Picture of the Day - King's Fire Smoky Sunset

Tonight I worked a wedding at Silver Horse Winery for Vino Vice Security in the countryside northeast of Paso Robles, CA, and witnessed this smoky sunset. The smoke came from the King Fire in El Dorado County up north state. Also of interest tonight: I witnessed numerous flashes and flickers of lightning from thunderstorms over the Sierra Nevada from my north-northeast to my east and all points in between. During the previous day I had espied a great many thunderheads just peaking over the horizon in that direction. These may well be some of the last such storms this year as the season for that is winding down. Tonight I also witnessed after dusk a satellite headed northbound across the face of the Milky Way when a fireball shot by it with all thee things, to wit, the satellite, the fireball, and the Milky Way all framed in the small quadrant of space above. I also witnessed two other satellites headed northbound after dark who seemed to be drifting next to each other in parallel tandem which I had never before seen either. Note the satellite uplink dishes on Camp Roberts left of center in the distance. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).