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Milky Way over Utah, and a moonlit blue hour

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August 26, 2014

Milky Way over Goblin Valley State Park, Utah, by Mike Taylor. View more at Mike Taylor Photo — Milky Way over Utah by Mike Taylor. View more at Mike Taylor Photo

Mike Taylor captured this photo, and he wrote:

The Milky Way rises above the desert dunes at Goblin Valley State Park near Green River, Utah while the setting crescent moon lights up the foreground and creates a ‘blue hour’ glow in the sky.

Photographers like Mike speak of the blue hour fondly because it’s a great time to take photos. Sometimes, you might hear them refer to it as sweet light. Normally, we’d of the blue hour as a period of twilight each morning and evening, when the sun is fairly below the horizon. As such times, indirect sunlight gives the sky and landscape a bluish hue. In this case, the indirect light is being caused by the moon behind sand dunes in Goblin Valley.

Thank you, Mike!

What is the blue hour?

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August 26, 2014

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Deborah Byrd

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Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.