SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
FERNANDO MENEZES
Location of Photo:
LOCATION: Rainbow Valley, Atacama Desert
Date/Time of photo:
DATE 12/15/2025 01:30
Equipment:
EQUIPMENT AND DATA: Canon 6D Canon lens 24mm 1.4 Mount skywhatcher Az-Gti Sky: Stack for 1X59" @ ISO3200 F4 Foreground: 1X59" ISO 3200 F2
Description:
In the foreground, the rock formations of Rainbow Valley, in Chile’s Atacama Desert, display layered sedimentary and volcaniclastic materials enriched with iron oxides, silicates, and trace metallic minerals. The observed color variations—reds, ochres, pale whites, and blue-green hues—arise from differing oxidation states, clay minerals, and mineral deposits associated with ancient lacustrine environments and volcanic activity. Shaped by extreme erosion under hyper-arid conditions, these rocks preserve a stable geological record of the region’s deep past.
Website:
https://app.astrobin.com/u/Fernando_Menezes?i=hdc9mr#fullscreen
