Star Trails Above Gemini North

Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, sits atop Maunakea under a hypnotic sky filled with circular star trails in this Image of the Week. Stars appear to move across the sky during the night as a result of Earth’s rotation. This effect is captured beautifully here using long-exposure photography, a photographic technique where stationary objects appear defined while moving objects appear blurred. In this image, these dizzying arcs of light trace the apparent motion of stars in the sky. Stars that are far away from the celestial poles appear to move more over time and thus display longer star trails compared to stars near the celestial poles. 

At the center of these arcs is the star Polaris, which appears to stay fixed in one spot because it’s located almost directly above Earth’s North Pole. Its almost stable position in our night sky makes it an important marker for navigation and astronomical observations.

Theofanis Matsopoulos, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.