Queen's Shoe Formation on Tenerife

September 24, 2021

QueensShoeSMALLer

Photographer: Tomas Slovinsky

Summary Author: Tomas Slovinsky; Cadan Cummings

One of the most beautiful sites on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain is the Teide National Park. This breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site occupies an area of almost 77 square miles (200 square km) and contains the highest peak of Spain - Pico del Teide or Mount Teide (12,188 ft / 3,715 m). As a result of the combined overall high elevations and low light pollution levels on Tenerife, the region offers spectacular night sky viewing and astrophotography. Shown in the image above is a night sky photo from the Zapatilla de La Reina (Queen’s Shoe), which is a famous geological arch made of phonolite that has been shaped by weathering for thousands of years. This intense geological shaping was caused through combined wind, precipitation, and freeze/thaw processes that were intensified by the overall high elevation of the island. Photo taken June 30, 2021. 


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