The Night Sky

The Bonneville Salt Flats are a striking sight in daytime. At night the feel can be otherworldly. The darkness of Utah's West Desert is punctuated here by a lone interstate highway and the town of Wendover,which provides illumination for the salt floor without overpowering the night sky.The green glow along the horizon is from distant mercury vapor lighting in the Salt Lake City area, while the orange glow is from high pressure sodium vapor lighting.Photographed about an hour earlier, the salt flats at dusk displays the surface texture of this expanse in a different light (literally!). - Martin van Hemert