Using a remote imaging setup or private observatory to capture images of the night sky can be a great thing for the hobby of astronomy and astrophotography, more so if you live in an area with lots of inhibiting weather conditions or terrible viewing conditions, but it can have some drawbacks too. Some offer the facility to send your own telescope setup out there and some have their own setups too. Let's dive in... United States Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), New Mexico Best for: Deep-sky astrophotography, long exposure imaging Why it’s good: Located in a high-altitude, arid region, SSO benefits from stable seeing conditions and minimal light pollution. The facility hosts professional-grade telescopes and imaging equipment. Drawbacks: Limited access for amateur astronomers and high rental costs. Deep Sky West, New Mexico Best for: Wide-field imaging, photometric studies Why it’s good: Offers access to some of the best skies in North America with excellent seeing and transparency. Provides a range of telescope options for different imaging needs. Drawbacks: Subscription fees can be expensive for long-term use. Telescope Live (Sierra Remote Observatory, California) Best for: Advanced astrophotographers, research-grade imaging Why it’s good: Hosts a network of powerful telescopes accessible online, ideal for capturing high-resolution deep-space objects. Drawbacks: Weather can occasionally be unpredictable, affecting session availability. iTelescope.Net (Multiple locations, including California and New Mexico) Best for: Flexible, on-demand astrophotography Why it’s good: A global network of remote telescopes with a variety of focal lengths and sensor capabilities. Ideal for those looking to capture different types of celestial objects. Drawbacks: Some locations have limited availability during peak seasons. SkyPi Remote Observatory, New Mexico Best for: High-quality deep-sky imaging, robotic automation Why it’s good: Offers excellent dark skies and a range of advanced imaging equipment with automated scheduling capabilities. Drawbacks: Initial setup and learning curve for remote operation. Europe El Sauce Observatory, Spain Best for: Southern hemisphere imaging, high-resolution astrophotography Why it’s good: Offers premium imaging opportunities with high-altitude and stable atmospheric conditions. Drawbacks: More expensive than some other remote observatories. Observatori Astronòmic Albanyà, Spain Best for: Planetary and deep-sky imaging Why it’s good: Excellent Mediterranean seeing conditions and well-equipped with powerful telescopes and imaging cameras. Drawbacks: Can be affected by humidity during certain seasons. ICRAR Remote Observatory, Canary Islands Best for: Research-grade and public access imaging Why it’s good: Located at high altitude, reducing atmospheric turbulence. Regularly used by professional astronomers. Drawbacks: More suited to structured projects rather than casual astrophotography. Telescope Live (Chile and Spain locations) Best for: Access to professional equipment for various imaging projects Why it’s good: Offers a combination of wide-field and high-magnification options, making it suitable for all types of astrophotography. Drawbacks: Subscription-based model might not suit occasional users. OASI Remote Observatory, Italy Best for: Amateur astrophotographers looking for European access Why it’s good: Located in an area with minimal light pollution and well-integrated with imaging software for remote control. Drawbacks: Weather conditions can be variable compared to higher-altitude sites. Private observatories throughout the world – Al Sadeem Astronomy - UAE Al Sadeem Astronomy UAE Al Sadeem Astronomy is a privately-owned company registered in The Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) that aims to make astronomy accessible to everyone. Since 2016, Al Sadeem Astronomy has made astronomy accessible to all walks of life from the outskirts of the Abu Dhabi The Al Sadeem Observatory is home to three powerful telescopes that are used for research and astrophotography a fully-automated, high-powered 16-inch Meade LX850 telescope. In addition to Stellina and Vespera, two revolutionary smart telescopes developed and manufactured by French company Vaonis. It is located in a private farm in Al Wathba, which is an ideal place to stargaze–not too far enough from the city, but not too close that the city lights could spoil the observation. Since its completion in 2016, the Observatory has been instrumental in promoting space and astronomy across the country. A notable activity was Al Sadeem Observatory’s coverage of the July 27, 2018 total lunar eclipse, which was live streamed by NASA. At present, Al Sadeem Observatory offers paid guided tours and stargazing experience to individuals who wish to cultivate their curiosity about space and astronomy. www.alsadeematronomy.ae Hellas-Sky – Southern Greece Hellas Sky Observatory Hellas-Sky is a premier remote observatory service that provides astrophotographers with access to high-quality telescopes under pristine dark skies in Greece. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced astrophotographer, the platform allows you to remotely control professional-grade equipment, capture stunning deep-sky images, and process data from some of the best observing locations in Europe. With a focus on reliability and top-tier optical systems, Hellas-Sky makes deep-space imaging accessible without the need for personal telescope setups, offering a convenient and cost-effective way to explore the cosmos. https://hellas-sky.com Some advantages and Disadvantages of Remote Observatories Advantages Consistent Imaging Conditions Access to dark skies and stable weather patterns improves image quality significantly. High-Quality Equipment Most remote observatories house professional-grade telescopes and imaging sensors. Time Efficiency: Removes the need for travel and allows imaging while being in a different location or time zone. Global Access: Enables imaging of objects not visible from an observer’s home location. Disadvantages Cost: Renting time on a remote observatory can be expensive, especially for long-term projects. Disconnect: You might feel that you are not really connected to your equipment anymore and taking images of deep sky objects becomes transactional. A lot of amateur astronomers love the hands-on approach to using their own equipment at home. Limited Control: Unlike personal setups, there may be restrictions on customising equipment or settings. Learning Curve: Some remote platforms require knowledge of advanced software and automation. Check this out before you embark on sending your whole rig to a remote site. Weather and Technical Failures: Despite optimal locations, occasional weather disruptions or technical issues can impact imaging sessions. Remote observatories provide an invaluable resource for astrophotographers seeking high-quality imaging opportunities without the challenges of local weather and light pollution. While they come with costs and learning curves, they offer unparalleled access to some of the best skies on Earth. Whether you are a hobbyist looking to capture deep-sky wonders or a researcher conducting long-term studies, remote observatories offer a practical and powerful solution for astrophotography enthusiasts.

