How to make Star Trail and video

[rwong]

Hi guys

I would like to take 120 photos (for 2 hrs) in order to do a star trail and to make a video.

Pls advise where I can get a step by step guide for doing a star trail and to make a video. I have CS4.

Thanks in advance.
Kind rgds
Reg

[erick (Eric)]

Simplest Star Trail photo, Reg, is to set camera to "B", point at south celestial pole from tripod, press shutter and keep it open for minutes to hours. If electronic shutter, be careful batteries don't go flat - use an AC adapter. Some shutters (my old film ones) can be locked open, but easier to use a shutter release cable and lock it open - to avoid shaking the camera after shutter is open. Modern digital cameras - I don't know how it is done.

[rwong]

Thanks Eric

I have Canon 400D.

For star trail - should I just take one shot (2 hours). Do I need Photoshop CS4 to do anything else?

For video - should I take 120 shots 1 minute each and which program I can use to make a video.

Many thanks
Kind rgds
Reg

[erick (Eric)]

Reg, sorry you need people more expert than me. My first digital camera is in the mail to me!

Search the threads for star trail photos and see how people have done them. I think there are examples of several individual shots being added together, and you get a gap in the trails between exposures. The trouble with a long exposure is if there is one stuffup, then you lose the shot. Also maybe the sky glow becomes too much in the long exposure? Or what about this amp glow issue?

I await the experts for these and your other questions.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Hi,
To make your video you'll need a program that will make .gif animations. If you have Paint Shop Pro you can use Animation Shop that ships with the program, or you can download Advanced Gif Animator which is free but puts a watermark on the animation. I'm sure there are other freebie animators out there on the net, just google for them.

[rwong]

Thanks Jeanette and Eric's advice.

Does anyone know for star trail, do I need to point to Celestial South Pole to make the circle?

Thanks
Kind rgds
Reg

[Garyh]

Hi Reg,
Go to this site and download startrails.de
http://www.startrails.de/html/home.html
You can create lovely startrail pictures easily as well as Avi`s from your shots and its free!
Keep your images short in length like 30 sec and do the next within a few seconds of the one before so you wont get noticeable breaks in the trails. Make sure you turn off the auto noise reduction for long exposures but!
Use a fast iso and a solid tripod and a cable release and you will be in bussiness!
Hope that helps you a little!
Here is a 2-1/2 hr total ex image shot in the backyard and made using the above software.
cheers Gary

[iceman (Mike)]

If you want a full circle, then it'll need to be an all-night shot. The closer you point to the SCP, the more round the trails will be.

Check out my gallery for a bunch of different star trail shots:

Star Trail Gallery

As Gary said, download the StarTrails application. It takes your jpegs or tifs and combines them to create the star trail picture, and can also create an avi movie.

Very easy to use.

Make sure you keep the interval between shots as short as possible (no more than 1-2 seconds), or you'll get gaps in your trails.

Good luck!

[rwong]

Thanks Gary and Mike for your advice. I will have a go at next dark sky night this month.

Have a good day.

Kind rgds
Reg

[starfinder (Russ)]

Hi Reg. That's a very nice project you've got in mind and some good advice too, on how to do it successfully. Good luck with your project. It's a good time of year with the Milky Way rising and the Magellanic Clouds high in the south. We'd be very interested in finding out how you got on. Russ.

[rwong]

Thanks Russ, I will post the image if the project is successful.

Cheers
Reg

[rwong]

Hi all

Attached is my first startrail image, Also captured a fire ball. Guess it's beginner's luck. Thank you for all the advices given.

Love to do more in the future.

Thanks for looking.

Reg

[iceman (Mike)]

Well done, excellent work! Where was this at? Some star party?

It looks like an Iridium Flare rather than a fireball.

Nicely done.

[rwong]

Hi Mike

The star trail was taken on Australia Day long weekend at ASV's dark sky site at Heathcote. There were about 10 people in Astrophoto secton but it seemed to be a lot more. I also used PS to clean up some laser pointer trails.


Cheers

[starfinder (Russ)]

Hi Reg. An excellent image. Very well done for your first attempt. I particularly like the subtle twilight along the horizon and the observer's red torches. Mike's right. Looks to me like you have an Iridium flare upper left of SCP and the fireball upper right of the SCP. Did you see any meteor flashes during these exposures? Drat......beginners seem to get all the good luck !

Keep up the good work.

Russ

[rwong]

Thank you Russ for your encouragement. I definitely will try again at next available opportunity.

Cheers