A beautiful moonlit night over the rolling hills of the Clwydian Range in north Wales, and I'm taking advantage of the conditions on this warm August night to visit one of my favourite astrophotography locations, perched high on the slopes of Foel Fenlli looking north towards to coast.
In front of me is the iconic peak of Moel Famau, the highest point in the Clwydian Range, and crowned with the ruined stump of the Jubilee Tower.
Quite a tourist attraction, even in the middle of the night as this time lapse video shows!
And further away, in the background, are the glowing red anti-collision beacons of the Moel-y-Parc transmitter, that 235m high finger, pointing skywards to the heavens above.
And it's what's going on in the heavens that I'm here to photograph, as stars and constellations wheel overhead in their clockwork celestial dance while the rising moon casts an eerie light over the rolling landscape laid out below me.
And so quickly at this time of year, the dark of night finally gives way to the three stages of twilight (astronomical, nautical and civil) and my camera sensor is overwhelmed with photons.
Time to head back down to the car and home, buzzing with having seen so much of God's wisdom, expressed in the beauty and majesty of His creation.
Filename - clwydians night timelapse 08
Camera - Canon EOS6DMK2
Lens - 14mm prime
Exposure - 10 sec @ f/2.8, ISO3200
Filters - None.
Music - Music for studying
Location - Clwydian Range, North Wales
This clip - HD 720p, 30fps (4K and 1080p HD formats also available)
Clip duration - 60 seconds
All content copyright © Howard Litherland 2009-2026 unless otherwise stated.