Captured by Ray Palmer

You are looking south. And above
to the right, you can see the South Celestial Pole or S.C.P (where the stars form
tiny circles).

Taking into account the Earth's tilt, The S.C.P sits
directly under the Earths rotating axis.

This photo is a 35 minute exposure. I use no tracking equipment for this. I simply let
the stars drift with the Earth's rotation.

Some Cirrus cloud forming in the upper atmosphere can be seen in the lower right corner. The
Cirrus cloud is illuminated by the far away light pollution of Perth City. I enjoy the way
light pollution lights up the underside of those clouds. Being nighttime
those clouds would have been invisible otherwise.

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Image Specifications

Exposure 35 minutes
Kodak Gold 100
Nikon F2
50mm NIkkor Lens at F2

Golden Grove Astronomical Observing Facility
Western Australia

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