I imaged this huge galaxy 11 million light years away from our Milkyway galaxy, using my dedicated astronomy camera, my HEQ5Pro equatorial mount and my Skywatcher 200P telescope. Total Integration time : 2 hours 40 mins Moon coverage : 50% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 M81 or Bodes galaxy : Messier 81 is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. M81 is to the righ of the plough as you can see in the iamge below taken from Stellarium on a Mac. M81 is actually the very first galaxy I ever took an image of. The image above was the second time I had tried to image this galaxy. I first imaged it in 2023, using my slightly older EQ5 Pro mount and my previous colour astronomy camera, the ZWO 294MC. The first time I imaged and procesed for the first time was such an amazing feeling. Seeing some of teh details appear around the sprial structire of this galaxy was so cathartic. Even though my imaging and processing experience was very limited I will never forget the feeling of taking an image of a distant galaxy and processing it. My memory of processing Bodes galaxy for the first time will always stay with me for a very long time. Going from a black screen in Photoshop with some white specs for stars, to an image of a galaxy so far away, was mind blowing! Processing this galaxy was actually a little easier to be fair than processing Triangulum galaxy. Bodes galaxy, being so far away meant there were actually less stars to resolve in the image which oddly made processing this a little easier. I do intend to reshoot this galaxy using my monochrome camera setup using some of my Antlia 3nm LRGB filters. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking at my Bodes galaxy image

IC1848 / Westerhout5 or the Soul nebula is an emission nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia and it is my first ever two panel mosiac, which means it is made up of two separate stacked images, imaged over a couple of nights from my back garden. Total Integration time : 18 hours 40 mins Moon coverage : 75-85% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 The deep sky object and nebula image below is absolutely vast and is only a small part of a wider nebula called the heart and soul nebula. I have imaged the heart of the heart nebula and you can see this image here . The Soul nebula taken from my back garden on the west coast of Scotland. The Heart Nebula is an emission nebula, 7500 light years away from Earth and located in the Perseus Arm of the Galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by William Herschel on 3 November 1787. It displays glowing ionized hydrogen gas and darker dust lanes in and around this wonderful nebula. This is probably one of my best images to date so far and I am so happy I actually managed to finally achieve a two panel mosaic. This image was taken over several nights back at the start of 2025 with a total exposure time of over 18 hours. I then stacked all of the data in Pixinsight and processed it in Pixinsight also, to produce this wonderfully vibrant image of this amazing nebula. Below is what each of the different master stacks look like starting with the Oiii, Ha then Sii filters and you can see that the Oiii is the weekest of all signal. The black edge on the Oiii is stacking artefacts when the alignment is slightly out. This is of course only one of the panels in my master light stack, but hopefully you get the idea. I then stacked the other half of the mosaic and processed the same way, then aligned both of these master lights in Pixinsight to produce the colourful image shown above.

