Milky Way Arches Over Lassen Volcanic Night Sky
Monday, May 25th, 2026 at 8:41:50 AM · 2026/Mt Lassen Volcanic National Park
This long-exposure astrophotograph captures the sweeping band of the Milky Way galaxy arching diagonally across a deeply dark night sky above Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. Thousands of individual stars are visible against the inky black background, with the galaxy's diffuse core glowing softly in the upper-center portion of the frame. Dark nebula lanes — dense clouds of interstellar dust — create dramatic contrast within the galactic band, giving the Milky Way its characteristic mottled appearance. The image conveys a profound sense of solitude and cosmic scale, typical of remote wilderness night sky photography in a designated dark-sky area. Shot with a Canon EOS R6 Mark II and the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens, the photograph benefits from modern mirrorless sensor performance for low-light capture.
Chronologically Adjacent
