In today's image, the granite arches of the Alabama Hills frame the Milky Way over a rugged landscape in California's eastern Sierra Nevada. Famous for its rounded boulders and weathered rock formations, this area formed when molten rock cooled deep underground around 100 million years ago. Water and wind gradually shaped the stone into the smooth shapes seen today. Visitors can explore the natural arches, hike among the rocks, capture photographs of the unique landscape, ride horses or mountain bikes, and enjoy seasonal displays of wildflowers.

With minimal light pollution, the hills are popular for stargazing and night photography. On a clear night, the dense band of stars that forms our galaxy is visible to the naked eye. While it might look like a peaceful desert today, this terrain has played many roles on screen. Since the 1920s, hundreds of movies and television shows have used these hills as a backdrop for westerns and sci-fi adventures, including 'Yellow Sky' with Gregory Peck, 'Django Unchained' by Quentin Tarantino, and the Marvel classic 'Iron Man' by Jon Favreau.