Moments of Eternity

From the photographer: “This weird and unearthly landscape could exist somewhere on Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io. One can imagine the nighttime eruption of this volcanic geyser taking place millions or even billions of years ago. This active geyser scene is actually here on Earth, and within the desert of Nevada (USA). Such otherworldly landscapes are rare on Earth… but they exist.

The bright band of the Milky Way seems oddly familiar here in the background of this unearthly scene. The luminous Triffid and Lagoon nebulae of Sagittarius can be seen towards the center of our galaxy as they radiate at a distance of 7600 and 4100 light years, respectively.

Maybe this image helps us to imagine how Earth may have looked in its turbulent youth. Heat and Sulfur-resistant bacteria feed on the boiling water of this geyser – just like at the beginning of life on Earth.”