Star Trails | Xinyu Du

Celestial Trajectories: Night at the Observatory

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Featuring the observation dome of the Zuo Dijiang Observatory as the foreground, this image was captured through nearly an hour of continuous exposure. The stars left perfect arcs across the frame, illustrating the diurnal motion of the celestial sphere.

The dome, acting as a window for planetary science research, stands in dialogue with the everlasting stellar trajectories in the background. With the North Celestial Pole (NCP) guiding from the upper corner, the image reveals the grand scale of Earth as a rotating inertial frame.

Zuo Dijiang Observatory, NJU | Diurnal Motion of the Celestial Sphere

Southern Building Halo: A Symphony of Technology and Cosmos

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This project is an experimental exploration of “trajectories.” Through a precise orbital flight of a UAV, a man-made “halo” was formed around the South Building during a long exposure.

Simultaneously, the stars in the background traced subtle arcs as the Earth rotated. By juxtaposing man-made flight paths with apparent celestial motion, this composition aims to explore the futuristic aesthetic of campus architecture through a scientific lens, presenting a surreal symphony of light and time.

Trajectory Composite over South Building | Creative Photography Experiment

First Light: Inaugural Star Trails at Qiandao Lake

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This marks my inaugural milestone in astronomical observation. The pristine, low-light-pollution environment of Qiandao Lake provided an exceptional Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

Derived from a stack of 120 exposures, the stars traced graceful concentric arcs around Polaris. This work is more than a photograph; it is a direct visualization of Earth’s rotational period.

Observation Site, Chun’an County, Qiandao Lake | Nikon D850