How long should a star trail session be?

A 45–90 minute session at tropical latitudes already makes a dramatic arc. This planner converts session length and target declination into degrees of trail and an interval-stack frame count for your shutter and gap settings.

Can I shoot concentric trails around Polaris from Guyana?

Not really. Near 6°N Polaris sits only a few degrees above the northern horizon, so concentric circles are impractical. Frame south for flowing diagonal arcs instead — the planner flags when a target is effectively circumpolar.

Should I use one long exposure or many short ones?

Interval stacking (many shorter frames) is more forgiving for airplanes, battery, and noise. Enter your shutter, gap, and total session length to see how many frames the stack needs.

Tools

Free Star Trail Planner · Any Latitude

Plan fixed-tripod star trail sessions: trail arc, interval frame count, and low-latitude notes for tropical skies.

Georgetown

6.8000°N, 58.1700°W

Observer

Georgetown

6.8000°N, 58.1700°W

Latitude sets the circumpolar threshold for trail shape tips.

Session setup

CameraFocal length (mm)Target declination (°)Session length (min)

Shutter / frame (s)Gap (s)

Results

Trail arc: 15.0°
Frames to stack: 144
Effective exposure: 60.0 min
FOV width: 52° · trail ≈ 29%

144 frames · 15.0° trail arc · Stack with Sequator or StarStax. Keep per-frame shutters short enough to avoid obvious star spotting unless you want fat trails.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a star trail session be?: A 45–90 minute session at tropical latitudes already makes a dramatic arc. This planner converts session length and target declination into degrees of trail and an interval-stack frame count for your shutter and gap settings.
Can I shoot concentric trails around Polaris from Guyana?: Not really. Near 6°N Polaris sits only a few degrees above the northern horizon, so concentric circles are impractical. Frame south for flowing diagonal arcs instead — the planner flags when a target is effectively circumpolar.
Should I use one long exposure or many short ones?: Interval stacking (many shorter frames) is more forgiving for airplanes, battery, and noise. Enter your shutter, gap, and total session length to see how many frames the stack needs.

Use shorter per-frame shutters to avoid star spotting in each frame, then stack with Sequator or StarStax. Pair with Dark Sky Window for a moonless night.