Crater Lake Night

In June 2023 I had hoped to visit Crater Lake for a night shoot, but due to unusual amounts of snow the north entrance and rim drive didn't open until well into July. Thankfully I found a weekend with clear skies forecast after returning from my trip to Colorado and drove down to this beautiful gem of Oregon for a night shoot. This was my first try using a new star tracker and lens, and I was very pleased with the results! The green color is a phenomenon called air glow -- different from aurora but also caused by the interaction of high atmospheric ions and solar wind. They say it's getting more common right now as the solar cycle approaches it's maximum. I love how the air glow and few clouds in the panoramic image show our atmosphere with the galaxy glowing above it.