Hey, me again! I took this image over a few nights in September 2024 from my back garden on the west coast of Scotland. This is my longest integration time so far with my new monochrome astronomy equipment. This image also has the designation of Westerhout 5. Total Integration time : 9hours 25 min Moon coverage : 95% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 Westerhaut5 - The heart nebula The Soul Nebula or Westerhout 5 : This nebula is an emission nebula located in Cassiopeia. Several small open clusters are embedded in the nebula: CR 34, 632, and 634 and IC 1848. The object is more commonly called by the cluster designation IC 1848. (Source: NASA). I also imaged this deep sky object as a two panel mosaic as show above! I love the wonderful rainbow of colours I have managed to process out from this image. Normally, when you see this emission nebula processed, it tends to be in more traditional SHO or Hubble type colours (oranges, reds and blues), but I thought I would do it a little differently. This is one aspect of the hobby that makes it super creative. We all process our images in our own unique ways. The colours don't actually appear until I process the image using software like Pixinsight or photoshop. Otherwise, the final stacked image would just be a black image file with some dots for stars. Other deep sky objects in Cassiopeia that I have taken images of are as follows: the Pacman nebula, Bubble nebula, the Soul nebula (shown above), and Melotte15, which is more commonly called the Heart of the Heart nebula, shown below. Shown below are what the individual master images or master lights look like when I process them in Pixinsight. You will notice they are black and white as they were taken on my monochrome camera, but when I combine these images, they make one full colour image as you can see on the last image above. I will then process this image to produce the image you see above. It all sounds very complex, but once you get used to using the software for a while, it gets a little easier to do. Promise! So, this hobby can become complex quite quickly, and the further you get into the hobby of astrophotography, the more you begin to know... how much you actually don't know! As my experience grows and my astronomy equipment gets better, the most difficult part of the hobby comes from learning about the new equipment and learning how to process the image data, although, to be fair, the longer the integration time is, the easier the processing becomes. I think it would be fair to say this. I will do another blog post on processing image data to show how this works.

Image above by Paul Cameron, taken at the SDSO near Dalmellington before it was razed to the ground by vandals Scotland’s beautiful and rugged landscapes, vast open spaces, and low levels of light pollution make it one of the best places in the world for dark sky photography. Whether you’re a casual stargazer or a serious astrophotographer, there’s no shortage of incredible locations to capture the night sky in all its glory. Here are five must-visit dark sky destinations in Scotland, along with tips for making the most of your experience. 1. Galloway Forest Park (Scotland’s First Dark Sky Park) Recognised as the UK’s first Dark Sky Park, Galloway Forest is a dream destination for astrophotographers. Covering 300 square miles, it boasts some of the darkest skies in Europe. The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory will be launching soon at Clatteringshaws and will boast some of the finest dark sky sites on Europe. Best for: Deep-sky imaging, Milky Way shots, and meteor showers.
 Accessibility: Will be easily accessible by car with ample car parking and bus links. Best time to visit: Autumn and winter months for the clearest skies. 2. Isle of Skye Skye’s dramatic coastline and remote landscapes create a perfect setting for astrophotography. The Quiraing, Neist Point, and the Fairy Pools offer incredible foregrounds for night sky imaging. Best for : Combining landscape astrophotography with stunning natural features.
Accessibility: Some sites require off-road travel; best visited by car. Best time to visit: Winter for long nights and possible aurora sightings. 3. Cairngorms National Park The UK’s largest national park is home to vast dark sky areas, with Glenlivet Estate and Tomintoul designated as Scotland’s second official Dark Sky Park. The high altitude and dry air make it ideal for clear-sky observations. Best for : Wide-angle shots of the Milky Way, crisp star trails.
Accessibility: Car-friendly with parking areas; some remote sites require hiking.
Best time to visit: Late autumn through early spring for the darkest skies. 4. Moffat (Europe’s First Dark Sky Town) Moffat has taken serious steps to reduce light pollution, earning the title of Europe’s first Dark Sky Town. The surrounding countryside provides incredible stargazing opportunities, with minimal artificial light interference. Best for : Beginner-friendly astrophotography and casual stargazing.
Accessibility: Easily accessible by road with nearby accommodations.
Best time to visit: Year-round, though winter provides the longest dark hours. 5. Outer Hebrides (Isle of Lewis & Harris) The remote Outer Hebrides offer some of the most pristine dark skies in the UK. The Callanais Standing Stones add a mystical element to astrophotography, creating a perfect contrast between ancient history and the cosmos. Best for : Unique compositions blending history and the night sky.
Accessibility: Requires ferry travel or flights; local roads are manageable by car.
Best time to visit: Winter for aurora borealis, autumn for Milky Way shots. Top Tips for a Successful Night Sky Shoot in Scotland Check the weather : Scottish weather can be unpredictable; clear nights are best for astrophotography. Use a red flashlight : Preserve your night vision while adjusting settings. Layer up : Even in summer, temperatures can drop significantly at night. Stay safe : Many locations are remote; let someone know your plans and bring necessary supplies. Use Picastro to share your shots: Picastro preserves image quality with no compression, so your astrophotography stays as sharp as the night sky itself! Scotland’s dark sky locations offer something for every stargazer and astrophotographer. Whether you’re after Milky Way panoramas, meteor showers, or even the northern lights, these destinations provide the perfect backdrop. Where will your next night sky adventure take you? Want to see more incredible astrophotography? Join the Picastro community and upload your shots to connect with fellow stargazers worldwide! You can download from the App Store or Google Play Store and join for FREE!

