Milky Way Arches Over Lassen Volcanic Wilderness
Monday, May 25th, 2026 at 8:46:50 AM · 2026/Mt Lassen Volcanic National Park
This wide-field astrophotograph captures the Milky Way galaxy's central band stretching horizontally across a remarkably dark sky above Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. The galactic core's diffuse glow and dense star fields are clearly visible as a luminous band of interstellar gas, dust, and billions of stars arching across the upper-center portion of the frame. Thousands of individual stars are resolved across the entire image, with brighter blue-white stars punctuating the scene, and dark dust lanes creating contrast within the Milky Way's structure. The lower portion of the frame fades to near-total darkness, suggesting the horizon or treeline was deliberately excluded to maximize the star field. The image conveys an overwhelming sense of cosmic scale and the profound darkness achievable within a protected national park far from urban light pollution.
Chronologically Adjacent
