Pleiades Through Cirrus Clouds Leh Ridge

Predawn darkness blankets the wind-cut ridge near Leh, where faint ground glow illuminates the lower foreground. Above, the Pleiades cluster pierces through thin, wispy cirrus clouds that stretch across the deep blue sky. Colorful prayer flags hang in blurred lines at the top edge, their red, blue, and yellow hues muted by the low light and shallow depth of field. The stars appear as sharp points of white light against the darker cloud layers, creating a layered effect of atmosphere and altitude. Soft shadows from the distant mountain slopes fade into the night, while the texture of the cirrus clouds catches the faintest starlight. One prayer flag corner flutters slightly at the very bottom right, caught in the cold mountain air.