I don't know about you, but capturing my first image of The planet Jupiter from my back garden was the most amazing thing I had ever done. Well, not discounting getting married or the birth of my daughter. Oh, and running the London marathon, but all that aside, the feeling will never ever leave me: seeing Jupiter whizz past my eyepiece on my wobbly little reflector telescope was cathartic! A little background on Jupiter: it is the fifth planet from our Sun and the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter is described as a gas giant, and so you can't walk on Jupiter, but scientists think that it has a solid core of ice, rock and heavy metal elements. Jupiter's mass is more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, and slightly less than one-thousandth the mass of the Sun. Its diameter is eleven times that of Earth, and a tenth that of the Sun, and it lies around 728 million kilometres away from us. Yup, Jupiter is pretty far away. To put that into perspective, it would take you roughly 19,200 years to walk there, so get your walking shoes on now! This is an image I took of our Jovian neighbour, Jupiter, and you can see the great red spot and one of the Galilean moons, possibly Ganymede. Jupiter has 95 moons to date. (Source: NASA.org ) Planetary imaging is, of course, a totally different challenge compared to taking images of deep space, and I can say this from personal experience as I have only imaged Saturn and Jupiter, and not very well! I needed to use a slightly different set-up to capture images of planets, as my camera was different to the dedicated and refined astronomy camera I use now: I used a special planetary camera with a high frame rate and lower sensitivity, which is very different to my deep sky set up. Atmospheric wobble and disturbances will impact planetary imaging far more than deep sky imaging, but both will continue to be affected by clouds. Gah! The filters I used for planetary imaging were also quite different: I used a UV/IR cut filter for taking images of planets. I am by no means an expert at this hobby, and I still have so much to learn, but I am very pleased with my image of Jupiter. If you wish to see truly fantastic images of Jupiter from an amateur astronomer's telescope, look out for the work of Damien Peach and Jorge Segura, or even Ivana's images. Ivana happened to write a great post about planetary imaging on this very website, so be sure to check it out here ! How did I take this image? I used my Skywatcher 200P telescope OTA (Optical Tube Assembley) Camera: ZWO 224MC (I now use this as a guide camera for my DSO setup) 1 x 3 minute video with frames extracted Pre-processed in PiPP (Planetary image Pre Processing) Stacked in Registaxx and procesed in the same software.

This image was taken in the chilly winter of 2023 with my one shot colour on OSC camera, and I won't tell you a word of a lie when I say that when I started to process this deep sky object, my mind was blown. This was the second time I had actually taken an image of this object. The Orion nebula is probably one of the most photographed deep sky objects. Many beginners and experts alike take images of it, and it is safe to say nobody will ever tire of taking images of this amazing nebulae in our night sky. I have seen some stunning wide-field versions of this object: you can check some out on the Picastro app. My field of view in my camera and telescope are very tight, and this only allows me to take a very tight close-up version of this stunning collection of dust and gas. The Orion nebula is around 1500 light years from us but is absolutely vast. It is around 24 light years across, but because it is so far away, its apparent diameter is about a degree in our night skies, which is about twice the apparent diameter of the Moon. Below, I have shown some close up views of my image of this nebula, highlighting some fantastic little details and features of this nebula, including a bow shock and some protoplyds or proto planetary discs. I was absolutely amazed that a backyard telescope could capture details like this from so far away! To the right of the topmost square, you can also see the trapezium core, which contains a total of 4 stars, two of which are double stars. This gives a total of 6 stars in the trapezium cluster. Everyone with an interest in astronomy and astrophotography loves to take images of this object. It is so fascinating to image. Here is the rig setup I used to take this image. Telescope: Skywatcher 200P Telescope Mount: HEQ5 Pro telescope mount Camera: ZWO 533MCPro Image details: 161 x 60 sec exposures, Gain 0, Bin 1x1 Software for processing: Pixinsight and Photoshop Camera Raw

Getting started in astronomy! Once I got started in astrophotography, I was instantly hooked! My name is Tom, founder of Picastro, and I have been taking images of Deep Sky Objects since 2021. My astro equipment has grown arms and legs, my experience has grown using the software to process the images, and I've learned so much from this amazing community of astro-nerds. You are all amazing! With that in mind, astrophotography is a beautiful blend of astronomy and photography (and trouble shooting), allowing those with an interest in astronomy and photography to capture the wonders of our universe, from stunning details of the moon to the breathtaking Milky Way to distant galaxies and nebula far beyond what our eyes would normally be able to see. It is all so vast and intriguing. The amazing thing about the hobby is that it can be as creative as you want it to be. Astrophotography can often be seen as a subjective art from, but can be as scientific or non-scientific as your mood or creative style suits. Take a look at some of the amazing images uploaded by the astronomy community on the Picastro app. The space images you see may look complicated to create, but getting started in astrophotography is simple, and you don’t need super-expensive gear to begin your journey. Although, trust me... when you start this hobby, it will become all-consuming pretty fast! Ask my wife. Let me walk you through some simple tips and techniques that could help you dive into this rewarding hobby. Why Astrophotography? Ever since I was a little boy, I have always had a passion for the night sky. Looking at the stars on a clear night is one of the most