Sometimes, when there are no clouds to be seen anywhere, I point the camera in the opposite direction just before sunrise. There will almost always be a color band at the horizon. This is a result of something known as the twilight wedge. It’s also known as the shadow band, or Earth’s shadow band, or even as “counter-twilight.”

This band, which at it’s most colorful is usually a darker blue near the horizon and can take on pink and orange colors, is the Earth’s shadow being projected onto dust and haze in the atmosphere. It dissipates quickly as the sun rises to the East. These photos are after the twilight wedge has waned, looking over the Santa Clarita Valley toward Hines Peak, the highest peak of the Topatopa Mountains.

Jeff Turner

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