Good morning. It's December 18, and today's photo is an homage to the forthcoming winter solstice—which will visit the Northern Hemisphere on Thursday evening.
This image was a second-place finisher in a recent competition by the International Astronomical Union's Office of Education. This year's contest welcomed astrophotography enthusiasts at all skill levels, including images taken with smartphones.
The image, created by Frank Niessen, was captured in Germany between the summer solstice and winter solstice in 2018. It combines images taken at different times of day over the course of six months, and each curve tracks the Sun’s path across the sky on a particular day. Gaps indicate cloudy days. The image was captured using a simple pinhole camera fashioned from a coffee can. I find the effect stunning.
Stay warm out there in the Northern Hemisphere, y'all.
Source: Frank Niessen
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