magical things you can do, but capturing that magic with a camera allows you to see even more details hidden in our night sky — colours, patterns, galaxies, nebulae and stars that you simply can’t observe with the naked eye. Some objects, like our Milkyway, Andromeda Galaxy, and Orion Nebula, are visible in areas that are not tarnished by light pollution, and are even more visible to the naked eye in dark sky areas, which Scotland has a fair few of. While many of the images you may see online and on this website are amazing, they seem to be created using advanced equipment, but even basic setups can produce remarkable results. I’ve seen some tremendous examples of deep sky object images with just a mobile phone and a tracking mount... insanely good stuff. What you might need to start in this hobby we call astro: Before jumping into deep sky object (DSO) imaging, there could be some simple things you can do to help you get started, but first I would strongly recommend familiarising yourself a little with the night sky. Whether that’s through a book or an app, it makes sense to start there first. Reading some books was the best thing I ever did and I'm constantly building my knowledge of the night sky, although there is still lots to learn. Where’s that monocular?! Astronomy cameras, telescopes and more - so much choice While any camera can technically capture the night sky, some are better suited for astrophotography than others: DSLR (mirrorless is probably best) These offer a lot of control over settings like exposure, ISO, and aperture. A camera with manual settings is essential for capturing night skies effectively. Because a DSLR camera can't be cooled the way dedicated astronomy cameras can, they can be problematic when taking deep sky images, but it is still very possible. I have a Nikon D5200 and it is a great starting point for astro imaging. Mine isn’t astro modded, however. I do recommend that you find a DSLR that has been astro modded so you don't need to try and do it yourself. Astro modded means that the I/R filter part has been removed to allow for more photons to hit the sensor. Choose your camera wisely and choose which option will suit you as you grow with the hobby and budget! My experience is that, very quickly, you might find you outgrow your choices, but as always, choices will depend on budgets and how far you want to take the hobby. Cameras can range in price from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds. I bought my DSLR fairly new and it has never let me down. Dedicated astronomy cameras (One shoot colour or monochrome!) There are so many choices of astronomy cameras available to us. From one shoot colour, I started off with this type of camera, and of course monochrome. Modern dedicated cameras come with CMOS sensors which, to the best of my limited knowledge, are better for deep sky astrophotography. Smartphones Surprisingly, newer smartphones with a “night mode” can also take impressive shots of the night sky. However, they have limitations compared to dedicated cameras. But, to get you started, give them a go! I have taken some amazing (well, I think so, anyway!) shots of some moon craters on my smartphone! Smart Telescope: A more recent technological innovation in deep sky imaging is the Smart Telescope, and these are a great option to get you hooked on this marvellous hobby. In the most part, they will help you do most of the clever stuff inline in the telescope, or using their new software contained within the relevant Smart Telescope. Lenses Wide-Angle Lens: A lens with a wide field of view (e.g., 14mm to 24mm) is perfect for capturing the night sky, especially the Milky Way or large constellations. Aperture: Look for a lens with a wide aperture (low f-number such as f/2.8 or lower). This allows more light to hit the sensor, which is critical for low-light astrophotography. Tripod or Equitorial mount Stability is key when taking long-exposure shots. A sturdy tripod will eliminate any shake or movement that could blur your images. Even a slight shake from pressing the shutter button can ruin a shot, so a tripod is essential. If you can, it would be best to go for an equatorial mount with a computerised goto gearing that can help you track the stars. Remote Shutter or Timer To avoid camera shake when pressing the shutter, use a remote trigger or your camera’s built-in timer (set it to 2-5 seconds). This ensures your camera remains stable while shooting. Star Tracker If you want to advance to capturing deep-sky objects (e.g., nebulae or galaxies), a star tracker can definitely help. Like an equatorial mount, it can help compensate for the Earth’s rotation, allowing you to take longer exposures without stars turning into trails, although star trail shots are amazing and rather creative in their own right. Astrophotography 101 Now that you have made some choices with the astronomy equipment, let’s talk about some things to help you get the best from your equipment. Choose the Right Location Light Pollution: One of the biggest challenges for astrophotographers is light pollution. Urban areas with bright lights make it difficult to see stars clearly. Use websites like [Light Pollution Map](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/) to find dark sky locations near you. Also, you can take a look at Dark Sky international , who's aim is to help rid the world of light pollution so we can all gaze at the wonder of our night skies with no light pollution, Settings for Night Sky Photography These solutions below will mainly pertain to DSLR cameras. Dedicated cameras have similar but different settings in relation to ISO, and is normally called gain. Manual Mode: Always shoot in manual mode to control exposure, ISO, and aperture. Exposure Time For wide-angle shots of the Milky Way or constellations, use exposure times of 10-30 seconds. Longer exposures can result in star trails, unless you're using a star tracker. ISO : Start with an ISO of 1600 or higher to capture more light, but be cautious of noise (graininess). Some cameras handle high ISO better than others, so experiment! Aperture: Set your aperture to its widest setting (e.g., f/2.8). This allows the maximum amount of light into the lens. Focus : Use manual focus and set it to infinity. Since autofocus doesn’t work well in low-light, you’ll need to