Under cover of night for three weeks in March and April, farmer Randy Halverson trudged out to his South Dakota fields to make this video of the evening sky.

The montage is one of several the amateur astronomer has created, combining off-the-rack equipment and patience to great effect. His motivation to brave chilly evenings is simple.

“I like to be outside, I like to see the stars, and I like to take photos then see the results,” Halverson said. “It all just goes together really well.”

A star-tracking mount for a telescope allows Halverson’s still camera to pan and tilt with the stars. It not only prevents blur, but also gives a walk-about motion to his videos.

A motorized rail creates the zooming effect; a computer controller that moves the mount and snaps the camera’s shutter. Each scene in the montage represents about 300 still photographs taken over a period of several hours.

“It takes a lot of trial and error to get right, but it’s worth it,” he said. “It shows motion into the stars you don’t normally notice. When you look up at them, you often don’t realize how much they’re moving.”

Halverson tries to achieve a different theme with each montage. “Orion” (above), filmed March 20 through April 10, features the famous constellation tracking across his family’s land, starting in an old grain distillery. His favorite work to date is “Sub Zero,” which was filmed at temperatures as low as -25 degrees Fahrenheit (video below).

“In that one, I filmed some parts from the house my parents used to live in 60 years ago,” he said. “It has a special meaning to me.”

This spring and summer, Halverson hopes to shoot from South Dakota’s badlands and the Rocky Mountains.

Videos: Randy Halverson/Dakotalapse.com

Image: Halverson’s slow-moving robotic rig. (Copyright Randy Halverson)

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