Even if we cannot see it, the Earth is constantly in motion. Cornwall-based photographer Aaron Jenkin captures just how much the planet rotates in a stunning timelapse video of the British coast. Using an equatorial mount—a device that has a rotational axis parallel to the Earth’s axis of rotation—he condensed two hours into just under 15 seconds, during which time we see the horizon tilt to a dramatic angle.
“I captured a timelapse of the Milky Way in Cornwall last night,” Jenkin says in the video caption. He set up his camera with a view of a rocky cliffside, the ocean, and a starry night sky. As boats travel across the water and beams of light flash above, the camera follows the rotation of the planet and turns the picture on its side. The amazing sight already accumulated over five million views on TikTok.
When Jenkin is not photographing the skies of Cornwall, he travels to other distant locations to reveal their less-seen beauty. One of his most viewed timelapse videos captures the sky in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand, which is one of the darkest places on Earth. The lack of light pollution in the area is why the International Dark Sky Association has labeled it as a dark sky reserve.
“Just watching the stars above, in awe of how much I could see with the unaided eye. I could clearly see The Dark Horse Nebula, and could even make out the dust clouds of the milky way reflected in the water,” he says. “I’ve never seen such a clear reflection, and after seeing that I knew my timelapse was going to be pretty special.”
Be sure to follow Jenkin on TikTok and Instagram to see more amazing photography.
Cornwall-based photographer Aaron Jenkin used an equatorial mount to capture how much the Earth rotates in two hours.
@aaronjenkinphotography I captured a timelapse of the Milky Way in Cornwall last night. I used an equatorial mount to show how much our planet rotates in just 2 hours! #milkyway #timelapse #nightsky #photography ♬ snowfall (Sped Up) – Øneheart & reidenshi
He also traveled to the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand to record the stunning night sky free from light pollution.
@aaronjenkinphotography Night Photography in one of the darkest places on Earth 🌏✨ #nightphotography #photography #newzealand ♬ glued 2 deep in time Aaron Hibell edit – Aaron Hibell
Aaron Jenkin: Website | Instagram | TikTok
h/t: [PetaPixel]
All images via Aaron Jenkin.
Related Articles:
Rare Star on the Brink of Going Supernova Photographed by the James Webb Space Telescope
James Webb Space Telescope Releases Stunning New Shot of the Pillars of Creation
Astrophotographer Unwittingly Photographs a SpaceX Rocket Whizzing By