Just Another Day at the Grand Canyon

I found myself at Grand Canyon once again with hopes of interesting storms and lightning as well as sunset and astrophotography.

Cumulus towers developing south of Grand Canyon.
Cumulus towers developing south of Grand Canyon.

Late in the afternoon, these two cumulus towers south of Grand Canyon suggested that the next few hours could be interesting. Less than one-half hour later, the convection had become a Cumulonimbus with lightning. The storm was a fair distance away so that the lightning bolts were small—and in the wrong location. I had hoped to photograph a storm with lightning over the canyon but it was not to be.

Thunderstorms and lightning.
Thunderstorms and lightning.

That storm weakened and my attention turned to the fading colors of sunset within the canyon.

Sunset on the Palisades.
Sunset on the Palisades.

New thunderstorms developed south of the original storms and the large spreading anvil was awash with sunset colors. To the north high clouds were also taking part in the sunset show.

Thunderstorm at sunset.
Thunderstorm at sunset.
Canyon at sunset.
Canyon at sunset.

To the west, skies were clear allowing the Moon, Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus to shine in the fading light. Yes, that’s how they were lined up that evening—and this lineup was one of the reasons I was at the Grand Canyon that evening. Layers of haze—likely to be smoke—linger just above the horizon adding another touch of color to the sky.

The moon and planets line up in the twilight.
The moon and planets line up in the twilight.

Darkness fell upon the land and the thunderstorms were occasionally illuminated by lightning flashes while the stars became brighter with the deepening twilight.

Lightning illuminates a thunderstorm.
Lightning illuminates a thunderstorm.

As twilight ended and the moon sank lower in the western sky the Milky Way began to dominate the night sky. Lightning from storms to the east provide faint illumination of the Watchtower at Desert View.

Desert Watchtower and Milky Way.
Desert Watchtower and Milky Way.

Just another day at the Grand Canyon.