Half Dome Glows Under A Spectacular Sunset Before Giving Way To A Star Filled Yosemite Sky

Half Dome transforms as the setting sun paints its granite face and surrounding sky in a vivid display of changing colors.

The fixed view shows Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, with warm late-day light striking its sheer northwest face and rounded crown.

As high clouds drift across the sky, their colors shift from pale gold to orange, then red and pink. The light gradually fades from the granite as the blue sky deepens into twilight.

Stars then begin appearing overhead, bringing the scene to a dark, star-filled sky while the forested slopes and neighboring granite formations remain in view.

Half Dome stands at the east end of Yosemite Valley, with its crest about 8,839 feet (2,694 m) high. Its northwest face drops more than 4,700 feet above the valley floor.

The formation is a granite dome shaped by glaciers that undercut the face, causing slabs to peel away. Common viewpoints for this angle include Glacier Point and Washburn Point.