Star Trails in the Tropics
At 6°N you are between poles: choose north for small circles around a low Polaris (about 7° up at Georgetown, 4° at Lethem), south for arcs around a pole below the horizon, east and west for near-vertical streaks, or straight up for lines running east-west overhead.
Star Trail Planner · How to Use Star Trail Planner
Stars appear to rotate about the celestial poles at ~15° per hour. Trail length in the frame depends on exposure time, focal length, and angular distance from the pole. Weather and the Moon set the contrast. Guyana sees both northern and southern sky, so compose deliberately.
What you see near 6°N
- Overhead: trails run east-west across the frame.
- East or west: nearly straight, vertical streaks, because stars rise and set almost straight up and down near the equator (tilted only about 7° from vertical at Georgetown, where the celestial equator meets the horizon at 83°).
- North: small circles around the north celestial pole, about 7° above the horizon at Georgetown (4° at Lethem). A clear, flat northern horizon lets them close.
- South: arcs around the south celestial pole, which is below the horizon from Guyana.
One hour of star trails from Georgetown, facing east, south and north: near-vertical streaks as Orion rises, open arcs round a pole below the horizon, and circles round Polaris just above it.
You aim at the western horizon from Georgetown. What do the star trails look like?
- Small circles around Polaris
- Nearly straight, nearly vertical streaks (the right answer)
- Long east-west lines
- Tight arcs around a pole in the frame
Near the equator stars rise and set almost straight up and down: at Georgetown the celestial equator meets the horizon at 83°, only about 7° from vertical.
Planning
- Open Star Trail Planner, tap Use my location, and set the target declination of your frame (0° for the east or west horizon; far north or south for arcs).
- Decide aesthetic: tight arcs near a pole, long straight streaks east or west, or overhead lines.
- Pick a clear, darker night with Tonight Score and Dark Sky Finder, and prefer moonless hours from Dark Sky Window for faint backgrounds.
- Fight dew: warmers, shields, spare cloths, tropical nights fog glass fast.
The planner's own numbers: change the declination, the session and the frames.
Capture styles
- Single long exposure: simple, more noise/amp glow on some cameras.
- Many short frames + stack: flexible, easier airplane/cloud rejection.
Composition notes
- North: Polaris is low (about 7° up at Georgetown, 4° at Lethem) and often hidden by trees or haze; leave room above the horizon. Circles close only for stars within about 7° of the pole.
- South: richer star fields; the south celestial pole is about 7° below the horizon at Georgetown, so trails curve around a hidden pivot.
- East or west: near-vertical straight streaks, the signature equatorial star-trail look.
- Include a still foreground (tree, bridge) locked on a sturdy tripod.
Why can't you shoot big, complete circles around Polaris from Georgetown?
- Polaris is not visible south of 10°N
- The pole is only about 7° up, so only stars within about 7° of it circle without setting (the right answer)
- The tropics turn too fast
- Humidity blurs the circles
The north celestial pole stands at your latitude, about 7° up at Georgetown, so only stars closer to it than that stay above the horizon all the way round.
Processing
Align on stars or use trail-stacking tools; blend a static foreground from a shorter exposure if needed. Keep white balance consistent across the stack.
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.
Compare the poles
Aim north, south, east and west below, from about 6°N and from London at 51.5°N. Then open the Star Trail Planner for arc length, frames, and intervals.
Real star trails from Georgetown, Lethem or London tonight: aim the camera and compare the poles.