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Hallett Peak from Emerald Lake, Colorado

Stephanie Schley

One of the most popular hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park takes you to Emerald Lake. From the lake, you’re treated to this fine view of Hallett Peak (left) and the rough pinnacles of Flattop Mountain (12,324 ft - 3,756 m). At 12,713 ft (3,875 m) Hallett sits on the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Repeated uplift and erosion formed this area of the Rockies over hundreds of million years. The mountains as we see them today are the result of tectonic uplift about 70 million years ago. In turn, these mountains were eroded by several glacial episodes the most recent was the Pinedale Glaciation that began about 30,000 years ago. All of today’s park glaciers have accumulated since the last ice age in shady places where wind-blown snow gathers in the ancient cirques and remains through the summers. Photo taken June 7, 2015.

[photosophers]

Cúpula de Secús in the Pyrenees Mountains

Xavier Varela

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Mountain Fortification in Afghanistan

Rob Sheridan

The mountain valleys of northeastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province abut Pakistan’s northwestern Pashtun tribal areas and have been contested ground for hundreds of years. The area was a major trading route and disputed buffer zone between British India and the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Beginning in Queen Victoria’s reign, three British armies entered the difficult terrain in an attempt to influence Afghan loyalties. This led to the artificial creation of the Durand Line in 1893 that divided the two spheres of influence. This line then became the Afghan-Pakistan border upon Pakistan’s creation in the aftermath of the Second World War. Built on the Afghan side of the Durand line by the British during one of their 19th-century incursions, an isolated mountain fortress sits on an elevated stronghold. The fortress was constructed of local sedimentary rock that once formed the bed of the Tethys Sea. This structure provides a visual commentary on the value and difficulty of the terrain. Note, an Afghanistan flag flies over the fortress.

Photo Details

: Camera Maker: NIKON; Camera Model: COOLPIX S9700; Focal Length: 40.9mm (35mm equivalent: 229mm); Aperture: ƒ/6.3; Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60); ISO equiv: 125.

[photosophers]

Glory Observed on Flight from Prague to Athens

Efthalia Traianou

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The Big Drop

Menashe Davidson

Photo details: Camera Model: NIKON D80; Focal Length: 28.0mm (35mm equivalent: 42mm); Aperture: f/13.0; Exposure Time: 0.040 s (1/25); ISO equiv: 100.

[photosophers]

Stars Circling the South Celestial Pole

Fabiano Belisario Diniz

As a participant in a Brazilian astrophotography observation night this past July, I took the above image showing multiple star trails around the South Celestial Pole. It's composed of 287 individual pictures. Because my location was just a little more than 14 degrees from the Equator, the celestial pole (overhead of the geographic south pole) lies quite close to the horizon. Canopus is the brilliant star (star trail) at left. Photos taken on July 23, 2014.

 Photo details

: 287 individual pictures; each one exposed for 30 seconds; 8 mm fish-eye lens; f/5.6; ISO 3200.