible landscapes of the South Island feature in his images. Photo / Paul Wilson Images

New Zealand is one of only three countries in the world to have a Gold Rated International Dark Sky Reserve - the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve on the South Island.

This dark sky reserve is also the biggest in the world, and includes the Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and the villages of Lake Tekapo, Twizel and Mt Cook.

Although Wilson's nights are spent capturing the night sky, during the day he is a wedding photographer.