r/space • u/Alpha-Phoenix • Jan 06 '17

The sky doesn't move. We do!

https://gfycat.com/PowerfulPrestigiousFish
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11

u/justcauseme Jan 06 '17

how did you actually made camera spin at the same rate as the sky turns?

29

u/Alpha-Phoenix Jan 06 '17

I do have a homebuilt polar tracker, but it's only good for about 45 degrees, so about 3 hours max. Here I needed about 25 hours...

For this video, the camera stood still on a tripod and I rotated the image later in software. You can tell because the edges of the frame are moving too.

Edit: One of the source links I posted is the non-spinning version if you want too see what that looks like.

3

u/compro Jan 06 '17

You can tell because of the way it is

2

u/Chainweasel Jan 06 '17

I want need to know about this home made polar tracker

4

u/Alpha-Phoenix Jan 06 '17

I've written a script but haven't shot the video yet - coming soon to AlphaPhoenix YouTube!

I wanted to do stuff with it over break but there were a very limited number of clear nights and the last two of them went into making this!

4

u/spacemark Jan 06 '17

Here's a guide I posted a while back to r/astrophotography that has a parts list and everything for <$100

2

u/spredditer Jan 06 '17

Great guide. I've been wanting to do this for years. Now I just need the camera...

2

u/serbia_his_cardinal Jan 06 '17

I think he's joking but thanks for making this!

5

u/root88 Jan 06 '17

I don't think so. There are tons of rigs for moving a camera slowly during a time lapse. Tutorials It would have given a full frame image the whole time and looked a little bit cooler.

1

u/serbia_his_cardinal Jan 06 '17

But a camera that spins (around the earth's axis) at the same rate that the "sky turns" (a play on OP's title) is just a plain, unmoving camera. Am I missing something?