Hello,
This is my first time posting in the Adobe Community, as I have only recently started learning Adobe After Effects.
I am trying to create a video or gif of an eclipsing binary star, where the smaller star passes periodically in
front of the larger star as it orbits it. Please see the attached gif file. 
To create that, I used an elipse for the orbit of the star and then created a "trace path" null. I then linked the smaller star's layer to the trace path null, so that the smaller star orbits the bigger star. To overcome the issue of the smaller star being always on top of the larger star (even when I want it to be behind) I used a mask and keyframes to change the opacity of the mask. I am not saying it is the neatest way of doing things but basically my knowledge and experience with After Efects ends there. Now, the animation starts with the smaller star behind the larger star because the "trace path" script put the null there. I don't seem to find a way to change its starting location. In fact, I don't know how the scripts decides where the starting point of closed curve is. I would like to move the smaller star/the null off to the side, so that it is initially unocculted by the big star. Any ideas how to accomplish that?
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