Why Do Star Trails Appear Denser on One Side of the National Geographic Photo?

AI Thread Summary
The National Geographic star trail photo shows denser trails on the right side due to a higher concentration of bright stars in that section of the sky. Overexposure of the trails contributes to the perceived density. It is suggested that the photographer may have stacked multiple images, which could lead to misalignment and a less sharp appearance compared to single exposure shots. The imbalance in star trail density is a common observation in astrophotography. Overall, the photo highlights the complexities of capturing star trails effectively.
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That section of the sky simply has more bright stars than the other.
 
I'm sure Drakkith is correct--also the actual trails seem a bit overexposed, and that exacerbates the effect. I would guess that the photographer possibly 'stacked' multiple images and the alignment might have been off a bit, because the single exposure shots I've seen tend to be sharper. Anyway, see the shot on the homepage here--
http://startrails.de/
It resembles the one you referenced, as far as the imbalance you noted...
 

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