Landscape & Nature

Sunset Behind Wildfire Smoke

Northerly winds from a strong high-pressure system brings in surface-level and high-altitude smoke from the Dixie, Caldor, Monument, Antelope, McFarland, Lava, and River Complex fires burning north of the Bay Area. San Francisco Bay Area, California 29-AUG-2021

Sunset Cirrus Clouds

An incoming high-pressure system brings unseasonably hot fall temperatures and cirrus intortus clouds over the East Bay mountains (Diablo Range). San Francisco Bay Area, California 26-SEP-2020

Sunset Through Wildfire Smoke

Dark, smoky air from the nearby SCU-, CZU-, and LNU-complex fires blankets the SF Bay Area at sunset. San Francisco Bay Area, California 30-AUG-2020

NEOWISE Comet Over Bay Area Marine Layer

NEOWISE Comet C/2020 F3 (Mag 2.9, 69 million miles away) Its next appearance near Earth will be in 6953 years. The yellow glow is from light shining into the distant, incoming marine layer flowing over the mountain tops. San Francisco Bay Area, California 16-JUL-2020

Grape Soda Lupine

Grape soda lupine shrub among a dense field of California poppies and California goldfields (The flowers smell like grape soda/pop!) Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Lancaster, California 19-APR-2019

Fire Sunset

High clouds combined with heavy smoke & haze from two newly-sparked wildfires 100 miles away, Butte Fire (Amador Co.) & Valley Fire (Lake Co.), create a dark & eerie, unusual sunset. San Francisco Bay Area, California 13-SEP-2015

Sunbeams & Marine Layer

The sun sets behind the thick marine layer along the Pacific coast & Santa Cruz Mountains. San Francisco Bay Area, California 25-OCT-2014

Keyhole Arch Rock Sunset

Clouds finally break and light up as the sun sets into the Pacific Ocean. Pfeiffer Beach Big Sur Coast, California 02-FEB-2013

Pink Cumulus Clouds at Sunset

Pink sunset light illuminates the large cumulus cloud formations. San Francisco Bay Area, California 17-FEB-2019

Antelope Valley Poppies

California poppies and other wildflowers fill Antelope Valley's high desert with oranges & yellows for miles. The snow-capped San Bernardino mountains (10,000 ft.) separate the valley from the LA Basin. Antelope Valley, California 19-APR-2019

Total Lunar Eclipse & Stars: 2018

Near peak totality at 5:29 a.m. PST San Francisco Bay Area, California 31-JAN-2018

Pink & Purple Haze Sunset

Smoke & haze from multiple in Mariposa County, 150 miles away-- just west of Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada--, result in eerie, dramatic red sunsets over the summer marine/fog layer in the Bay Area. San Francisco Bay Area, California 19-AUG-2017

Partial Solar Eclipse & Satellite

A satellite transits the solar eclipse. (It passed completely through the frame in less than one second.) The satellite is still well lit by the partial eclipsed sun since it orbits close to the earth relative to the distance to the moon. San Francisco Bay Area, California 21-AUG-2017

Blue Clouds & White Pelicans After Sunset

San Francisco Bay Area, California 07-JUN-2017

Morning Walk on Sand Dunes

Three hikers walk along the ridge of the Mesquite Flat dunes near Stovepipe Wells. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Death Valley National Park, California 21-DEC-2014

Yosemite Falls & Flooded Meadows

Sentinel Meadows, flooded by the record spring melts, reflects a full-flowing Yosemite Falls. Yosemite National Park, California 24-JUN-2011

Sunset on Half Dome

The last light near sunset shines on the sheer face of Half Dome. Yosemite National Park, California 14-MAY-2011

Sunset Halo

Ice crystals in the cirrus clouds create the optical effects of the 22° halo, sun dogs (left & right), and sun pillar. San Francisco Bay Area, California 23-APR-2015

Orange Cirrus Skies

Cirrus fibratus clouds at sunset paint the skies over the incoming marine layer and mountains. San Francisco Bay Area, California 09-MAY-2016

White Pelican & Sunset Clouds

An American white pelican glides past pink sunset clouds on summer solstice. San Francisco Bay Area, California 20-JUN-2016

Pink Clouds After Sunset

Sunset's last light casts pink colors on the clouds over the Santa Cruz mountains. San Francisco Bay Area, California 06-AUG-2015

Lenticular Clouds Over Half Dome at Sunset

The last light of the sunset illuminates the layered lenticular clouds over Yosemite's Half Dome and the many distant high peaks. Yosemite National Park, California 29-SEP-2013

Supermoon Eclipse: September, 2015

Total lunar eclipse of the harvest supermoon just minutes before the end of totality. This eclipse was the last of the 2014-2015 tetrad (4). San Francisco Bay Area, California 27-SEP-2015

Partial Solar Eclipse: October, 2014

Point of maximum eclipse for the partial solar eclipse as observed from the San Francisco Bay Area. The large sunspot in the middle is active region AR 12192, the largest sunspot since 1990. The area has been releasing many powerful X-class solar flares (radiation). San Francisco Bay Area, California 23-OCT-2014

