POTD: Ait Benhaddou Star Trails

Photo of the Day: Ait Benhaddou Star Trails

Perfectly-preserved Ait Benhaddou and its lack of electricity made an ideal location to try out a half-hour exposure to capture some star trails.

The Moroccan village keeps its UNESCO world heritage status by maintaining a way of life similar to what was present hundreds of years ago when the group of forts was built. That means no electricity lights up the buildings at night. There are a couple of lights visible in this image, but one is either a lamp or a candle and I think one is a flashlight. At a half hour exposure, they look like someone snuck a generator inside the complex.

This shot points directly North, so the stars appear to revolve around Polaris to create a nice swirling effect in the sky.

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