This is the incredibly rare moment that an ice cave can be seen glowing in the golden light of the setting sun just as it aligned with the entrance of the crevice.
The amazing images were taken at the exact minute the sun set over the entrance to the glacier in Iceland – a phenomenon that only occurs once or twice in a year.
23-year-old photographer Sarah Bethea was lucky enough to capture the moment the walls looked as if they were on fire, bathed in golden light.
“For five minutes or so, the sun lined up just right with the cave entrance, and the ice was lit up to look like amber,” says Bethea. “We were exploring an ice cave tunnel and the sun didn’t rise far above the horizon, giving a beautiful golden light throughout the short daylight hours.
“The whole phenomenon lasted perhaps five or ten minutes, and it was a total surprise,” she added. “I have seen some beautiful light conditions in ice caves at other times, but nothing quite like that.”
The caves, which are located in southern Iceland, are famed for their solitude.
