After Dark in the Cascades

On a moonless night in June 2026, alone in the Cascade Range near Mount St. Helens, I witnessed a celestial spectacle that left me feeling both humbled and inspired. In a galaxy of countless stars, embedded in a universe of unknowable scale, Earth is our precious and vulnerable home. We would be wise to act accordingly.

Timelapse video from Smith Creek Viewpoint on the night of June 13/14. Actual time elapsed, 7 hours starting at 21:40 local time. Nikon Z8 body, 7Artisans 10 mm lens, f2.8, ISO 3200, 13 sec exposure every 15 sec. Processed with Adobe Photoshop, CapCut PC, and Microsoft Clipchamp software.