This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
I never tire of nighttime timelapse and startrails videos. Sunchaser videos produce some of the best around. Their latest is another trip out to Joshua Tree.
From their Vimeo site: "Back to Joshua Tree once more for another timelapse journey! This time we focused on the Indian Cove section of the park, as well as the secluded Lost Horse Gold Mine and the scorched fields on the 6 mile loop trail surrounding it. As you can see in the first shots, there had definitely been a massive fire at some point. The mine itself was pretty surreal -- such a bizarre sight set against the desolate desert! Though an epic storm system rolled over the skies for most of Night 1, the massive clouds parted in the early AM to reveal some incredible starscapes and a beautiful palette for star trails and other experimentation.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
You can see the giant shift from stormfront to starry skies play out in a 23 second uninterrupted shot 0:45-1:08 taking place over four hours of continuous shooting and an entire battery from start to finish! Star trails effect created with the natural rotation of the earth's axis, including the final shot, which circles around the North Star, creating "vortex" effect seen."
Shot and Edited by: Gavin Heffernan / SunchaserPictures.com
Follow @GavinHeffernan on Twitter
image courtesy of Gavin Heffernan