Musselman Arch, Canyonlands National Park and the Arching Milky Way

May 13, 2016

Musselman Arch Final flat

Photographer: David Lane
Summary Author: David Lane

May 2016 Viewer's ChoiceShown above is Musselman Arch (at center) in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, with the Milky Way arching overhead. It's a jarring 5 mi (8 km) drive on White Rim Road to the Arch itself -- actually, more like a bridge. Following a pleasant day touring Canyonlands, I slept under the stars in my trusty vehicle. As darkness descended, the moonless sky permitted me to capture this glorious view of the Milky Way in an otherwise nearly pitch black sky. The galactic center, brightest region of the Milky Way, is at right (south). Photo taken on April 10, 2016.

Photo Details: Canon 6D camera; 8000 ISO, 50 mm;  f1.8; 10-second exposure for sky, 30 seconds  for ground. 42 image panorama, sky 6x4, ground 6x3.