In astrophotography, what visual pattern does a long exposure capture of stellar motion?
Answer
Arcs of light, where the center point of the tracing arc corresponds to the celestial pole.
When a camera is set up for a long exposure while pointing at the night sky, the resulting image vividly captures the effect of Earth's rotation. Since the stars appear to move along paths parallel to the Celestial Equator, their apparent motion is recorded as curved lines or arcs of light in the final photograph. Crucially, the center point around which all these arcs appear to pivot is the celestial pole (near Polaris in the north). Furthermore, the length of the arc traced over a fixed exposure time is inversely proportional to the star's proximity to the pole; stars closer to the pole trace shorter arcs than those farther away but still visible.
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