Nearly two hours of stacked exposures reveals just how high above the horizon the north star is at this latitude. A fixed camera with a prolonged open shutter shows the stars getting dragged around a single point of light in the night sky. This is Earth's rotational axis which currently points to the star Polaris. Just like a spinning top, a slight wobble exists in Earth's rotational axis that completes a circle every 26,000 years. Polaris will one day have to step down from its status as the north star, and in 13,000 years the star Vega will begin its reign as the leader north.
Canon EOS 60D, Bower 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye CS, ISO-100 f/3.5 @ 1 hour 39 min (10sec x 594 frames)
You can give me this picture as my birthday present this year!!
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