Grand Prismatic Spring at Night

October 17, 2017

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Photographer: Petr Horálek  
Summary Author: Petr Horálek

October 2017 Viewer's ChoiceJust five days after the Great American Total Solar Eclipse, I was witness to another spectacular astronomical phenomenon. While returning from viewing this eclipse I decided to take a photo of the night sky from Yellowstone National Park and specifically from Grand Prismatic Spring. The Milky Way, at far right, was breathtaking, but what really surprised me were the intense bands of airglow that appeared high over the colorful hot springs. Because the sky was so dark, the airglow was actually visible with the naked eye. Note that the spring itself is the azure colored oval in the mid-ground at right center -- it's responsible for the fog layer (steam fog) lying just above it. Panorama taken on August 26, 2017.  

Photo Details: Canon 6D IR Baader modified camera; Samyang 24 mm lens; f2.8, ISO 1000, 28 shots, each with a 15 second exposure; camera mounted on tripod.