The following panoramic time lapse video shows the sky over Fairfax County, Virginia USA during the afternoon of 17 February 2026. A variety of mostly high level cirroform clouds can be seen moving across the sky.
The video was recorded using my GoPro HERO4 Black action camera mounted on an inexpensive "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer. The camera was set for "Video" mode / "Time Lapse Video" submode at a resolution of 4K and an interval of two (2) seconds. Approximately 46 minutes of actual recording time resulted in 46 seconds of "raw" time lapse video, given the recording settings I use.
17 February 2026. Panoramic view from north to south.
The rig was turned upside-down so the action camera would rotate clockwise (rather than counterclockwise), as shown in the following photo.
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| Clockwise "Orbit" rig. |
Notice the homemade safety strap used to tether the action camera to the tripod. Better safe than sorry, right? There is enough slack in the strap so the camera can rotate freely. For more information about my safety strap, see the "Tech Tips" section in one of my earlier blog posts entitled "Atmospheric Motion."
Tech Tips
Set your GoPro action camera so the image is automatically right-side-up even when the camera is upside-down. Go to Settings/Camera Preferences/Setup. Set the camera for "Auto Rotation." [There are three options: Up; Down; and Auto.]
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| GoPro Quik | Camera Preferences for GoPro HERO4 Black. |
I don't worry about setting the "Orbit" timer for a specific amount of time. I just turn the dial clockwise until it's set for two hours. Then I compose the shot and start recording for as long as I need/want.
Related Resources
- Panoramic time lapse rig using "Orbit" two-hour mechanical hose watering timer - a blog post by Walter Sanford
- First field test: "Orbit" panoramic time lapse timer - another blog post by Walter Sanford
- Post update: Minor modifications of "Orbit" panoramic time lapse rig - another blog post by Walter Sanford
Copyright © 2026 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
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