What looks like lava flowing over a cliff in Yosemite National Park is actually the water of Horsetail Fall catching light from a sunset at just the right angle, creating what has been dubbed the “firefall.”
The yearly occurrence happens towards the middle or end of February, lasting only a couple of weeks.
While the effect varies in its intensity from year to year, one the most popular spots to view the event is in central California at the El Captain picnic area of the park.
“It’s the way the sun happens to hit that causes the waterfall to glow in such way,” said Yosemite National Park Ranger Ashley Mayer.
“This was one time in my life where I was deliberately using my eyes to see the phenomenon [rather] than look through my lens,” pediatric neuropsychologist Sangeeta Dey of San Francisco told National Geographic. “I didn’t want to miss a second of experiencing it.”
