Photography

Questions tagged [astrophotography]

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Astrophotography is the type of photography specializing in celestial objects such as the sun, moon, stars, and sky.

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74
votes
21answers
142k views

How do I set the proper exposure for nighttime moon photos?

All my attempts to get a good shot of the full moon with my DSLR result in an overexposed circle on a black background. I've tried using a tripod, remote shutter release, low ISO, and long exposure, ...
67
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5answers
30k views

How to get the best results for landscape and stars photographs?

I'm leaving for holidays tomorrow, and there's a good chance that I'll be able to be by night on a field with no artificial light around, and no moon in the sky. I'd love to take some picture of the ...
64
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6answers
6k views

How do I get started in Astrophotography?

I have a Canon 20D. I'd love to take some photos of the moon and stars. How do I get started? I've search the web and the information is sparse and cryptic. I'd like to know what equipment is the ...
47
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5answers
50k views

What is the “Rule of 600” in astrophotography?

This question mentions the "Rule of 600" for avoiding star-trails in astrophotography. What is this rule? How was it derived? How should it be applied?
42
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3answers
6k views

How do you photograph a lunar eclipse?

Tonight is the night of a lunar eclipse, and I'm curious, what kinds of tips do you guys have for photographing one? I'd like solutions for both consumer-grade equipment, as well as DSLRs, so that ...
40
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6answers
9k views

Why do stars appear as circles, not points?

Excluding the Sun, stars are so far away that their angular diameter is effectively zero. However, when you take pictures of them, brighter stars appear as circles, not points. Why? In theory, any ...
37
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9answers
33k views

How to nail focus for DSLR astrophotography?

I've been doing a bit of astrophotography and the problem that I almost always have is nailing focus. I'll manually focus on a bright star or the moon (which hopefully isn't an option!) by magnifying ...
36
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6answers
27k views

How to have colors in Milky-way?

Many photos of Milky-way show it in nice colors instead of just the black of sky and white of the stars. Is the key to having those colors in the capturing of the image or in the post processing, or ...
35
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7answers
22k views

How do I capture the milky way?

Can the milky way actually be photographed like this? I know the image is manipulated, and is probably a composite, but how do you capture such contrast in the milky way? Is an equitorially mounted ...
34
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2answers
8k views

What kind of camera do I need to capture deep space images?

By deep space image, I mean below kind. In the background it is space dust, I think. Is it dependent on camera or location? If on camera, what kind of cameras are capable to capture this kind of ...
33
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4answers
18k views

Why am I unable to capture as many stars as I can see with my eyes with my new DSLR?

I have recently been given a Nikon D7000 as a gift. I have been trying to take pictures of stars on very clear nights. However, I am unable to make the camera capture many of the stars. My eyes seem ...
28
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2answers
11k views

How do I digitally post process Moon photos?

I've created a few photos of the Moon using a Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope and a DSLR. I've tried different ISO settings, shutter speed, bracketing to find the best settings. Here I show a (reduced ...
27
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6answers
6k views

Which planet looks the biggest through a camera? Which planet is the easiest to take a picture?

I wanted to start astrophotography. Let's assume that I want to take pictures of planets when they are the closest to the planet earth, which planet would look the biggest thought a telephoto lens? ...
26
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6answers
20k views

How does Peter Lik manage to capture the stars in such detail in the following photograph?

Here's the picture: I'm curious to know what techniques (i.e. shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc...) he uses to capture the stars so vibrantly (assuming it wasn't Photoshopped). I'm guessing it was ...
25
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7answers
29k views

How can I avoid star trails without an expensive tracking mount?

I want to take pictures of the Milky Way or a lunar eclipse or earth glow on the moon, but I don't have an equatorial tracking mount, and don't want to spend that much money on one. How can I get ...
24
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7answers
9k views

What are the reasons for not taking super long exposures (hours) in astrophotography?

I am doing some research to get into astrophotography. Most of tutorials recommend taking multiple exposures and then stacking them. That makes me wonder: provided that the camera is on a tracking ...
24
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4answers
23k views

Longer exposure & lower ISO or shorter exposure & higher ISO - what gives better results when photographing stars?

