star trail

Night sky streaks

Star trails are the streaks of light that stars appear to trace across the sky in long-exposure photographs.

Because Earth rotates, stars seem to move; a camera with its shutter open for minutes or hours captures this motion as curved lines.

Stars near the celestial poles trace tight circles, while those near the equator make longer arcs: She set up her camera to capture star trails over the desert.

celestial

Polaris

Celestial north marker

rotationTurning on an axis
circumpolarAround the pole
axisRotation reference line

orbit · arc · constellation · celestial pole · equator · zenith · hemisphere · declination · ecliptic · azimuth

photography

long-exposure

Extended shutter duration

shutterHinged window covering
bulbRounded storage organ
tripodStabilizing support structure

timelapse · aperture · ISO · sensor · camera · exposure · stacking · composition · foreground · manual

motion

circular

Forming a closed curve

spiralCurve winding around center
arcCurved line segment
streakUnbroken series

path · trajectory · curve · concentric · radial · rotation · drift · movement · progression · flow

night

stargazing

Observing celestial bodies

darknessTotal absence of light
twilightLight after sunset
nightfallOnset of darkness

midnight · moonlight · nocturnal · clear sky · light pollution · remote · desert · mountain · horizon · visibility

star trail

Polaris

long-exposure

circular

stargazing

star trail

Opposites

Categories

Family