{"id":19322,"date":"2021-06-23T11:14:07","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T11:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=93221"},"modified":"2021-06-23T07:49:44","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T07:49:44","slug":"how-to-photograph-star-trails","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-to-photograph-star-trails\/","title":{"rendered":"How to photograph star trails"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"N <\/p>\n

A star trail photo is a long-exposure image that shows the apparent motion of the stars across the night sky, producing a pattern of light trails stretching across the image.<\/p>\n

A good star trail can be mesmerising, the circular pattern offering up a new perspective on the rhythms of the night sky.<\/p>\n

Although some will gaze at star trail images photos with awe, producing an image that shows the apparent movement of the night sky over an hour or so is a relatively simple technique, and is as much about planning and commitment as it is about skill.<\/p>\n

For more on equipment, setting and techniques, read our guide on how to photograph the stars<\/a> or our beginner\u2019s guide to astrophotography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star trails catured by Hemraj Parmar, Parashar Lake, Himachal Pradesh, India, January 2019. Equipment: Nikon D3300 DSLR<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

As with any night-sky photography, too much light will wash out the stars.\u00a0To maximise the number of stars in the final image, you need to take your astrophoto from somewhere dark, away from artificial light.<\/p>\n

However, this doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t create a star trail from a back garden in the middle of the city. Indeed it is possible to do astrophotography from a light-polluted city<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can, and the finished image can still be impressive, but it won\u2019t have as many stars as one taken in the countryside.<\/p>\n

\"Sycamore<\/div>\n
<\/i> Sycamore Gap Tree star trails, by Kevin Stewart, Northumberland, 20 September 2019. This type of star trail images is creating by focusing on Polaris to show the stars rotating about the North Star. Equipment: Canon EOS 6D DSLR, Samyang 14mm lens<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

If you want to capture the classic \u2018rotating sky\u2019 effect like in the image above, in the northern hemisphere you will have to shoot north at Polaris, or if you\u2019re shooting under a southern hemisphere sky<\/a>, point south at the Southern Cross (from March to September) or near bright stars Achernar or Canopus (from October to February).<\/p>\n

Take a compass with you in daylight and you can plan your shot before it even gets dark. Remember to follow current travel restrictions wherever you are, and stay safe at all times.<\/p>\n

Just as important as avoiding light pollution is the position of the Moon.\u00a0A lot of astro imagers have three weeks off every month and only venture outside during the week of a new Moon, when the slim lunar crescent rises late and sets early.<\/p>\n

However, while a bright Moon does wash out a lot of stars, it\u2019s perfectly possible to capture good-looking star trails even near the full phase.<\/p>\n

Moonlight causes a bluish night sky, but it can illuminate the foreground nicely \u2013 it all depends on your shot.<\/p>\n

For weekly Moon phases delivered directly to your email inbox, sign up to the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

How to find Polaris<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"The<\/div>\n
<\/i> The Plough has two stars called the \u2018pointers\u2019 that point to Polaris, the North Star.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re going to shoot star trails from the northern hemisphere, you need to know exactly where to find Polaris, the pole star.<\/p>\n

Earth\u2019s axis points almost directly at it, so it sits permanently above the north pole in the northern sky. The rest of the stars appear to revolve around it as Earth rotates.<\/p>\n

Locating Polaris is easy if you star-hop<\/a> from the pointer stars in the Plough asterism, Merak<\/a> and Dubhe.<\/p>\n

These are the two stars on the outside of the Plough\u2019s bowl. Imagine a line from Merak to Dubhe, and carry on for about five times the distance between those two stars.<\/p>\n

Although Polaris is only the 48th brightest star, it is fairly prominent in its surroundings.\u00a0It appears higher in the sky the farther north you travel (and vice versa): from the UK, it\u2019s between 50\u00b0 and 59\u00b0 altitude.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The<\/div>\n
<\/i> The Plough\u2019s stars are a great first target from which you can star-hop to other constellations. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

Exactly where Polaris sits in the night sky from where you are on the planet can dramatically alter your composition choices.<\/p>\n

