Stars Above and Below
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STARS ABOVE AND BELOW
In the chill of a Colorado summer night at 12,000 feet, the core of the Milky Way cascades across the sky over a field of Rocky Mountain Columbine. A gentle breeze stirs the grasses and blooms and as midnight draws near on a moonless July 4, the best fireworks display is right here in this spectacular alpine meadow.
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Cottonwood Pass
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COTTONWOOD PASS
On the final weekend of May, Cottonwood Pass is free of ice and snow and opens to vehicle traffic. It is frigid at the summit and snow is still piled up 4 feet on either side of the road, but with no moon to blot out the stars, the Milky Way is on full display in the southeastern sky.
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Aurora and Star Trails
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COLORFUL SPLENDOR
On a March evening in 2023, a surprise solar storm triggered a dazzling show of the Northern Lights that could be seen as far south as New Mexico. In this vista from the Comanche Grasslands in eastern Colorado, the stars of the northwestern sky add their own flash to the magentas and blues of the Aurora Borealis.
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Great Sand Dunes NP
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GREAT SAND DUNES
In the day time, the sun bakes the sand dunes to blistering temperatures, but when night falls, that same sand chills as it radiates the warmth back out into the night air, offering a pleasant soft bed for stargazers to recline and enjoy the glory of the heavens. Atmospheric conditions often provide the aqua and green haze we call "air glow," a phenomenon created by a process similar to that which creates the Northern Lights.
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Westcliffe Cabin
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WESTCLIFFE HISTORY
In Westcliffe, Colorado an historic cabin is nestled in a field at the foot of the mountains. On an autumn night, the core of the Milky Way crowns the valley in shimmering stars.
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Eleven Mile Reservoir
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ELEVEN MILE RESERVOIR
In late spring the core of the Milky Way appears as a diagonal swath just after midnight.
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