WebStromloStarTrailsFinal

Star trails at Mount Stromlo Observatory. This is a 2 hour exposure, using the "dark frame/long exposure noise reduction" method in camera, which doub...
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Star trails at Mount Stromlo Observatory. This is a 2 hour exposure, using the "dark frame/long exposure noise reduction" method in camera, which doubled the time the shot took, but at least I could move the camera after the first 2 hours.

This is actually my fourth attempt at this shot. The first had clouds... then a storm came in 48 minutes into the shot. (I got very wet protecting the camera) The second, a very strong gust of wind moved the camera and blurred everything at roughly 1hr and 53 mins in. <cue disappointment here&bt; The third, no joke, a kangaroo knocked the entire tripod over as I was over near my bag, looking for my jacket. That was about 1 hour and 30 minutes or so in, and each time, I had to walk back down the mountain, drive home, re-charge, then walk back up. The fourth was actually a little over-exposed, so I brought it back down to something a little more appropriate in post. If I've learned anything, this sort of shot takes a lot of battery power, and cold winter temperatures that might get you the nice clear skies, also shorten battery life considerably. Also, persistence does pay off... if not necessarily in the time frame you'd like.

Many will think this is a dawn/dusk shot given the orange tinge to the sky. However, this is actually the orange light pollution from the Canberra street lights. It's also a significant reason that Mt. Stromlo hasn't been restored to its former glory since the 2003 bush fires, where it was completely destroyed.

The dome in this shot is the only one that remains, and it's inside is largely a burned-out wreck. To see one of the burned-out domes, have a look at my "Stromlo Sparks" shot, where I basically whirled molten steel wool around in a relatively safe location.

Since then, most of the astronomical equipment has been re-established near Coonabarabran, at the Siding Springs Observatory instead.
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