For instance, in the UK it\u2019s likely that Polaris will sit way above any building you want to include unless you get in close, and it can be tricky getting much foreground in.<\/p>\n

However, you must get something in the foreground since the presence of star trails alone will not produce an eye-catching photograph.<\/p>\n

The \u2018rule of thirds\u2019 applies; imagine a noughts and crosses board on your viewfinder and put something on one or more of the four corners of the middle square.<\/p>\n

\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star trails above the Albany\u00e0 Astronomical Observatory. Credit: Albany\u00e0 Astronomical Observatory.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

Landscapes with a lot of depth work well with star trails, but so do derelict or grand buildings, mountains, striking rock formations and unusual urban landscapes.<\/p>\n

There are two ways to produce a star trail; the first is to open the shutter on your camera for a long period, and the second is to take multiple short exposures and stack them into one image.\u00a0The \u2018old\u2019 way of opening the shutter for over an hour is now best avoided.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fine when using film cameras, but digital cameras\u2019 sensors just get too hot, so it\u2019s best to take lots of 30-second exposures, about 15 seconds apart, and stack them together,\u201d says Simon Waldram, star trail tutor for Stars By Night in Fuerteventura.<\/p>\n

However, you can also choose between shooting about 10-20 three-minute exposures or 50-100 exposures of about 30 seconds.\u00a0The latter is easier.<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/div>\n
<\/i> Peter Longden captured these star trails around Polaris from Buckinghamshire in the UK. Peter used a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera and 24mm lens. Credit: Peter Longden<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

How to shoot star trails<\/strong><\/h1>\n

If you\u2019re shooting multiple 30-second images to stack later \u2013 which you should if you\u2019re using a digital camera \u2013 then the settings are the same as for any night-sky shot.<\/p>\n

Use a tripod, a wide-angle lens on the lowest aperture setting possible, and shoot at around IS0 800 to avoid too much noise.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways shoot in RAW<\/a> format,\u201d says Simon.\u00a0\u201cThat way you can use Photoshop to reduce the noise and any light pollution<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Set the lens to manual focus, then either pre-focus it to infinity (some cameras have a \u221e symbol on the lens), or shine a torch on something 20m or so away and focus on it using autofocus (then switch back to manual).<\/p>\n

Tungsten white balance can help reduce the effects of any light pollution.<\/p>\n

You can experiment with light, too. Once you have finished capturing your star trail images, consider taking a couple more using one-second bursts of torchlight on your subject to create different lighting effects.<\/p>\n

You can then either use them or discard them when you come to stack your images, thus creating a few different versions of your final shot.<\/p>\n

\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star trails Adam Jeffers, Cookstown, Northern Ireland, August 2020 Equipment: Nikon D800E DSLR, Nikon 28\u201380mm lens, static tripod<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

Equipment for star trail photos<\/strong><\/h1>\n

A planetarium or other stargazing app<\/a> is useful if you\u2019re not confident in finding Polaris (or the celestial south pole if you\u2019re near to or beyond the equator).<\/p>\n

For the star trail photograph you\u2019ll need a DSLR (a full frame model is best, but a crop-sensor works fine) on a tripod, ideally with a wide-angle lens. Keep yours in pristine condition with our guide on how to clean a DSLR camera<\/a>.\u00a0For settings and techniques, read our DSLR guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A torch is also handy for \u2018light painting\u2019, though the old fashioned incandescent bulbs are better than LED models, which create a very cool light.<\/p>\n

To avoid any camera shake, which can easily ruin a star trail, use a remote shutter release cable, which attaches to the side of your camera.<\/p>\n

A remotely operated intervalometer will make your camera completely autonomous, which makes our final accessories essential: a blanket, a chair and a like-minded friend to keep you company.<\/p>\n

Software for producing star trails<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Few of us want to spend hours editing photos, but it\u2019s crucial for producing a good, clean image.<\/p>\n

Photographers all have their favourite photo-editing suite, but it\u2019s hard to beat Adobe Photoshop<\/a> (paid) for night-sky images.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible to batch-process the 80-200 images you might have from a star trail shoot relatively quickly, though a computer with 16GB RAM helps enormously, so an average laptop will be slow.<\/p>\n

