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It may await like a ribbon of cascading lava , but a so - called " firefall " in Yosemite National Park is actually a regular waterfall illuminated by the vivid light of the mark Sunday .

Almost every mid - to late - February , Yosemite ’s Horsetail Fall — a seasonal waterfall that fall when the snowpack melts in the winter and early bound — shine a bright and fiery orange . [ Gallery : Most Famous Waterfalls in the US ]

Yosemite Park Firefall

The firefall at Yosemite National Park in California is a waterfall in disguise.

However , the firefall happens only under the right conditions . For starters , the sky need to be clean . In improver , the sunshine needs to set at the correct angle in the westerly sky ; this create the illusion that the falls is cauterize , Live Science reported antecedently .

" Even some haze or minor cloud cover can greatly lessen or eliminate the effect , " the National Park Servicewrote on its website .

The sight , which now attracts thousands of citizenry annually , is one to lay eyes on . But it ’s short - populate , happening for only about 10 minute each daytime , Live Science reported .

Tunnel view of Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite visitor hoping to catch an eyeful of the firefall are in for a treat this year , officials say .

" The falls is bigger than it has been in a long time due to all the rain and nose candy we have received , " National Park Service spokesman Scott Gedimantold CNN .

Many people have take to societal medium to partake photos of the astonishing firefall . The U.S. Department of the Interior tweeted , " Every February , a uncommon phenomenon makes Horsetail Fall @Yosemitenps glow like fire . Pic from Saturday by Ray Lee # California # firefall . "

A photo of a volcano erupting at night with the Milky Way visible in the sky

Meanwhile , on Instagram , rayophotography13 posted a torrid photo for Valentine ’s Day .

A picture brand by on

Horsetail Fall menstruate over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley . The firefall is best see from the El Capitan picnic surface area , located west of Yosemite Valley Lodge and east of El Capitan , National Park Service officials reported .

a photo of the Milky Way reflecting off of an alpine lake at night

Original article onLive Science .

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