It sometimes feels like Mars, Pluto, and planets beyond our solar system get all the attention. But let’s be real: Earth is the best goddamn planet period. And in case you’d forgotten it, this brilliant timelapse of the Mojave desert at night ought to remind you.
MOJAVE BLUES was shot and edited by astrophotographer Harun Mehmedinovic. It’s part of Project SKYGLOW, an ongoing collaboration between Mehmedinovic and Gavin Heffernan, who are traveling the country, discovering serene, beautiful, and under-appreciated landscapes that offer glorious views of the night sky.
The essential point of SKYGLOW is to raise awareness of urban light pollution. But this video in particular—which features an exploding meteorite and a rare flash of zodiacal light—does so much more. It reminds us that the sum total of our existence is contained on a speck of rock floating in a vast starry ocean.
Sure, we can block out those stars with technology, but we’re doing ourselves a disservice. A liveable, breathable planet from which we can witness all the wonders of the cosmic landscape? That sounds like the best spot in the universe.
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Top image: A meteorite streaks past a powerline over the Mojave. In the video, you can see it explode into a puff of smoke! Via Harun Mehmedinovic