Explanation:
Stars gracefully arc over the glow from a not too
distant forest fire in this
dramatic time exposure.
A recent camping trip with family and friends to
Sunset Crater
Volcano National Monument, near
Flagstaff, Arizona, USA produced the opportunity to record
the subtle lighting from
Earth and sky.
Pointed south with the shutter held open for five minutes,
camera and tripod were fixed
to planet Earth, producing the gently curving,
concentric star trails - a reflection of the planet's
daily rotation about its axis.
Rising beyond the forest fire's glow is the slope of
Sunset Crater, a cinder cone produced
by volcanic eruptions some 900 years ago.