manually adjust the focus to get crisp stars. The Rule of 500 To avoid star trails in your photos without using a star tracker, you can use the 500 Rule: You take the number 500 and divide by the focal length of your lens. For example, if you have a 20mm wide angle lens, then 500 / 20 = 25. The 500 rule measures the maximum exposure time you can shoot before the stars become blurry or star trails appear, but as a general rule of thumb star trails will start to appear after exposure times of around 13 seconds if you don't have a star tracker or guiding mount. Use RAW Format Always shoot in RAW rather than JPEG. RAW files contain more data, allowing you to extract more details and colors during post-processing. Dedicated cameras have a different format called FITs which is very similar to ISO settings on a DSLR. Clear Skies It sounds daft, but check the weather and aim for nights with little to no cloud cover. Space apps and weather apps can help predict good stargazing conditions, but be aware that weather apps don’t always get it right. Pop your head outside and keep a watchful eye. Cloudholes, as I like to call them, are thorns in the sides of astronomers and astrophotographers! Capturing Different objects in the Sky Now that you know a few of the basics, let’s talk about what you can capture and the settings that work best for different celestial objects. The Moon The moon is the easiest object to photograph and requires different settings: Settings: Use a low ISO 400-800), a shutter speed around 1/125s, and a medium aperture (f/8-f/11). You’ll need a telephoto lens (200mm or more) to get close-up shots. Tips : Try shooting during different phases of the moon. A crescent or half-moon often reveal more detail in the craters due to the shadows. The Milky Way Settings: Use a wide-angle lens (14mm-24mm), ISO 1600-3200, an aperture around f/2.8, and an exposure time of 15-30 seconds (depending on the focal length). Tips : The Milky Way is more visible during certain times of the year and is best viewed away from city lights. Try using apps like **Star Walk** or **SkySafari** to track its position in the sky. Imaging amazing star trails Settings: Use longer exposure times (up to several minutes or more) and a lower ISO (100-800). Star trails occur due to the Earth's rotation, and capturing them can make for stunning images. Tips : Use an intervalometer (or your camera’s built-in one) to take multiple shots over several hours and stack them together in post-processing software like StarStaX or Photoshop to create impressive star trail images. Photographing galaxies I used to use a one shoot colour (OSC) to take images of deep sky objects and it was a great intro to imaging galaxies and nebula. Most amateurs like me start with M81 Bodes galaxy and M33 Triangulum as these are brighter and larger and closer to us, so make for easy capturing. Photographing astonishing Deep Sky Objects (DSOs) This is the holy grail for most who get into the hobby. To be able to take amazing pictures of some of these colourful, bright and varied objects is something quite special. It can be the most rewarding thing to image, from bright nebula to the dimmest of objects in our night sky. Post-Processing Your Astrophotography Astrophotography images often need post-processing to bring out the beautiful colours and details contained within the dark images you will take. Here are a few basic steps to enhance your photos: Adjust Exposure and Contrast: This helps bring out faint stars and details in deep-sky objects. Reduce Noise: SNR ( Signal to Noise Ration). Loads of auto types talk about this and it is one of the most important stages of taking images of space. High ISO settings introduce noise, so use noise reduction or use a dedicated one shoot or monochrome camera to help reduce the mount of noise and increase the signal getting to your camera. Software including Lightroom, Photoshop, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight, and SiRIL will help with post-processing. Stacking : This is the single most important process in an astrophotographer's arsenal. For deep-sky images, we take multiple exposures and stack them using software (like DeepSkyStacker). This reduces noise and enhances details. I will talk more on this in another article. My Final Thoughts When I reignited my passion for the night sky in 2020, I stared with the moon and the planets. I had a very simple reflector telescope that was given to me as a birthday gift, a basic telescope mount (not equatorial), and I manually tracked some celestial objects such as Jupiter, the moon, and Saturn! Astrophotography might seem intimidating at first, but with the right equipment and techniques, it’s a hobby that anyone can start. Begin with basic night sky shots and gradually work your way towards more complex images. The beauty of astrophotography lies not just in the photos you take, but in the experience of connecting with the cosmos. Whether you’re capturing the craters of the moon or the magic of the Milky Way, the universe is yours to explore and photograph. This article is intended as a basic intro to astrophotography, so do your research and find out what works for you. The best advice I have heard so far, and it is true, is that the best telescope is the one you use the most. Don’t burden yourself with lots of stuff you might not actually use. The hobby can get complex very quickly, with learning how to use the various types of astronomy equipment, mounts, cameras, and software. Start slow and build up your experience. So, grab your astronomy camera, head to your back garden, and start capturing the beauty of our night sky, but be warned: once you start, you will be instantly drawn into this wonderful hobby we call astro. Tx

