Alchemy

From the photographer: “The dreamlike scene is one of the most beautiful places on Reunion Island. The Piton de l’Eau is a crater filled with water. Between July and September it is surrounded by arum lilies, beautiful white flowers. The arc of the Milky Way occupies the greater part of the sky and dominates the Piton des Neiges (far away), the highest point in the Indian Ocean (elv. 3070 m).”

This photo was highly commended in Earth and Space category of Astrophotographer of the Year 2012 competition of Royal Museums Greenwich.