Fast Asleep: The Big Dipper Meets Sleeping Canoes

This stunning image, captured at Marsh Creek State Park in June 2025, offers a unique perspective on the night sky. While the aurora borealis remained elusive, the photographer was able to capture a different kind of magic: the majestic Big Dipper resting serenely above a row of seemingly "sleeping" canoes.

The scene evokes a sense of profound peace, with the familiar constellation appearing to keep watch over the slumbering vessels. It’s a beautiful reminder of the quiet grandeur that can be found in nature, even in the absence of dramatic celestial events.

This photograph was taken using a Sony A99II camera paired with a Carl Zeiss 24mm f/2 lens, mounted on a sturdy Really Right Stuff tripod and head. The settings for this shot were: 24mm focal length, f/4.5 aperture, 13-second exposure, and an ISO of 800.