Ivana's amazingly detailed image of Mars from her back garden As winter approaches, so do opportunities to image the planets in their prime. For planets of the outer solar system, time around their respective oppositions is a chance to catch them at their seemingly biggest and brightest. Whether you are a seasoned deep space photographer or just starting out, planetary astrophotography can be fun and incredibly satisfying when it all goes well, so here is a very simple guide to making the most of this planetary season! Planets take up an incredibly tiny portion of the sky, so to be able to capture detail, you will want as much aperture and focal length as you can realistically get. However, if you don’t have the space or the cash for large instruments, a simple 5” Maksutov-Cassegrain like Skywatcher’s universally beloved Skymax 127, or a 6” Schmidt-Cassegrain like Celestron’s Nexstar, could get you started off right. Planetary imaging requires no equatorial tracking, so the mount can be Alt-Az, and there’s no need for guiding, or calculating for correct backfocus as there’s no need for a flat field. All you want are good conditions – which is sometimes a tall order! A planetary camera is best suited for the job because of their small sensors, fast framerates, and good sensitivity. DSLRs unfortunately don’t have the bandwidth for this type of imaging – not that they won’t produce results, but it won’t be the best the telescope can give. Similarly with dedicated deep space cameras, as they often don’t have the framerate and small enough regions of interest. Framerate is important for planetary imaging to beat the effects of seeing and atmospheric turbulence, as well as to allow for as much data to be captured in order to stack and reveal the detail. Some come with an already built-in UV/IR cut filter and some don’t, so if yours is the latter, you will need to add one to the imaging train. A Barlow lens is a useful addition for those great nights of good seeing, when you can increase your reach to capture a bit more detail. The magnification will depend on your particular setup. TeleVue Powermates are a popular and more expensive option, which offer a bit more brightness, and are parfocal, making it easier to slot anywhere into the imaging train.   Another helpful addition to the imaging train for times when planets haven’t risen above around 30 degrees, is an atmospheric dispersion corrector, or an ADC. They can lessen the effects of atmosphere and correct the blue and orange fringe caused by diffraction. When it comes to capture software, the most popular and often used ones are SharpCap and Firecapture. Both will allow to use a tight region of interest necessary for bringing framerate up, sharpening tools, and even track the object if it drifts across the sensor.   For stacking and processing, the best software to start with, if anything due to the sheer amount of tutorials and guidance available online, are Autostakkert and Registax. Autostakkert will analyse and stack best frames from the capture, while Registax splits the stacked image into six layers for targeted wavelet sharpening and denoise. It can also correct color balance, and fix some stubborn RGB misalignment.   The easiest target to start with are Jupiter and Saturn, which are bright and have clear features. Wider views and higher exposure may reveal some moons, which can either be captured together with the planet or layered afterwards. Sky and Telescope offers a handy tool for following moons around both of the planets, as well as planning transits and shadow transits. Among many handy tools, there is also a very handy tool to help plan for when the Great Red Spot will be visible on the surface of Jupiter. https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/interactive-sky-watching-tools/  For a more detailed dive into particulars of the equipment, setup, and process, I have assembled a few YouTube videos showing all the details of how I create planetary images:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdmGLeiqmqJYul8Fk2sF6aDfECzdxH8UE&feature=shared

I first started to take images of the moon properly in 2019 as I immersed myself in the little barren rock. The moon lies around 239,000 miles (384,000 km) from earth. The moon is approx 4.5 billion years old which, coincidentally, is the same age as earth. I took this image of the moon in 2021 with my Nikon D5100 attached to my Skywatcher telescope — I think I took around 350 images, ISO 800, then stacked in Photoshop and processed the image to reveal some of the mineral colours on the moon's surface. Astronomers think the moon was formed by a massive collision during earth's early days. The theoretical planet was called Theia. The resulting debris ejected from that collision coalesced to form what we now call our moon. The word moon can be traced to the word mōna, an Old English word from medieval times. Mōna shares its origins with the Latin words metri, which means to measure, and mensis, which means month. So, we see that the moon is called the moon because it is used to measure the months - source : Wikipedia Astronomers say the moon is tidally locked, which is why we see the same face of the moon all of the time. The moon does wobble a little, meaning we technically can see a little bit more of it from time-to-time. This wobble is called the libration. A misconception about the moon is that is has a dark side. Astronomers don’t call it the dark side; they call the far side. The moon is still illumined on the far side - it’s just that we don’t see it from our perspective. And yes, I’m afraid we did land on the moon, and NO... NASA did not put images of the moon inside our telescopes. Sorry. Below are some close up images of some amazing craters on the lunar surface that I took, believe it or not, with my mobile phone attached to my telescope. The daytime moon at the bottom left was taken with my DSLR attached to my telescope. There are some absolutely astonishing images of the moon taken by astrophotographers such as Andrew McCarthy and more. Go and check them out: they are insanely detailed. From top left the images below are: Clavius crater, Plato and Cassini in the middle of the same image (in this image, because of the moon phase, it looks like a little love heart). The right most image is some lunar craters called Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel showing right to left in this image. The bottom left image is a daytime moon I took with my DSLR attached to my Skywatcher telescope, and the final image is that of Copernicus (bottom left corner of this iamge) Copernicus is a huge complex lunar crater about 90km in diameter and about 2km in depth. Copernicus comes after the Late Heavy Bombardment , and may well be less than a billion years old. The link here takes you to NASA website explaining more about this period in the moon and earth's history. Thanks for reading this far.

