Starry Skies and Puya Raimondii Plant in Flower is a photograph by James Brunker which was uploaded on February 17th, 2016.
Starry Skies and Puya Raimondii Plant in Flower
The Puya raimondii plant is one of the most spectacular plants found in the Andes. The worlds largest bromeliad, it flowers after around 40 years and... more
Title
Starry Skies and Puya Raimondii Plant in Flower
Artist
James Brunker
Medium
Photograph
Description
The Puya raimondii plant is one of the most spectacular plants found in the Andes. The worlds largest bromeliad, it flowers after around 40 years and then dies. The flower spike is often 9-10m high, with more than three thousand flowers and six million seeds. It is considered an endangered species, and is only found at several high altitude sites in Peru and a few in Bolivia.
The clear skies and high altitudes in the southern hemisphere can make for stunning views of the stars and the Milky Way (the Galactic Center can be seen in this image). The glow behind the plant is the Zodiacal Light, which is produced by sunlight reflecting off dust particles in the Solar System. It is visible along the ecliptic before dawn or after sunset (depending on the time of year and whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere). The dull orange glow on the horizon is from the city of El Alto, approx 50 miles / 80 km away.
Photograph © James Brunker. Reproduction, transmission or use in any form (print, website, etc) without prior written permission strictly prohibited.
Uploaded
February 17th, 2016
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Comments (3)
Allan Van Gasbeck
Congratulations! Your outstanding artwork has been chosen as a FEATURE in the “Serenity and Simplicity Outdoors” group on Fine Art America — You are invited to post your featured image to the featured image discussion thread as a permanent place to continue to get exposure even after the image is no longer on the Home Page.
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