AstroPhotography
Astrophotography is one of the quickest growing forms of this hobby. It’s incredibly popular, exciting, and if done correctly will deliver images of the night sky that will make your jaw drop. However, astrophotography is also very difficult. It can be difficult to set up, confusing, and ultimately if not done correctly may cause you to quit altogether. From photographing a lunar eclipse, achieving perfect focus with a bahtinov mask, and more - our experts have taken the time to write up some guides that will ensure you get the best pictures possible by avoiding some common mistakes.
May 05, 2022
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth’s shadow, turning the Moon a deep, dark red color. This red color is why some call a lunar eclipse a “blood moon”. During the eclipse, all direct sunlight to the lunar surface is completely blocked out.
April 05, 2022
We are always looking to improve our astrophotos, and there certainly are a variety of ways to do so! One option is adding Hydrogen-Alpha (Ha) to your RGB data. This is an especially helpful trick for any astrophotographer using a cooled color camera or a modded DSLR!
April 04, 2022
PixInsight is an incredibly powerful tool for an astrophotographer, however, it has a huge learning curve to it. You can do things such as remove light pollution, color calibrate your images, reduce noise, and so much more.
March 28, 2022
For many, astrophotography is a life-changing hobby. Astrophotography is one of the most intimate ways we as human beings can truly engage with the beautiful universe in which we live.
March 25, 2022
Imagine yourself outside on a very cold night. You don’t want to have to spend much time outside in the cold, so you decide that you only need to get 10 minutes worth of data on a certain target. But when you’re processing, you’re disappointed to find that your image appears very grainy.
March 21, 2022
For many, astrophotography is a life-changing hobby. Astrophotography is one of the most intimate ways we as human beings can truly engage with the beautiful universe in which we live.
March 17, 2022
Did you know you can control your telescope with your computer instead of a hand controller? Or that you can automate your entire astrophotography process, allowing you to sleep while your telescope is capturing those precious photons? The trick is through software!
March 15, 2022
For many, astrophotography is a life-changing hobby. Astrophotography is one of the most intimate ways we as human beings can truly engage with the beautiful universe in which we live.
February 23, 2022
There are many ways to improve your astrophotos but beginner imagers should focus on perfecting a few things. One of those things is taking proper calibration frames.
July 09, 2021
The Andromeda Galaxy (also known as Messier 31, or M31 for short) is one of the most spectacular celestial sights one can see in the night sky. It’s the only galaxy in the northern hemisphere that’s easy to spot with the naked eye and it lies 2.5 million light-years away from the Earth.
June 08, 2021
If you’re fortunate enough to be in the path of a total solar eclipse, you’ll have anywhere from 2-5 minutes to capture tons of different detail in the Sun’s atmosphere. These different features can be captured by adjusting your exposure and getting the timing just right. During totality, it is safe for you to remove your solar filter.
June 08, 2021
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the shadow of the Earth falls upon the surface of the Moon. You may think that a lunar eclipse should occur every month when the Moon is Full, however because the Moon’s orbit, a lunar eclipse will only happen at most twice in a calendar year.
May 19, 2021
Astrophotography can be a daunting experience. Generally, we do not recommend doing astrophotography with your Dobsonian telescope, as the lack of a tracking mount or an equatorial mount will make long exposures impossible.
May 13, 2021
Autoguiding is one of the most effective ways to increase your sub-exposure time. By using a guide camera and a guiding software such as PHD2, one can send commands to their equatorial mount to help produce consistently round stars and sharp details.
May 11, 2021
In astrophotography, one of the most important steps to ensure an amazing photograph of the night sky is to get your telescope in proper focus. There are many ways to do this, however, the easiest method is to use a Bahtinov Mask.