I've been dabbling with night landscapes and star photography with varying levels of success. I know I don't have the ideal lens (Canon 17-40mm f4 on a Canon 6D body) but I've seen some great shots ...
22
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7answers
5k views

How to capture more stars?

I finally borrowed a tripod from a friend so that I could take pics of stars from my apartment balcony. However, when I did some test shots yesterday, the pics where far from my expectations. I ...
22
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3answers
35k views

How to capture detail of craters on the moon? [duplicate]

How can I photograph the moon so that I see detail of the craters and mountains? I have a Canon EOS 550D (T2i) and tried "No Flash", "P" as well as creative auto mode, but to no avail. Every time I ...
19
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4answers
6k views

What causes the fake colors of stars on these pictures?

About two years ago I was at a spot with a beautiful night sky with no moon so I tried to get some pictures of the sky. I wasn't well equipped back then, I had a 35mm f1.8 lens and Nikon D50. I didn't ...
19
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3answers
48k views

Can you photograph the milky way with a full moon out?

Is it possible to photograph the milky way (or just any stars or stellar objects) when a full moon is out?
18
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4answers
2k views

What's the best technique and kit for taking a picture of the Milky Way in a nearly pitch black landscape?

I've tried but I don't think my kit is good enough. How do you take pictures of something like the milky way? And if you've never actually SEEN the milky way, then you definitely MUST take a trip to ...
18
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6answers
2k views

How to photograph a partial solar eclipse?

There will be a partial solar eclipse tomorrow visible from Europe, Africa, Asia. I'm looking for photography tips. Looking for ideas for a typical amateur photographer but also for someone having a ...
16
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4answers
5k views

Why are the star trails in Richard Angle's photos of a SpaceX launch and landing so non-uniform?

Teslarati's SpaceX just expanded the envelope of rocket recovery with 50th booster landing includes some beautiful examples of Richard Angle's work portraying time and motion and physical processes. ...
16
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4answers
8k views

How can I simulate a long exposure photo using a set of shorter exposure photos?

I'm shooting towards the sky to capture the stars. The exposure time is 15 seconds, so I can see the stars still, without a trace. These photos are taken continuously one after the other, because I ...
16
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1answer
1k views

What is image stacking as it relates to astrophotography?

What is 'image stacking' and how can I apply it to my astrophotography to create better looking photographs? Are there any 'must have' resources for learning how to image stack for the purposes of ...
16
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3answers
3k views

What causes and how can I avoid this moiré pattern in a composite night sky photograph?

I'm new to taking star trails, and fairly new to photography in general. After my first attempt at taking a star trail, I composited them in Photoshop and when I merged the layers I got this pattern ...
15
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7answers
1k views

Are meteors dim?

I was out last night trying to shoot the Geminids meteor shower. I was using a Canon 5D2, 17-40mm f4.0 lens set to 17mm and f4.0, ISO 400. The camera was mounted on a non-tracking mount (only because ...
15
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4answers
19k views

Does long exposure cause hot pixels in photos?

Today, I was taking some shots of night sky. For each, I had 20 sec exposure. During picture review, I found a red dot which is referred as "Hot Pixel" according to some people on the Internet. ...
15
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1answer
446 views

How to plan the composition of astrophotography?

I want to shoot the Milky Way, some constellations, and planets. I want to include some natural landscapes in these photos, similar to these: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35492781@N08/4665431960/in/...
14
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5answers
5k views

How can they take pictures of the Milky Way?

I have had a trivial question for a long time. I can't understand how you can take a picture of outside of a thing, when you are a very small dot in it. Really, how did they take these pictures of ...
14
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4answers
14k views

Capturing the Milky Way: what did I do wrong?

Back when I was a beginner in photography (I mean, a real one, using auto settings and stuff), I made this shot of the beautiful Finnish sky: Settings: 30 sec, f/5, ISO 3200, 18 mm Gear: Nikon D60 ...
14
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6answers
17k views

How do I set the focus in long exposure night sky shots?

I want to catch a good long exposure (5 - 15 seconds) shot of the International Space Station in the night sky as it passes over my city. Setting the ISO higher (say, to 100) and the exposure time is ...
14
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5answers
1k views

What exposure was used for successful pictures of the “blood moon”?

