Credit & Copyright: Marc Sellös Llimö¨s
Explanation:
The beauty in this image comes in layers.
On the bottom layer is the picturesque village of
Manlleu in
Barcelona,
Spain.
The six-minute exposure makes car lights into streaks.
The next layer is a mountain -- Serra
de Bellmunt -- of Europe's famous
Pyrenees.
Next up is a
tremendous
lightning storm emanating from a classically-shaped
anvil cloud.
The long exposure allowed for the capture of many intricate
lightning bolts.
Finally, at the top and furthest in the distance are
stars.
Here, the multi-minute exposure made stars into
trails.
The trailing effect is caused by the rotation of the Earth, and the
curvature of the trails indicates their distance from
the
north spin pole of the Earth above.
Taken after sunset in early June, the
lightning storm soon moved
off.
The stars, though, will continue to
circle the poll for as long as the
Earth spins -- surely billions of years into the future.
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
|
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: star trail - lightning
Publications with words: star trail - lightning
See also: