The waxing 3-day-old crescent Moon in the evening sky over Red Rock Coulee Natural Area in southeast Alberta. The Sun has set at the point on the horizon at far right, at the edge of the dark cloud of forest fire smoke. This image serves as an illustration of the angle between the sunset point and waxing Moon. This is a 9-exposure high dynamic range blend to preserve details in the bright sky and dark ground. Tone mapped with Adobe Camera Raw.
In 1873 the explorer and adventurer William Butler wrote of his treks across the Canadian prairie in his book The Great Lone Land. In it, he wrote, “No ocean of water in the world can vie with its gorgeous sunsets …” This is the sunset on July 26, 2017, from Red Rock Coulee Natural Area in southeast Alberta, in big sky country. The waxing crescent Moon hangs in the west. The Sun is setting to the northwest amid a plume of forest fire smoke from the Rockies, tinting the setting Sun very red. Red Rock Coulee Natural Area contains this odd assortment of sandstone concretions. This is an 8-segment panorama with the 24mm Sigma lens and Nikon D750, stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.
