The Grand Canyon, located in the northwest corner of Arizona, is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, and for good reason. This thing is massive: 277 miles long, 18 miles across at its widest point, and over a mile deep, but its measurements aren't the only impressive things about it. Shot and edited by Harun Mehmedinovic for the SKYGLOW Project, a video series lead by Mehmedinovic and Gavin Heffernan (you might've seen their other incredible work before), this time lapse video entitled Kaibab Elegy captures a rare environmental phenomenon that has to be seen to be believed.
Yeah, pick your jaws up off of the floor, people. This video is all kinds of majestic—the color of the sky, the brightness of the stars, the thick clouds that look like tempestuous waves undulating in the mouth of the Grand Canyon. It's gorgeous—and actually incredibly rare. If you didn't notice, there aren't only cloud formations high up in the sky, but also ones down in the depths of the canyon. According to the video's description, this natural occurrence is what is known as "full cloud inversion."
On extremely rare days when cold air is trapped in the canyon and topped by a layer of warm air, which in combination with moisture and condensation, form the phenomenon referred to as the full cloud inversion. In what resembles something between ocean waves and fast clouds, Grand Canyon is completely obscured by fog, making the visitors feel as if they are walking on clouds.
Mehmedinovic recently told Gizmodo that they were "extremely lucky" to not only be in the right place at the right time to witness this rare phenomenon, but to be there ready to capture it on video. "It’s a collection of unique footage not found anywhere else."
I think we speak for everyone when we say, "Thank heavens you were there, Harun, ready and waiting."
Source: SKYGLOW Project
