Time-lapse videos of the night sky with the stars rushing around the Earth are always fascinating to watch, but filmmaker Lance Page has a new take on filming the night sky. His short film entitled “Ride the Sky” depicts the Earth turning while the stars stand still.

Using a motorized pivot for his camera, he trained the lens on the north star. From our vantage point on Earth we usually see the stars gliding across the sky throughout the night while we appear to stay stationary. Page’s short film shows our planet’s perpetual rotation in contrast with the stars holding their relative positions.

The video is a fascinating new perspective on a familiar sight. Though we know logically that the Earth is not the center of the universe, it’s easy to believe that everything really does revolve around us. “Ride the Sky” is a beautiful reminder that we are simply another piece in the vast puzzle that makes up our cosmic neighborhood.

The post Spellbinding Film Shows Earth Rotating as Stars Stay Still first appeared on Gajitz.

Thanks to decades of light pollution from cities, most of us don’t know what the star-filled night sky really looks like. Oscar Lhermitte and his Urban Stargazing Team are bringing back the simple joy of watching the stars with their delightful Urban Stargazing project. By shooting their own man-made stars into the sky, they’re giving the gift of wishing on a star to a whole new generation of astronomy lovers.

Their plan is simple in concept but seems difficult to actually achieve. The artificial constellations are made from thin nylon line, solar-powered LEDs and a small solar panel. The team uses a telescopic catapult to get the lines into position. In daylight hours the solar panel collects power from the sun, and when the sky gets dark enough the LEDs switch on. In the dark the nylon lines are invisible, resulting in constellations that look just like real stars all over the night sky.

The group has placed both real constellations and made-up ones throughout London, bringing to life both ancient and contemporary myths about the city. Their Urban Stargazing map contains the latitude and longitude from which every constellation can be seen, letting Londoners make their way to the optimal viewing location for each. For younger urban denizens who have never experienced the magic of nighttime stargazing, this project should prove to be pure magic.

The post Starry, Starry London Night Created With Slingshots + LEDs first appeared on Gajitz.