This view from Monument Valley shows the famous buttes in the foreground. The buttes are composed of hard rock left behind after water eroded away the surrounding soft rock. The two buttes on the left of the image are the Mittens, with Merrick Butte on the right.

The planet Mars is at the left of the skyscape, a glowing beacon of orange that is the brightest object in the frame. To the right of Mars lies the constellation of Orion. Betelgeuse is the reddish star near the center and the Belt of Orion and the Orion Nebula are farther right. Finally, the bright blue star Rigel appears above Merrick Butte in this stunning view.

Monument Valley by Wally Pacholka

The photo was taken by Wally Pacholka, a photographer with a talent for capturing wonderful collaborations between national parks and the stars.

His technique? A standard 50mm lens mounted on a tripod, exposures of sometimes up to a minute, and patience to get the right shot.

The distinctive geological features of Monument Valley here on Earth, the mesas and buttes, are instantly recognisable.

It’s no surprise then that when the Mars Global Surveyor took the image below, on the Elysium Plains, approximately 300 kilometers (~185 miles) south of the Cerberus region in the Martian eastern hemisphere  in 2000, it was quickly dubbed the “Martian Monument Valley.”

Uneroded rock can be seen to the top of the image, forming a flat upland area. The mesas and buttes formed with erosion of the layered bedrock, much as they did on Earth.

Martian Monument Valley

Photo: NASA/JPL/MSSS

ASTER, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, is an imaging instrument on the Terra satellite. As a part of NASA’s Earth Observing System, Terra and ASTER are used to obtain detailed maps of land surface temperature, reflectance and elevation.  ASTER provides high-resolution images of the Earth in 15 different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from visible to thermal infrared light. Image resolution ranges between 15 to 90 meters.

On April 18, 2002, Terra overflew Monument Valley. The data that was acquired was combined with digital elevation data from the U.S. Geological Survey National Elevation Dataset, to produce this 3-D perspective of the Valley.

The view is centered near 36.8 degrees north latitude, 110.3 degrees west longitude.

ASTER 3-D perspective of Monument Valley

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Photographing Monument Valley

Monument Valley offers great opportunities for amazing photography. As the light changes throughout the day, look for contrasts between the sky and the red sandstones. A saturated deep blue sky juxtaposed against the orange and red buttes, shadows lengthening across the plain.

There is no artificial light to spoil photography. Sunset and sunrise can be the best times to take pictures. A desert sunrise is colorful and silhouettes the rock formations. In the evening, at sunset, the valley can turn a deep, rich red in the last rays of the sun. A stormy afternoon sky above the valley can be a spectacular sight, and pools of water after rain capture beautiful reflections. As the valley is high desert, don’t be too surprised to see snow in the off-season, and take the opportunity to photograph some unusual scenes.

To take pictures of the residents of the valley, remember that this is their home. Ask permission before taking a picture and expect to pay a small gratuity.

Recommendations:

• A digital SLR
• Polarizing filter
• Tripod
• Patience: wait for the sky to change and give you the perfect shot.

Some of the Navajo guides are photographers, and offer tours and expert advice. Ask at the entrance to the park and at the visitor’s center. Expect to pay 50 to 100 dollars for a guided tour, and remember that without a guide, you will not be able to leave the loop road. It’s worth it to get behind the Merrick and Mitten buttes and out around Thunderbid Mesa, or to see the dunes at Totem.

Find some inspiration for photographing the valley here.