WIRED Staff
Science

Slideshow: On the Trail of the Analemma

How do you photograph the sun's yearly figure-eight path in the sky? With a huge amount of patience, say the small handful of photographers who have managed the tricky feat. By Amit Asaravala.
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A photograph of the analemma as it appears in Athens at 3 p.m. The foreground, of the Erechtheion, was photographed separately and added later with Photoshop.Courtesy of Anthony Ayiomamitis

See related story: On the Trail of the Analemma

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Greek astrophotographer Ayiomamitis took these multiple exposures of the sun on one piece of film at the exact same time every several days over a period of a year. The image of the Temple of Apollo in the foreground was added later with Photoshop.

Courtesy of Anthony Ayiomamitis
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The figure-eight pattern of the analemma appears in a different position in the sky depending on what time of day it is photographed. Here, Anthony Ayiomamitis has captured the analemma in a completely vertical position by photographing it in Athens at 12:28:16 p.m. every several days over the course of a year. It is the first known image of its kind.

Courtesy of Anthony Ayiomamitis
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Canadian potter Steve Irvine took this photograph of the analemma over a monument known as Keppel Henge in Ontario, Canada. The image of the monument was taken as the final photograph in the series, on the same frame as the analemma series.

Courtesy of Steve Irvine