Big Dipper Castle

The stars of the big dipper, a well known asterism in the constellation Ursa Major,
are easy to recognize in this dramatic skyscape. In fact, northern hemisphere skygazers
often follow along the line indicated by the two stars at the far right. Extending off
the top of this image, that line leads to Polaris, the North Star, conveniently located
near the north celestial pole. Following the arc of the dipper's handle also leads to
another well known celestial beacon of the northern sky - yet this dreamlike scene takes
you instead to a shining mountaintop castle. Big Dipper Castle might be an appropriate
name in this stunning view, but its traditional name is Castle Hohenzollern. Poised above
a sea of clouds that mute the city lights below, the castle lies in the Swabian Alb range
of southern Germany, an area that was once a reef in an ancient sea.