star trail

English

Star trails.

Noun

star trail (plural star trails)

1. (astronomy, photography) The line of light recorded on a photographic medium when a time exposure is made of a star in the nighttime sky using a camera on a fixed mount, caused by the rotation of the earth during the period of time when the camera's shutter is held open.
   • 2001, Eric DeBolt, “Happy Trails”, in Astronomy, volume 29, number 7, page 74:

     The idea behind photographing star trails is wonderfully simple. Just take your old mechanical camera, point it skyward, and leave the shutter open.

Usage notes

• Usually used in the plural form.

See also

• time exposure

References

• "star trail" at Zoom Astronomy Dictionary, ©1999-2008 EnchantedLearning.com.