Have you ever witnessed the rotation of the earth? Here’s a video of earth’s rotation captured by an Indian astronomer in Ladakh
Dorje Angchuk succeeded in capturing a seamless timelapse sequence of the Earth’s rotation using a tracker for motion and mobile controls for exposure transitions.
Indian astronomer Dorje Angchuk has captured a stunning time-lapse video showing the Earth’s rotation from the serene landscapes of Ladakh.
Angchuk, working as the engineer-in-charge at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, expressed his ambition to create a full 24-hour time-lapse that illustrates the transition from day to night.
It is worth noting that, while we do not sense the planet’s spin, it is constantly moving, not just along its own axis but also around the Sun. The video reveals how it rotates while the Milky Way appears stationary.
A Day in Motion – Capturing Earth’s Rotation
— Dorje Angchuk (@dorje1974) January 31, 2025
The stars remain still, but Earth never stops spinning. My goal was to capture a full 24-hour time-lapse, revealing the transition from day to night and back again. @IIABengaluru @asipoec (1/n) pic.twitter.com/LnCQNXJC9R
Dorje stated, “The stars remain still, but Earth never stops spinning,” emphasising the challenges he faced during this ambitious project.
Initially aiming to frame the constellation Orion, Angchuk encountered difficulties due to its high position in the sky relative to his latitude. The extreme cold conditions in Ladakh drained camera batteries quickly and tested his equipment’s limits.
Over four nights, he dealt with multiple setbacks including storage issues, battery failures, and timer malfunctions. Each challenge taught him valuable lessons, prompting refinements in his setup.
Angchuk was eventually able to capture a smooth sequence of the Earth’s rotation by using a motion tracker and mobile controls for exposure transitions. However, post-processing was not without challenges; he had to edit anomalies in frame to obtain a polished end product.
This idea was prompted by a request for a time-lapse film to help pupils grasp Earth’s rotation, he explained in a post on X.
Angchuk stated that capturing this time-lapse is best done in loop mode and full screen to really observe Earth’s dynamic movement beneath the huge sky. His passion for astrophotography not only highlights the beauty of Ladakh’s night sky, but also hopes to enlighten future generations about astronomy and the mysteries of our cosmos.
