The astonishing image, taken in the heart of the Australian outback, was used simply by taking advantage of the earth’s rotation.
Andrew Brooks, an amateur photographer, took the image using his camera, a tripod, his neighbour’s lounge room light and a little patience while letting gravity do the rest.
The image, taken in the remote town of Denial Bay, a fishing village on the edge of the Great Australian Bight, was taken using a special “time lapse” process.
It takes advantage of the earth’s natural rotation, which explains the circular appearance.
Each picture takes about 36 minutes to complete – the camera shutter is locked open for 18 minutes before it spends a similar amount of time processing what it has taken – which then produces what appears to be a moving image.
It shows the Milky Way and the Southern Cross constellation of stars, which is shown on the Australian flag.
“I went outside one night and looked up and was mesmerised at how clear the sky and stars were,” Mr Brooks told The Daily Telegraph.
“I set up the camera, open the shutters and went back inside the house, made a cup of tea and sat down and watched the football as it does take a bit of patience.
“ I came back and was pretty stoked with what I had got. It is a pretty amazing picture.”
Mr Brooks, 42, said he could take the image above the general store in the South Australian town – population 200 people – because of its remoteness.
The nearest major city is almost 500 miles (800km) away. This means the sky remains free from neon-light “reflection” from city lights, leaving stars even clearer to the naked eye.
Also due to the time of the year, the positioning of the earth was perfect for capturing such an image.
“Because of the remoteness of the area, we are able to see the sky much clearer,” he said. “And the night sky particular at this time of year is absolutely spectacular.” Mr Brooks, a tourist information officer, has pursued his hobby for more than 20 years.
