23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Swirling Stars, Steady Spires

A hoodoo spire points to the only stable point in a sky of swirling stars: Polaris. In reality, the stars are still and it’s the Earth that is rotating. Hundreds of images of the sky were photographed and stacked to reveal this celestial spiral.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: New Mexico, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS R5m2
Copyright: © Nathan Myhrvold