The moon in total eclipse is very dark, I discovered. My crop-sensor camera and f/5.6 lens was not up to it. I saw some "cherry red" photos in feeds, but without technical details. I used 1/125 ...
14
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8answers
8k views

Practicality of using a telescope as a super telephoto lens?

This might earn me stupid question of the week honors, but reading this question made me wonder whether it would ever make sense to use a astronomy telescope + camera mount as an earthbound zoom lens? ...
13
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5answers
10k views

New Pi camera - any good for Astrophotography?

So, the Pi Foundation have released a new camera, Some specs: 12.3 megapixel Sony IMX477 sensor 1.55μm × 1.55μm pixel size – double the pixel area of IMX219 Back-illuminated sensor architecture for ...
13
votes
1answer
508 views

Are hot pixels just one pixel?

I have been taking a few astro photos on a very high ISO, and have found what I think to be a few hot pixel. I though at first that I had managed to get a few very sharp pic of some red and blue stars....
13
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3answers
2k views

How to edit my RAW photo to make the stars come out more?

I've been taken night photography photos with my Sony A6000 in RAW+JPEG. There should be a lot more potential in RAW, but I can't make it look as visually pleasing as the JPEG. In particular, the ...
12
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5answers
295 views

How do I know what celestial events will be visible soon?

I want to get into astrophotography, and would like subjects that are a bit more unusual than the things we see every night like constellations and the moon. Where can I read about upcoming celestial ...
12
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4answers
13k views

Astrophotography picture with too much noise. How do I correct this in postprocessing?

This is the Milky Way above Kakadu National Park, Australia, and my first try at astrophotography. Thirty second exposure, f/4.0 at 17mm with ISO 12800 (!!) which in hindsight probably was way too ...
12
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6answers
4k views

How were these Astronomy Photographer of the Year images produced?

Looking at the winner of Astronomy Photographer of the Year, I'm wondering, how can one produce shots like these: http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year/...
12
votes
2answers
2k views

What kind of filter do I need for safe sun photography?

I'm a novice photographer but I'm really interested in Astrophotography. Since I don't want to go full equipment, spending too much, without knowing the basis, I need to ask for help here on Stack. I ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views

What causes faint circles in astrophotography images?

When processing an astro-images taken with a Canon 450D and prime focus, I often end up with a series of faint circles radiating outwards from an off centre point. What are they and how do I get rid ...
11
votes
3answers
3k views

Why do I need a telescope for astrophotography?

I understand visually that through a telescope, deep space objects, planets, etc, look much "better" than through a DSLR lens. However, I fail to find a good, technical reason why is this ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views

What is the best way to focus when doing night photography or astrophotography?

Last night, when I was attempting to do some astrophotography, I found it rather difficult to focus on the stars/tress/buildings in nearly pitch darkness. The Live View feature doesn't show much as it ...
11
votes
3answers
12k views

Continuous Bursts of Many Short Exposures vs. A Few Long Exposures for Astrophotography?

When reading many sources that address doing astrophotography, I often see the advice to take multiple exposures and stack them rather than one long exposure. Often the reason given is that the longer ...
11
votes
3answers
21k views

What filters are commonly used in photographing the moon with a DSLR at night without a telescope?

All my, very limited, experience photographing the moon has been through small telescopes with low resolution mono-chrome cameras. Limited in that I prefer deep space objects with large scopes at very ...
11
votes
2answers
991 views

How can I achieve more clarity in my photos of the moon?

I took this photo of the blood moon this morning and I am finding many of my photos, especially landscape photos, have a significant lack of clarity. I'm not looking for a photo critique because I ...
11
votes
5answers
19k views

Linux software for stacking and RAW processing

I'm starting with astrophotography and my DSLR produces CR2 raw images. I use Linux and want to stack series of shots and do RAW processing (curves, RGB balance, etc.) I googled and found software ...
11
votes
1answer
100 views

What can I do to prevent sudden “jumps” in the tracking motor during long time exposures?

I occasionally have sudden jumps (visible after the exposure as all stars are "doubled") in the tracking stepper. How do I fix this problem?

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