Milky Way Arches Over Lassen Volcanic Wilderness
Monday, May 25th, 2026 at 8:36:50 AM · 2026/Mt Lassen Volcanic National Park
This long-exposure astrophotography image captures the Milky Way galaxy's core and band sweeping diagonally across the frame above Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. Thousands of individual stars are visible as pinpoints of blue-white light against the deep black sky, while the denser star fields and dark nebulae of the galactic plane create a textured, smoky band through the center of the image. The lower half of the frame is notably darker, suggesting either a distant treeline silhouette or the natural vignetting of the wide-angle lens. The image conveys a profound sense of cosmic scale and solitude, characteristic of wilderness night sky photography in a dark sky area. Shot with a Canon EOS R6 Mark II and the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens, the image benefits from excellent low-light capability though the exposure and processing show room for refinement.
Chronologically Adjacent
