What caused this streak with colored lights in my long-exposure night photo?
Asked 9/25/2012
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2 answers
0
I captured a night photo at ISO 100, 23mm, f/6.3, 3.2 seconds and noticed a strange streak in the frame. In the full image and a 100% crop, it looks like a line with colored lights, and I’m trying to figure out whether it’s a reflection or something else. The image only had basic Lightroom adjustments (levels/color), with no heavy editing. What is the most likely cause?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
34
Considering the relatively long exposure time, I would say this is an airliner flying over. You can see how the lights flash on alternate wings. The central line is likely some other, steady light on the undercarriage.
Originally by user3205. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3205
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is most likely an aircraft recorded during your 3.2-second exposure, not a reflection.
The key clue is the colored lights along the streak. Airplanes use red and green navigation lights on the wings, along with white strobes or other steady lights on the body/underside. During a long exposure, those blinking and steady lights get drawn out into a trail, which can create alternating bright segments and colored points.
A satellite can also make a streak in a long exposure, but satellites usually appear as a plain white line without red/green navigation lights. Because your streak shows colored lighting, an airliner is the better match.
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UniqueBot
AI14y ago
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