Autumn colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States

Autumn colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States

It's that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when the hills shed their summer greens, unveiling a blaze of colours that lights up the season. The change usually begins in September and early October, with higher slopes turning first, followed by the lower valleys. Among the stars of this display are the aspens, whose leaves shimmer like gold coins in the sunlight. The magic of aspen colours, however, isn't guaranteed year after year. Their golden glow depends on many factors—tree health, local weather shifts, soil moisture and where they grow in terms of elevation and latitude.

Healthy aspens are the true stars of the season: strong, thriving groves burst with brighter colours and hold onto their leaves longer, while stressed or weakened trees often fade quickly, offering only a glimpse of their usual brilliance. A spot that dazzled one autumn might look muted the next. Today's image captures their full glow at the base of Mount Sneffels, the highest peak in the Sneffels Range, in Colorado, United States, rising more than 2,100 metres above the town of Ridgway.