This nebula was actually quite tricky to process. But, I was so lucky to be able to highlight some of these amazing colours with such a short integration time. Total Integration time : 9hours 25 min Moon coverage : 90% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 The Pelican nebula is an emission nebula in the constalltion of Cygnus and forms part of the North Amercian Nebula. I also shot part of the Cygnus wall, NGC7000 in 2024. See below. The Pelican Nebula is an HII (Hydrogen rich) region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The gaseous contortions of this emission nebula show a resemblance to a pelican, giving rise to its name. Source: Wikipedia. I have always liked this part of our night sky but never really imaged it that well, but on 21/09/24 I decided to make use of the clear skies that week and headed to that target. I had recently upgraded my telescope so it was a good chance to give it a little more of a run for its money. My old telescope mount, the Skywatcher HEQ5Pro, now sits gathering dust in my office at home, so I decided to use the new ZWO AM5 mount. I have to say this mount is an absolute beast, and not having to mess around with balancing huge weights at the end of my telescope mount is a blessing now. I'm getting to that age, I'm afraid. The ZWO harmonic drive copes amazingly well with my 11.5kg scope with all the bits added on: my filter wheel, auto focuser, mono camera, and I have to say that Polar aligning with the AM5 is a breeze too. My older, slightly more mechanical HEQ5Pro was a little bit of a pain to PA (polar align), but this new mount is so much easier and smoother. Time will tell if it needs maintenance or not. So far though, even on a windy day, which my old HEQ5Pro couldn't really cope with, this new mount has coped incredibly well, and was guiding at a total error of .3 to .5 which, in guiding terms, with such a large OTA (Optical Tube Assembly), is really fab. On a windy day my other mount would simply get nowhere near that.

Image of a 50% waxing by Tom McCrorie The moon, despite being so far from where we stand—238,855 miles, to be precise—is always close to us, in some way, shape, or form. The human species has always been drawn to it, our eyes searching upwards to locate our glowing friend in the darkness. From those in the Stone Age recording its phases to modern-day lunaphiles, the moon links us over centuries and countries, across sweeping oceans and wide stretches of land. It is a constant: it is there to address, acknowledge, and, at the end of a long day, adieu. With only a few lucky enough to set foot on its terrain, we can instead take a step closer to the moon through the lens of a telescope, camera, or even the naked eye, but the allure is no lesser. Not only is the moon incredibly visible to us, but it is also the centre of our daily lives in many ways, from werewolf stories (full moon, I’m looking at you) to the waves on our beaches. From Massachusetts to Malaysia, Ontario to Oslo, we can always rely on our lunar friend being nearby, or as nearby as you perceive 238,855 miles to be! If you are a fellow space-nerd, it is most likely the case that you have either looked at the moon through a telescope, or scrolled through troves of snapshots online of other peoples’ fascinating images. Although seemingly formulaic, pictures of the moon manage to be unique in their own way, each a little different from the next. However, despite always being present in our night sky, the moon is gradually creeping away from us, roughly one inch further away annually. It won’t be going anywhere anytime soon (hopefully), but this is just one of many curious facts about our lunar friend. Similar to the planet we call home, the moon’s surface once housed active volcanoes, which now lay comatose, but there is more to its surface than meets the eye. There are both “light” and “dark” areas on the moon, known as “highlands” and “maria”, respectively. The latter once contained lava billions of years ago, and its name originates from the Latin word for seas. Aside from naturally-made features on the surface, the moon is also home to fragments of machinery, six different flags, and other remnants of humanity’s odysseys to our silver neighbour, a reminder of how far we have come in terms of space exploration. So, whether you say hello to it from your bedroom window, or one day make it up there in a rocket, either as an astronaut or “space tourist”, our lunar friend will always be there to greet us back, providing an omnipresent glow in the darkness. Take a moment to appreciate it – either through a camera or just a look out from the back door of your house – because we are privileged to exist in a world where the moon, something so far away, is so visible.