The best time to photograph the Grand Canyon is a short while before sunrise or just after sunset. On a clear, cold day, these are the two moments when alpenglow will bathe the terrain with soft but richly-colored light and when the Belt of Venus will appear opposite the rising or setting sun. I planned such an image recently, choosing Hopi Point as my location due to its clear views to the west at sunrise. As it always does when the sky is clear, Earthshadow appeared low over the western horizon just before the sun rose. Cheers, and thanks for looking!
Belt of Venus over Grand Canyon at sunrise, viewed from Hopi Point on the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The Belt of Venus, or anti-twilight arch, is the shadow of the earth cast upon the atmosphere just above the horizon, and occurs a few minutes before sunrise or after sunset.