Another capable software option is StarStaX<\/a> (free).<\/p>\n

This is a small application that lets you drag in multiple images that it then merges into a single star-trail image before your very eyes.<\/p>\n

Photographing star trails: step-by-step<\/strong><\/h1>\n
1<\/span> <\/p>\n

Identify a subject<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\"How<\/div>\n

Think about composition. Look around for a subject in the foreground that will help you to give the final image an unusual point of interest, and photograph it from various positions both near and far.\u00a0Identify where Polaris is and decide where you want it in your image.\u00a0If it\u2019s cloudy, wait until conditions improve.<\/p>\n

2<\/span> <\/p>\n

Take some test shots<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\"How<\/div>\n

Zoom in to check that your focus is sharp.\u00a0Don\u2019t rush this.<\/p>\n

Decide how many shots you\u2019re going to take and begin shooting, leaving 15 seconds between each shot for the sensor to cool down.\u00a0If you wait less than 15 seconds you will be left with hot pixels and noise.\u00a0Any longer and you will start to see gaps in the trail lines.<\/p>\n

3<\/span> <\/p>\n

Begin shooting<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\"How<\/div>\n

Insert a fresh battery. If you\u2019re using an intervalometer to take the images, you can sit back and relax while the camera captures the images.\u00a0If you\u2019re pressing the shutter release button manually for each shot, don\u2019t touch or kick the tripod while doing so; the slightest nudge will ruin a trail halfway through.<\/p>\n

4<\/span> <\/p>\n

Batch-process your images<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\"How<\/div>\n

Photoshop lets you process one single image then apply all your changes to every image, a technique called batch processing. This is best done on a desktop computer with at least 16GB RAM.\u00a0Cool the colour temperature, increase the exposure and sharpness, use the luminance slider to reduce noise and experiment with the de-haze tool.<\/p>\n

5<\/span> <\/p>\n

Layer the images<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\"How<\/div>\n

Drag the processed RAW images into StarStaX and watch as a trail image is produced; the process takes about five minutes, with options to create \u2018comet tails\u2019.\u00a0If you have aircraft tail-lights in some shots, identify which frames they are and delete them before re-doing the StarStaX step and checking the box marked \u2018gap-filling\u2019.<\/p>\n

6<\/span> <\/p>\n

Admire the finished image<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\"How<\/div>\n

When StarStaX has finished layering the photos, you are done!\u00a0If you timed your shots correctly, your trails should be free of gaps.\u00a0All that is left is to save the finished image. Although StarStaX can only generate a compressed Jpeg for the final result, it is high resolution \u2013 and a great result for a few hours\u2019 work.<\/p>\n

