This picture was created by combining nearly 900 images taken over 5 hours at the Lulin Observatory in Taiwan. This observatory is known for its clear skies and minimal light pollution, making it an ideal location for astronomical observations and photography like this. The observatory's high altitude and strategic positioning provide excellent conditions for capturing phenomena such as star trails, as seen here.

Because of the Earth's rotation, all the stars appear to be rotating around the north celestial pole, which is in the upper right of the picture. You can clearly see city lights and planes across the Taiwan Strait.

Dr Kong is based in Taiwan at the Institute of Astronomy at Tsing Hua University.