The Analemma Quest | Trezor Quest

THE ANALEMMA
QUEST

"The sun keeps no secrets from those willing to wait."

✦ ΒΡΑΒΕΊΟ ΗΛΊΟΥ ✦

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."

✦ GALILEO GALILEI · c. 1610

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∴ Briefing

WHAT IS THE ANALEMMA?

If you photographed the sun from the exact same spot, at the exact same time of day, on the same date each week across an entire year, then layered every frame into one image, you would see a figure-8 burned into the sky.

That shape is called the analemma. It exists because of the Earth's axial tilt and its elliptical orbit. It cannot be faked. It cannot be rushed. It has been hanging over your head every single day of your life, invisible, patient.

Your mission is to reveal it.

∴ The Challenge

WHAT YOU MUST DO

Capture a complete and authentic analemma photograph by following this protocol:

Choose a fixed shooting location with a clear view of the sky. Mark it physically with a stake, a painted dot, or a flagstone. You will return to this exact spot many times.
Choose a fixed time, at the same hour and minute, every single session. Solar noon at your location is recommended but any consistent time works.
Photograph the sun from that spot on that schedule for a minimum of 26 sessions across at least 10 calendar months. More sessions = better figure-8 = stronger submission.
Use a consistent exposure, focal length, and framing so the background landscape is identifiable in every frame.
Composite all frames into a single final image showing the full figure-8 against the landscape.
Submit your evidence package as described below.

∴ The Laws

OFFICIAL RULES

One Winner Per Division

The $2,500 Open Gift goes to the first verified submission from any eligible entrant age 14 or older. The $1,500 Junior Gift goes to the first verified submission from an entrant ages 8–13. Each division closes independently the moment its winner is declared.

Minimum Session Count

Your composite must include at least 26 individual solar exposures spread across no fewer than 10 calendar months. A full 12-month set earns bonus consideration in case of simultaneous submissions.

Location Consistency

The background landscape must be demonstrably identical across all frames, with the same trees, structures, and horizon. Any parallax or drift of more than roughly one solar diameter across the series will disqualify the entry.

EXIF Data Required

You must submit the complete unedited source files with intact EXIF data including timestamp, GPS coordinates if available, and camera metadata. Files that have had EXIF stripped or altered will be disqualified.

Session Log

Submit a dated shooting log documenting each session date, time, and conditions. A simple handwritten journal or spreadsheet is accepted. This is your accountability chain.

Solar Filter Safety

You are photographing the actual sun. Use certified solar filters. Your safety is your own responsibility. Trezor Quest assumes no liability for equipment damage or injury.

Geographic Eligibility

No geographic restriction. Any location on Earth is eligible. However, the figure-8 shape will appear different from extreme latitudes and judges will account for this.

No AI Generation

Synthetic or AI-generated images are grounds for permanent disqualification and will be publicly called out. We will be looking.

Payout Method

The $2,500 Open Gift is awarded as a gift in USDC, sent to the winner's wallet on verified submission.

Trezor Quest Final Authority

All authenticity decisions are final and at the sole discretion of the Trezor Quest Creator. We reserve the right to request additional verification evidence from any submitter.

Original Work Only

Your analemma must be created exclusively for Trezor Quest. Previously captured analemmas, images sourced from prior personal projects, or any work begun before this quest was published are strictly ineligible. Your session log must confirm that shooting began on or after March 6, 2026, the date this quest went live.

Junior Division, Ages 8–13

To enter the Junior Division, the primary photographer must be between the ages of 8 and 13 as of March 6, 2026. The junior must be the true author of this work. Adult assistance from a parent, guardian, or teacher is permitted but strictly capped at 15% of total effort. The remaining 85% must be the junior's own: their hands on the camera, their eyes on the sky, their commitment across the year.

The junior's parent or legal guardian must include a signed parental waiver with their submission package. The waiver must state the following:

"I, [Legal Guardian's Full Name], hereby allow [Submitter's Full Name], age [Child's Age as of 03/06/2026], to participate in Trezor Quest's Analemma Quest."

Signature: _________________________ Date: _____________

Any adult who provided assistance to the junior, whether a parent, guardian, or teacher, must submit a signed affidavit attesting that the junior personally performed no less than 85% of the photographic work. Note that the helper and the submitter are not required to be the same person: for example, a teacher may have assisted during sessions while the parent submits on the child's behalf. In that case, the teacher signs the affidavit and the parent submits the package. The official affidavit form will be provided by the Creator of Trezor Quest upon request. Falsifying this affidavit disqualifies the entry and voids all prizes.

The $1,500 Junior Gift is paid to a verified parent or legal guardian on the junior's behalf. In addition, the Junior Division winner will receive a museum-quality 36×48" fine art print of their completed analemma image, professionally produced and delivered in a gallery-grade frame as a permanent record of what they built, one sunrise at a time. Junior entrants may not simultaneously enter the Open Division.

∴ Instant Disqualifiers

WHAT WILL GET YOU REJECTED

Fewer than 26 source frames or fewer than 10 months of coverage
Missing, stripped, or altered EXIF data on source files
Visible location drift indicating the tripod was moved between sessions
Time inconsistency greater than ±15 minutes across sessions
AI-generated, composited fake, or plagiarized analemma image
Frames captured within a single week to fake the series
Use of images sourced from the internet or other photographers
No corroborating session log submitted
Analemma shooting began before March 6, 2026
Junior Division: no age verification document included
Junior Division: entrant was younger than 8 or 14+ on March 6, 2026

⚠ NOTE: We will cross-reference your submitted GPS coordinates and timestamps against solar ephemeris data to verify that the sun's actual position in each frame is consistent with the claimed date, time, and location. If the math doesn't check out, you're TOAST.

☀ JUNIOR NOTE: If you are a young skygazer entering the Junior Division, we want to celebrate your work. Age verification is not a barrier; it is how we make sure your prize goes to you. A school ID or library card is all we need. Ask a parent or guardian to help you include it.

∴ Planning

SUGGESTED TIMELINE

MONTH 1

Choose your spot. Mark it permanently. Acquire solar filter. Take your first frames.

MONTHS 2–5

Consistent weekly sessions. Upper loop of the figure-8 begins to form.

MONTHS 6–7

Solstice crossover. The middle of the figure-8. The rarest and most beautiful sessions.

MONTHS 8–11

Lower loop forms. The shape becomes undeniable. Don't skip sessions now.

MONTH 12+

Final composite. Assemble your evidence package. Submit.

∴ Submission

HOW TO SUBMIT

Your submission package must include:

The final composite analemma image (high resolution, minimum 3000px on longest side)
All original source files with EXIF intact, in a zip archive
Your session log in any format, including a photo of a handwritten log
A short written statement (100–300 words) describing your process, location, and equipment
Your contact information for prize coordination
Junior Division only: Age verification document (school ID or library card)

✦ SEND YOUR COMPLETE PACKAGE TO ✦

[email protected]

Open: ANALEMMA SUBMISSION ✦ [YOUR LOCATION]

Junior: JUNIOR ANALEMMA ✦ [YOUR LOCATION]

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Published @ March 7, 2026 2:02 am