Paddle Boat on Lauderdale Lakes

Breaks in passing rain storms provides an opportunity for an outing on the lake at sunset. Lauderdale Lakes Elkhorn, Wisconsin 01-SEP-2013

Lenticular Clouds Over Yosemite

Layered, lenticular clouds form when moist air & high winds from the incoming storm system cause patterned cloud condensation above the high peaks. Yosemite National Park, California 29-SEP-2013

Pfeiffer Beach: Clouds Breaking at Sunset

The thick blanket of clouds along the Big Sur coast finally breaks apart to reveal a spectacular sunset. Pfeiffer Beach Big Sur Coast, California 02-FEB-2013

Sunrise & Clouds Over Blue Ridge

Henry Coe State Park Santa Clara County, California 21-OCT-2012

Thunderstorm Clouds Over Creek at Sunset

Shower & thunderstorm clouds roll into the Bay Area at sunset. A subtropical low-pressure system brings in a rare, late-summer rain. San Francisco Bay Area, California 05-SEP-2012

Sunset Cirrus Formations Over Bay

Cirrus clouds break apart over the mountains & waters in the SF Bay. The high clouds are stirred by the drastic drop in temperature at sunset (from near-record 100-degree daytime heat.) San Francisco Bay Area, California 16-JUN-2012

Total Lunar Eclipse: April, 2014 Total lunar eclipse near totality in the early morning of April 15, 2014: the first of two total lunar eclipses for the area in 2014. (High clouds created very hazy viewing conditions.) San Francisco Bay Area, California 15-APR-2014

Transit of Venus & Trails from SFO

A plane leaving SFO (40 miles away) flies through the transit-of-Venus across the sun. The large dot is Venus, which is passing between the sun & earth in this rare event. (The smaller dots are sun spots.) San Francisco Bay Area, California 05-JUN-2012

Surf Scoter Wake A male surf scoter paddles across the sunset-tinted lake. Shoreline Park Mountain View, California 18-JAN-2012

Backlit Clouds Breaking The last light of sunset peeks through low clouds over the Santa Cruz mountains. San Francisco Bay Area California 21-NOV-2011

Low Clouds & Moon at Sunset Low clouds break up at sunset in Yosemite Valley, unveiling the waxing gibbous moon. Yosemite National Park California 14-MAY-2011

Clouds and Rays Over Amador Valley Sunlight breaks through the high clouds to light the town of Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara in Amador Valley (near Pleasanton and Dublin). Sunol Peak, Mission Peak, the SF Bay waters, and the Santa Cruz Mountains can be seen in the distance. Mount Diablo State Park Contra Costa County, California 01-OCT-2011

Filtered & Fiery Diablo Sunset Thick clouds aren't able to mask the setting sun over Diablo Valley. Mount Diablo State Park Contra Costa County, California 01-OCT-2011

Harvest Moon & Clouds The pink fall harvest moon rises above the low clouds. San Francisco Bay Area California 12-SEP-2011

Striped Clouds at Sunset The sun has set below the Santa Cruz mountains, but the last light gives a warm glow to the layered clouds. San Francisco Bay Area California 17-AUG-2011

Total Lunar Eclipse 2011 Three stages of the total lunar eclipse: 1. Moon entering umbra 2. Minutes before totality 3. Eclipse totality (Totality begins at 6:06 a.m. PST.) San Francisco Bay Area California 10-DEC-2011

Skimmers at Sunset Black skimmers search for food by dipping their lower beak in the water as they fly just above the creek. Adobe Creek, Baylands Preserve Palo Alto, California 20-JUL-2011

Morning on the Merced: Flood Reflections Yosemite Falls adds to the flooding Merced River in Yosemite Valley. Here, the Merced has flooded much of Sentinel Meadow. Yosemite National Park, California 24-JUN-2011

Tumbling Water on Granite Walls Ribbon Fall, a seasonal (spring) waterfall fed by snow melts, drops water 1600 ft. down the cliffs of Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California 26-JUN-2011

Sentinel Rock Above Flooded Meadow The sun lights Sentinel Rock before it sets below the Valley rim. The Merced River floods Cook's Meadow and provides still waters for reflections. Yosemite National Park, California 22-JUN-2011

Jeffrey Pine Atop Granite A lone Jeffrey Pine holds on to cracks in the granite and is able to grow in winds and cold conditions at 8400 ft. Olmsted Point Yosemite National Park, California 25-JUN-2011

Milky Way Rise Over Illilouette Ridge & Glacier Point Road Vehicles drive down from Galcier Point after an evening of stargazing programs. (The reddish light on the horizon is light pollution from the Central Valley.) Yosemite National Park, California 25-JUN-2011

Storms in Yosemite Valley Late-spring storm clouds bring snow and hail to Valley rim (at higher elevations) and rain to the lower elevations of a green Yosemite Valley. (Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls are in the distance. The Valley is about 3200 ft. below this viewpoint.) Yosemite National Park, California 28-MAY-2011

Full Moon Over East Bay Foothills

San Francisco Bay Area, California 26-MAR-2013