Two years ago, I posted a blog entitled “Alpenglow” featuring some early morning shots of the sunrise.
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. 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.
Yesterday, I awoke to a beautiful display of alpenglow. I hastened to get some pictures, because it doesn’t last long. I was fortunate to capture a transition from true alpenglow (as defined above) to some striking shots of direct sunlight on the mountains and sky above them. Following is a sequence of photographs taken over a ten minute period before the sun got higher in the sky and the intensity of colour began to fade.
This first shot shows true alpenglow. The sun has not crested the horizon and there is no direct sunlight on the mountain. Ha Ling Peak, featured here was literally aglow in the reflected light from moisture in the sky.
This next picture shows the Rundle Range, still very much coloured by alpenglow. Direct sunlight has reached the clouds above it and the distant peak at the very end of the range. Look closely at the right hand side of the photograph where you can see the brilliant spot of orange where that last peak is directly illuminated.
The last picture is a close-up view of Ship’s Prow, fully illuminated by direct sunlight. The sun is still low in the sky so the light is still very warm (red, orange) but much more intense than the alpenglow. It lasted only a few more minutes before fading to a light, yellowish colour. Within another 20 minutes the mountains’ colour had reverted to its usual, daytime grey.
All the photographs were taken from our back porch.
Beauties!!