Story: Southern Cross

South Celestial Pole

South Celestial Pole

In this long-exposure photograph, the stars form arcs around a central point known as the South Celestial Pole. The apparent motion of the stars is a result of the earth rotating under the stars while the camera shutter was open. The photograph was taken at Castle Hill, Canterbury, in the middle of winter.

Using this item

Private collection
Photograph by Carl Walrond

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff, 'Southern Cross - Orientation and navigation', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/7485/south-celestial-pole (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 12 Jun 2006