Have you managed to captured a star trail image? We\u2019d love to see it! get in touch via contactus@skyatnightmagazne.com<\/a> or on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Jamie Carter is an experienced astrophotographer and astronomy writer.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Photos of star trails<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Here are some of the best images of star trails captured by BBC Sky at Night Magazine readers and astrophotographers from around the world.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"Cotopaxi<\/div>\n
<\/i> Cotopaxi Active Volcano by Robert Gibson Z, Ecuador, Equipment: Nikon D300, Sigma 10-20mm.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Scope<\/div>\n
<\/i> Scope Startrails by Gareth James, Swanage, Dorset, UK. Equipment: Canon 550d with 18-55mm lens.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trails\/Aircraft & Meteors by David Burr, Wimborne, UK. Equipment: Canon EOS 500d.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Rail<\/div>\n
<\/i> Rail Bridge and Star Trails by James Billings, Pymoor, Cambs, UK. Equipment: Sony SLT-A55 DSLR<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Northern<\/div>\n
<\/i> Northern Startrails from a Suburban Garden by Paul Read, Whetstone, Leicestershire, UK. Equipment: Canon 600D, Tokina 11-16mm (at 14mm)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trails over 18th Century Loop Tower by Peter Brown, Guernsey, Channel Islands. Equipment: Cannon 1100D Camera on Tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"My<\/div>\n
<\/i> My Sky by Mohammad Reza Ghorbanzade, Telma Dare, Iran. Equipment: Canon 400D, 18-55mm lens.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trail (First Try) by Dainius Sulys, Northampton, UK. Equipment: Canon 600d, Tripod, 18-55mm zoom lens.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Somerset<\/div>\n
<\/i> Somerset Startrails by Paul Read, St Audries Bay, West Quantoxhead, Somerset, UK. Equipment: Canon EOS600D, Tokina AT-X Pro SD 11-16mm IF DX II lens and a remote timer\/intervalometer.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Trails<\/div>\n
<\/i> Trails of Dartmoor by Martin Syms, Burrator Reservoir, Dartmoor National Park, UK. Equipment: Nikon DSLR, 18-55mm lens set at 18mm, Remote shutter release and tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"A<\/div>\n
<\/i> A two hour star trail from Bristol by Dave Garland, Bristol, UK. Equipment: Cannon 1100D, Tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Camping<\/div>\n
<\/i> Camping in the New Forest by David Garland, The New Forest, UK. Equipment: Cannon 1100D, Standard tripod, Startrails stacking program<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"The<\/div>\n
<\/i> The power of moonlight by Steve Brown, Stokesley, North Yorkshire, UK. Equipment: Canon 600D, tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star trails over Cornwall by Martin Syms, Cornwall, UK. Equipment: Nikon 3200 DSLR, Nikkor 18-55mm lens, tripod, remote shutter release.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Night<\/div>\n
<\/i> Night Desert by Mohammed AissaMoussa, Ghardaia, Algeria. Equipment: Canon 5D Mark II, Lens 15 mm fish eye, tripod, remote control.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trail B&W by Zygmunt Szot, Comporta, Portugal. Equipment: Canon PowerShot G7 X, Joby Gorillapod Hybrid Tripod<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trail Fun by Zygmunt Szot, Comporta, Portugal. Equipment: Canon PowerShot G7 X, Joby Gorillapod Hybrid Tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trail BW by Zygmunt Szot, Comporta, Portugal. Equipment: Canon PowerShot G7 X, Joby Gorillapod Hybrid Tripod<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trail HDR by Zygmunt Szot, Comporta, Portugal. Equipment: Canon PowerShot G7 X, Joby Gorillapod Hybrid Tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Comporta<\/div>\n
<\/i> Comporta Star Trail by Zygmunt Szot, Comporta, Portugal. Equipment: Canon PowerShot G7 X, Joby Gorillapod Hybrid Tripod<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Comporta<\/div>\n
<\/i> Comporta Star Trail by Zygmunt Szot, Comporta, Portugal. Equipment: Canon PowerShot G7 X, Joby Gorillapod Hybrid Tripod<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Cap<\/div>\n
<\/i> Cap De Formentor Startrails by Mariusz Szymaszek, London, UK. Equipment: Pentax K-5 camera, Tamron 17-50\/2.8 lens, tripod<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star trails over Derwent Water by Lynne Bowman, Sheffield, UK. Equipment: Canon 60D, 18-55 mm lens, timer, tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"N<\/div>\n
<\/i> N = R* fp ne fl fi fc fL by Mariusz, London, UK. Equipment: Pentax K-01, Tamron 17-50\/2.8, Tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trails in two minutes by John Short, Ambleside, Cumbria, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher Adventurer, Canon 6D, 8-15mm lens<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trails Amongst the Trees by Roger Hutchinson, Burwash Common, East Sussex, UK. Equipment: Canon EOS Rebel T3i Camera, Lens at 17mm<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"The<\/div>\n
