Milky Way Arches Over Mount Lassen's Dark Skies
Monday, May 25th, 2026 at 9:00:20 AM · 2026/Mt Lassen Volcanic National Park
This long-exposure night sky photograph captures the Milky Way galaxy's core and stellar band sweeping diagonally across the frame above Mount Lassen Volcanic National Park. Thousands of individual stars are visible against the deep black sky, with the characteristic dusty nebulosity and star clusters of the galactic plane rendered in soft, luminous tones. The upper right corner reveals the silhouette of pine trees, grounding the celestial scene in the forested landscape of Northern California. Dark dust lanes within the Milky Way add depth and structure to the composition, while a few notably bright stars punctuate the lower portions of the frame. The image conveys a profound sense of isolation and cosmic scale achievable only in remote, light-pollution-free wilderness areas.
Chronologically Adjacent
