The nighttime Mont Blanc massif reflected in the alpine lake Lac de Chéserys, viewed from the Aiguilles Rouges above Chamonix in the French Alps, is one of the most iconic landscapes in the Alps, especially when the Milky Way rises directly above Mont Blanc.
A summertime low pressure system had brought plenty of fresh snow, illuminating the jagged peaks beneath the new moon. Just before midnight, the sky cleared as a cold front passed through, with a few mid-level clouds racing across the stars. The gusty winds finally calmed enough to create a magnificent reflection of the stars and mountains in the lake.
The Milky Way rises directly above the summit of Mont Blanc. Its brightest region is the galactic center, located in the constellation Sagittarius at a distance of about 25,000 light-years. The constellation Scorpius is reflected brightly in Lac de Chéserys, revealing the contrasting colors of its stars. The bright reddish Lagoon Nebula is surrounded by dark interstellar dust clouds that block the light of the stars behind them. The luminous band of the Milky Way in the constellation Scutum can be seen at the top of the image.
Most of the peaks of the Mont Blanc massif rise well above 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). The massive peak on the left is L’Aiguille Verte, at 13,524 feet (4,122 meters), followed by the distant chain of Les Grandes Jorasses at 13,780 feet (4,200 meters). Farther to the right are the jagged peaks stretching from the Aiguille des Grand Charmoz to the Aiguille du Midi, which rises to 12,605 feet (3,842 meters), and finally Mont Blanc itself, the highest peak in the European Alps, at 15,781 feet (4,810 meters).
