On the Trails of Stars Space Wallpaper

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On the Trails of Stars
Star trails are created as the Earth rotates on its axis, with the center being close to either Polaris, the north star, or the Southern Cross. (Image credit: Don Pettit)

Star trails are created as the Earth rotates on its axis, with the center being close to either Polaris, the north star, or the Southern Cross in this stunning space wallpaper.Normally, these star trails are created as the Earth rotates on its axis, with the center being close to either Polaris, the north star, or the Southern Cross, depending on which hemisphere you are in. Space Station makes one revolution every 90 minutes (the Moon takes 28 days). As a result, long-exposure pictures taken from the Station show star trails as circular arcs, with the center of rotation being the poles of Space Station (perpendicular to our orbital plane.) [See More Images of Star Trails from Space]

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
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