Rio at Night

As seen on Astronomy Picture of the Day, stars trail over the lights of Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. The timelapse photo sequence has captured a lot of activities. Planes flying from the domestic airport at the right edge; helicopter tours flying near Corcovado where the world-famous Cristo statue is brightly illuminated on the top of mountains, overlooking Rio; Boats move in the Guanbara Bay; and flooding lights of Rio beaches fade away the stars in the sky. Still some of the brighter stars are captured in this image. Sirius (top) and prominent constellations Orion, Gemini, and Taurus are visible in the sky. Click on the second photo to see a short exposure image of this scene with pinpoint stars.