One of the oft-overlooked victims of modern city life is the night sky. With so much light being blasted out in all directions from urban centers, it’s easy to forget about the blackness of night and the ceiling of stars over our heads.

Photographer Thierry Cohen decided to bring us back (or maybe even forward?) to a time before electricity and searchlights and neon signs to when we could better see where we are in the universe. He traveled across the globe taking photos of big cities at night and of the starry sky in remote locations, combining them into stunning photographs.

It’s a reminder that will always be something bigger than ourselves and our grandest creations. See more of Cohen’s work in the gallery below.

Thierry Cohen