<\/i> The Compass Points Ahead by Dax Perrin, Silverdale, Washington, USA. Equipment: Canon 6D, Rokinon 14mm 2.8f lens, an intervelometer, tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"ET<\/div>\n
<\/i> ET Phone Home! by Stephen Jennette, Nerja, Spain. Equipment: Canon 50D, Samyang 14mm f2.8<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Church<\/div>\n
<\/i> Church Points to the Stars by Richard Abels, Exton, Rutland, UK. Equipment: Modified Canon 1100D, 10-20mm f4 lens, BackyardEOS software.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Achavanich<\/div>\n
<\/i> Achavanich star trails by Gordon Mackie, Caithness, UK. Equipment: Tripod, Canon 760D DSLR, Sigma 10-20mm lens at 10mm<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Mount<\/div>\n
<\/i> Mount Teide startrails by Richard Harrison, Mount Teide, Tenerife. Equipment: Pentaz K-3, 10-18mm Pentax Fisheye lens<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Mount<\/div>\n
<\/i> Mount Teide startrails by Richard Harrison, Mount Teide, Tenerife. Equipment: Pentaz K-3, 10-18mm Pentax Fisheye lens<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star trails by Brian Lewis, Pembrokeshire, UK. Equipment: Canon EOS 600D 18mm<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Startrails<\/div>\n
<\/i> Startrails by Simon Williams, Lympstone, Devon, UK. Equipment: Nikon D3100 camera, intervalometer, tripod and stacked using StarStax<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"The<\/div>\n
<\/i> The Plough star trail by Matt Jarvis, Derbyshire, UK. Equipment: Canon EOS 1200D, tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Eco<\/div>\n
<\/i> Eco Earth Rotations by Mark Pelleymounter, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK. Equipment: Canon 7D, Sigma 10-20mm Lens @ 10mm, f4<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star Trails Over The Dragons Teeth by Mark Pelleymounter, Studland, Nr Bournemouth, Dorset, UK. Equipment: Canon 7D, Sigma 10-20 @10mm f4, stacked using startrails.de software.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Jupiter<\/div>\n
<\/i> Jupiter over Spinalonga by David Pulley, Elounda, Crete. Equipment: Canon 500D, 18-55mm kit lens, tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Star<\/div>\n
<\/i> Star trails at Edlingham Castle by Kevin Stewart, Alnwick, Northumberland, UK. Equipment: Canon 1100d, tripod, 14mm f\/2.8 samyang lens<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Circumpolar<\/div>\n
<\/i> Circumpolar \u2013 Observing the night sky by Pedro Luis Cuadrado, Las Inviernas, Guadalajara, Spain. Equipment: Canon EOS7D, Samyang 8mm lens, tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Edlingham<\/div>\n
<\/i> Edlingham castle star trails by Kevin Stewart, Alnwick, Northumberland, UK. Equipment: Tri-pod, Canon 1100d, Samyang 14mm f\/2.8 lens.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Jamaican<\/div>\n
<\/i> Jamaican Startrails and Moonrise by John Davis, Negril, Jamaica. Equipment: Canon 1100D, 18mm lens.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"'Our<\/div>\n
<\/i> \u2018Our Place\u2019 In The Solar System by Darren Felgate, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, UK. Equipment: iPhone 5SE, tripod, Night Cap app.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Communicating<\/div>\n
<\/i> Communicating to the Universe by Pedro Luis Cuadrado, Chiloeches, Guadalajara, Spain. Equipment: Canon EOS 7D, 50mm lens, tripod.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Loch<\/div>\n
<\/i> Loch Ness Star Trails by David Weightman, Newark, UK. Equipment: Pentax Kr, Sigma 17-35mm @17mm f2.8<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"The<\/div>\n
<\/i> The Astronomer and the Universe on the Move by Zdenek Bardon, ESO\u2019s observatory, La Silla, Chile. Equipment: Nikon D810A, Zeiss Milvus 2,8\/18, tripod<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n
\"The<\/div>\n
<\/i> The wine cellar\u2019s dream by Nikoletta Szak\u00e1ly, C\u00e1k, Hungary. Equipment: Canon EOS 700D, Canon EF-S 18-135mm f\/3.5-5.6 IS STM<\/span><\/figcaption><\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A star trail photo is a long-exposure image that shows the apparent motion of the stars across the night sky, producing a pattern of light trails stretching across the image. A good star trail can be mesmerising, the circular pattern offering up a new perspective on the rhythms of the night sky. Although some will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[34],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"18"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A star trail photo is a long-exposure image that shows the apparent motion of the stars across the night sky, producing a pattern of light trails stretching across the image. A good star trail can be mesmerising, the circular pattern offering up a new perspective on the rhythms of the night sky. Although some will…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/19322"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}