Milky Way Arches Over Mount Lassen Wilderness
Monday, May 25th, 2026 at 9:07:20 AM · 2026/Mt Lassen Volcanic National Park
This long-exposure astrophotography image captures the Milky Way galaxy arching across an exceptionally dark night sky above Mount Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. The galactic core is clearly visible as a luminous, dusty band stretching diagonally across the upper-center and right portion of the frame, with dark nebulae creating dramatic contrast within the galactic structure. A thin meteor streak is visible near the upper-right portion of the image, adding a dynamic element to the otherwise timeless scene. Silhouetted tree branches intrude into the upper-right corner, grounding the cosmic scene with a terrestrial element and providing scale. Thousands of individual stars are scattered across the deep black sky, creating a breathtaking sense of depth and scale that speaks to the exceptional dark-sky conditions found in this remote national park.
Chronologically Adjacent
