by William H. Davis Jr.

Editor’s comment
Thank you, William, for sharing this stunning photograph. I have to admit, I’m a little baffled by it—in the best possible way. On one side is the breathtaking beauty of the night sky, with our home galaxy stretching across the darkness; on the other is that powerful beam of human-made light, a reminder of how much artificial light we have added to the night. It also brings to mind Iceland’s Imagine Peace Tower, Yoko Ono’s beautiful but very bright annual tribute to peace, as well as the glow from Iceland’s many greenhouses, where artificial lighting helps grow tomatoes and other crops through the long, dark winters.

Perhaps the photograph is a wonderful reminder of our complicated relationship with light—we create it for art, food, safety and inspiration, but sometimes forget how precious the darkness is, too.