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Venus, Jupiter and Mars trails

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November 10, 2015

Venus, Jupiter and Mars rising before dawn on November 10. Photo by Balai Cerap.

As Earth spins under the sky, stars and planets,and the sun and moon, rise in the east, to begin their sweep across the sky. When an astrophotographer captures their apparent movement, it’s called a star trail, or – in this case of this wonderful shot by Balai Cerap in Malaysia – a planet trail. Balai captured the three morning planets – Jupiter, Mars and Venus – in this composite image created on November 10, 2015.

Thank you, Balai!

What are star trails? How can I capture them?

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November 10, 2015

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Deborah Byrd

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Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.