After a sunset watched by many spectators, I find myself completely alone at nightfall in this grandiose Arizona setting.
The twilight still tints the horizon in this early evening on the edge of the Colorado at Horseshoe Bend, not far from the town of Page. 340 m below, the kayakers have climbed back from the river bank to bivouac, while the rotation of the Earth etches the movement of stars in the sky. The planet Jupiter goes to bed, while a bright meteor streaks the sky and airplanes ceaselessly thread their contrails.
Later, the crescent Moon illuminates the landscape, still allowing us to see the Milky Way in a sky free from light pollution. On the right, above the Colorado River, the Big Dipper points to the brilliant star Arcturus with the curvature of its handle. Around the campfire, the kayakers set up their bivouac for the night.