Equatorial Star Trails
Near the equator Polaris is useless. Trails run more east-west overhead, with gentle arcs toward north and south horizons.
Star Trail Planner · Star Trails in the Tropics
What you see near 0° latitude
- Looking east or west: trails are nearly straight and horizontal.
- Looking north or south: you get circular arcs around the celestial poles (below or near the horizon).
- Exposure length still sets trail length. Weather and Moon still set contrast.
Planning steps
- Open Star Trail Planner and set latitude.
- Pick a clear, darker night with Tonight Score and Dark Sky Finder.
- Prefer moonless hours from Dark Sky Window for faint backgrounds.
- Point toward the composition you want: overhead lines vs horizon arcs.
Common mistakes
- Expecting Polaris-centered circles like mid-latitude tutorials.
- Ignoring dew on multi-hour exposures in the tropics.
- Shooting under a bright Moon and blaming the planner.