A new visual work by photographer Mariana Atencio documents the star trail or celestial movement over the Los Glaciares National Park using the long exposure technique, revealing the chromatic diversity of the Patagonian sky.
The imposing setting of the Perito Moreno Glacier has once again become the protagonist of a milestone in glacier astrophotography.
On this occasion, an image of singular beauty has managed to capture the phenomenon known as Star Trail, where the night sky transforms into a canvas of colorful curved lines that testify to the earth’s rotation against the vastness of the Santa Cruz ice.
The photographic piece, of great technical and aesthetic value, does not use digital effects for its composition. On the contrary, it is the result of a prolonged exposure that allows the apparent movement of the stars to be recorded.
A highlighted detail of the capture is the variety of hues in the light trails: from blues and bluish whites —indicating stars of extremely high temperatures— to yellows, oranges, and reds, corresponding to cooler celestial bodies.
This production adds to Mariana Atencio’s career, who earlier this year set a precedent in the protected area. Along with her colleague Mariana Martínez, Atencio was responsible for the historic capture of the “Galactic Arch over the Perito Moreno Glacier,” a nighttime image that was officially presented to the authorities of the Los Glaciares National Park (PNLG) due to its unprecedented nature.
The relevance of these records lies in their ability to offer a different perspective of the crystal giant in Santa Cruz.
While the National Park is usually depicted under the sunlight, this type of night photography work in Patagonia highlights the purity of the skies of southern Argentina and the harmony between the terrestrial natural monuments and the cosmos.




