Today's Image

Fiery sunset clouds over Zimbabwe

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September 5, 2016

This spectacular time-lapse animation, which loops five times, shows the motion of clouds – speeded up 25 times – brightly colored by the setting sun just after it disappeared behind a hill near Christmas Pass, Mutare, Zimbabwe.

I prepared the video from a sequence of 90 images taken at 3-second intervals from 17:23 p.m. to 17:28 p.m. local time on August 2, 2016.

It gives the illusion that some of the indigenous Musasa trees just behind the summit have been set on fire.

Real dry season hilltop fires also occur at this time of year but are caused by human intervention, not the sun.

The photographs were taken using a tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 compact camera in sunset scenery mode and maximum x 60 zoom magnification.

A real Mutare, Zimbabwe dry season hilltop fire in progress on August 29, 2016. Photo by Peter Lowenstein.

Just after the sun disappeared behind a hill near Christmas Pass, Mutare, Zimbabwe on August 2, 2016. Photo by Peter Lowenstein.

Bottom line: Time-lapse video of fiery sunset near Mutare, Zimbabwe.

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September 5, 2016

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Today's Image

Peter Lowenstein

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About the Author:

Dr. Peter Lowenstein has contributed many beautiful and fascinating images and stories to EarthSky. Trained as a geochemist, he spent his early years with the Geological Survey of Papua New Guinea, specializing in metals and volcanoes. In 1989, he moved to the Zimbabwe Geological Survey as Chief Economic Geologist and has lived and worked in Zimbabwe ever since. Peter is now retired to Zimbabwe, in a house with a beautiful view in Murambi East, Mutare, where he pursues favorite hobbies including construction of electronic gadgets, listening to music, gardening, surfing the Internet ... and photography.