Startrails above Cerrig Gwylan Rocks, Pembrokeshire coast

UNIVERSAL SYMMETRY

Limited Edition Print *
Stars rotate around the North Star near Traeth Llyfn Bay, Pembrokeshire

* This image is a Limited Edition Print of 400 for all prints larger than 12"x8".

This image was taken over one hour at night and shows the natural movement of the stars as they rotate around the North Star. The North Star, the stationary star in the centre of the tunnel, lies far above the Cerrig Gwylan rocks, which sit just off the end of Traeth Llyfn Bay, between St David’s and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The rotation-effect is caused by the earth spinning on its axis. The earth axis runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and is currently almost exactly aligned with the North Star, also known as Polaris (from Latin stella polaris "pole star") and as Cynosura. As the earth rotates, the pole star therefore stays approximately still, whilst all the other stars have the appearance of rotating around it. The stationary nature of pole stars makes them especially useful in celestial navigation: they are a dependable indicator of the direction toward the respective geographic pole although not exact; they are virtually fixed, and their angle of elevation can also be used to determine latitude.

The Pole Star changes over time since the earth wobbles slightly on its axis, in a 25,770 year cycle known as the ‘precession of the equinoxes’.


The current pole star is part of the Ursa Minor constellation, also known as the Little Bear. Ursa Minor is Latin for ‘smaller bear’, contrasting with Ursa Major, the big or great bear. Like the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, hence the name Big Dipper and Little Dipper respectively.

The four stars constituting the "bowl" of the little dipper are unusual in that they are of second, third, fourth, and fifth magnitudes (a measure of visibility). Hence, they provide an easy guide to determining what magnitude stars are visible, useful for city dwellers or testing one's eyesight.

Because Ursa Minor consists of seven stars, the Latin word for "North" is septentrio, from septem (seven) and trio (three), from three oxen driving a plow, which the seven stars also resemble.

The south celestial pole currently lacks a bright star like Polaris to mark its position. At present, the naked-eye star nearest to this imaginary point is the faint Sigma Octantis, which is sometimes known as the South Star.

Location: Traeth Llyfn, between Abereiddi and Porthgain, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Fine Art Print :

 
Item added to cart

Startrails above Cerrig Gwylan Rocks, Pembrokeshire coast

UNIVERSAL SYMMETRY

Limited Edition Print *
Stars rotate around the North Star near Traeth Llyfn Bay, Pembrokeshire

* This image is a Limited Edition Print of 400 for all prints larger than 12"x8".

This image was taken over one hour at night and shows the natural movement of the stars as they rotate around the North Star. The North Star, the stationary star in the centre of the tunnel, lies far above the Cerrig Gwylan rocks, which sit just off the end of Traeth Llyfn Bay, between St David’s and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The rotation-effect is caused by the earth spinning on its axis. The earth axis runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and is currently almost exactly aligned with the North Star, also known as Polaris (from Latin stella polaris "pole star") and as Cynosura. As the earth rotates, the pole star therefore stays approximately still, whilst all the other stars have the appearance of rotating around it. The stationary nature of pole stars makes them especially useful in celestial navigation: they are a dependable indicator of the direction toward the respective geographic pole although not exact; they are virtually fixed, and their angle of elevation can also be used to determine latitude.

The Pole Star changes over time since the earth wobbles slightly on its axis, in a 25,770 year cycle known as the ‘precession of the equinoxes’.


The current pole star is part of the Ursa Minor constellation, also known as the Little Bear. Ursa Minor is Latin for ‘smaller bear’, contrasting with Ursa Major, the big or great bear. Like the Great Bear, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, hence the name Big Dipper and Little Dipper respectively.

The four stars constituting the "bowl" of the little dipper are unusual in that they are of second, third, fourth, and fifth magnitudes (a measure of visibility). Hence, they provide an easy guide to determining what magnitude stars are visible, useful for city dwellers or testing one's eyesight.

Because Ursa Minor consists of seven stars, the Latin word for "North" is septentrio, from septem (seven) and trio (three), from three oxen driving a plow, which the seven stars also resemble.

The south celestial pole currently lacks a bright star like Polaris to mark its position. At present, the naked-eye star nearest to this imaginary point is the faint Sigma Octantis, which is sometimes known as the South Star.

Location: Traeth Llyfn, between Abereiddi and Porthgain, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Fine Art Print :

 
Item added to cart