Alpenglow. Glacier Bay Seascapes

by Connie Fox

Title

Alpenglow. Glacier Bay Seascapes

Artist

Connie Fox

Medium

Photograph - Outdoor Color Photo

Description

Beautiful alpenglow on the peaks in the distance as our cruise ship leaves Glacier Bay, Alaska, at close of day. Mountains of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeastern Alaska, U.S.A. appear in partial silhouette, and a portion of the Fairweather Range catches the alpenglow. At this time of year in Alaska, the sun was setting around 11:30 p.m.

Alpenglow is an optical phenomenon in which a horizontal red glowing band is observed on the horizon opposite to the sun. This effect occurs when the sun is just below the horizon. Alpenglow is easiest to observe when mountains are illuminated, but can also be observed when the sky is illuminated through backscattering. Since the sun is below the horizon, there is no direct path for the light to reach the mountain. Instead, light reflects off airborne snow, water, or ice particles low in the atmosphere. These conditions differentiate between a normal sunrise or sunset and alpenglow.

Although the term may be loosely applied to any sunrise or sunset light seen on the mountains, true alpenglow is not direct sunlight and is only observed after sunset or before sunrise. The luminescence of the blue water in the foreground hugs the rocks at the base of what might be Tracy Arm at the entrance to Glacier Bay. Sadly, for us, it is the end of another glorious day of adventure. But around the bend lies many more days, each filled with unique beauty and adventures of their own.

Copyright 2015-23 Connie Steitz Fox
All Rights Reserved
Canon A630
Artistic

FEATURED on the homepage of Ocean Only Photography, April 2023; The Art Workshop and Compact Digital Camera Photographers, and The Meandering Photographer, May 2023, Just Perfect, June 2023.

Uploaded

October 20th, 2015

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Viewed 446 Times  -  Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 04/13/2024 at 4:06 PM

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