Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Earth Rotating Under Very Large Telescopes

NASA ^ | June 01, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: S. Guisard & Jose Francisco Salgado, ESO, Bulletpeople.com; Music: Arcadia (License: Kevin Macleod)] Explanation: Why is the Earth moving in the above video? Most time lapse videos of the night sky show the stars and sky moving above a steady Earth. Here, however, the frames have been digitally rotated so that it is the stars that stay (approximately) steady, and the Earth that moves beneath them. The video dramatically shows the actual rotation of the Earth, called diurnal motion, in a clear and moving way, as if the camera were floating free in space. The telescopes featured in the video are the Very Large Telescopes (VLT) in Chile, a group of four of the largest optical telescopes deployed anywhere in the world. A discerning observer of the above time lapse movie may also note the use of laser guide stars, zodiacal light, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, and fast-moving, sunlight-reflecting, Earth-orbiting satellites. The original video, on which the above sequences are based, can be found here.

[Dryman]

Must be some of that Muslim addition to our space program.

[TheOldLady]

nicolas fabian bustos vargas

What a butthead.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Dryman.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[Rudder]

I'll just have to take your word that the earth really does rotate.

Regards, N. Copernicus

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[brytlea]

Awesome. Some of the posts seem to say it’s not there, but I saw it. Am I special?

[bigheadfred]

Looks like it IS back.

Looks like those mean nasty thoughts I was sending old what’s his name hit home.

(fair warning)

;-))

[bigheadfred]

Am I special?

Olympicly.

[brytlea]

Awesomesauce!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

And yes, you’re all special, but I love you all *the same*.

[brytlea]

We are unique, just like everyone else! ;) hehehe

[SunkenCiv]

This is a little different, same sources though.

[GeronL]

That was really interesting

[EternalVigilance]

Awesome.