Astrophotography

When you first look through a telescope, something changes. You’re no longer just gazing at the night sky—you’re exploring it.

Following the success of the very popular Dwarf II Telescope, DwarfLabs has announced the brand-new and upgraded Dwarf 3 Smart Telescope. This compact and portable telescope is very exciting and is currently set to ship this September.

There is an elusive giant cloud of space dust right around our North Star called the Polaris Flare. If it were bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, it would appear 100 times wider than the diameter of the full moon.

Across the vast millennia of human existence, the total solar eclipse remains the most spectacular and celebrated of astronomical phenomena. As the blue sky dimmed, I suddenly decided to shoot the 2024 solar eclipse on black and white film using my trusty Hasselblad 500 C/M.

Astrophotography presents unique challenges and opportunities, making the choice of lens critical. This helpful video will show you some of the best options for Canon users.

On Friday, May 10, millions of people, maybe billions, were treated to one of nature's finest shows. Following a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), a large geomagnetic storm headed our way and treated us to a northern lights display to remember.

Your social media feeds have probably been full of purple and green night skies that last few days if you're almost anywhere in the United States, or if you have U.S.-based friends. Chances are, they got a good glimpse of and possibly photographed a rare event: Northern Lights.

It's been a few days since a swath of the United States was engulfed by the solar eclipse. Internet traffic dropped drastically as everyone turned their (protected) eyes to the sky. And of course, photographers feverishly figured out how to photograph the dang thing without properly preparing. Well, most of us, anyway.

Astrophotography opens a window to the cosmos, allowing photographers to capture the stunning beauty of the night sky. This niche combines the meticulousness of photography with the awe-inspiring vistas of astronomy, offering a unique blend of science and art that can mesmerize and inspire.

Capturing the total solar eclipse is a momentous opportunity for any individual behind the lens, though it presents unique challenges and rewards. This helpful video from a professional meteorologist will show you what to expect.

Several days ago, on March 29, the photography world was rocked by the news of Alyn Wallace's sudden passing. The family of Alyn have now released a statement on his Instagram page.

The photography world was stunned on March 29 as we heard the news that Alyn Wallace, a popular and incredible astrophotographer, has sadly passed away. In this article, I want to pay tribute to Alyn.

Capturing deep sky objects from a city backyard presents a unique set of challenges due to light pollution, yet it remains a common practice for many astrophotographers. The comparison between images taken under dark skies and those captured from light-polluted backyards reveals significant differences, emphasizing the importance of sky quality in astrophotography.

Selecting the right solar filter for photographing the sun, especially during an eclipse, is a critical decision for photographers. Understanding the differences between visible light or broadband filters and narrowband filters can greatly impact the quality and safety of solar photography. This helpful video tutorial will show you what you need to know.

Today, Nikon has announced that it has entered into an agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, yes, that NASA, to take the Z9 to another world. Literally.

It's a trip of a lifetime, after all. You'll to want to make sure you have the right gear with you when the bears start sparring or the leopard seals give chase to an unsuspecting penguin chick out for its first swim. I asked two experts in the field to provide their recommendations: Marius Coetzee, with Oryx Photo Tours, which operates in both northern and southern polar regions and Paul Zizka who runs his own photography workshops as well as working with OFFBEAT, running photo tours in the northern polar regions. I also guide with GAdventures, exploring Antarctica, and Frontiers North Adventures, leading adventures in Canada's sub-Arctic.

Nikon has today announced that their Z 9 model has boldly gone where no Z series camera body has gone before! That's right, the Nikon Z 9 along with a selection of lenses, is off to space and I, for one, cannot wait to see the images.

This is the story of "Earthrise," an image that changed the world, emerging from the unlikeliest of circumstances aboard a spacecraft plagued by fogged windows.

Exploring the night sky provides photographers with a unique opportunity to capture the awe-inspiring beauty of celestial events and objects. For those passionate about astrophotography, understanding the dynamics of the night sky, including planetary alignments and deep sky objects, is crucial to planning their shoots and enhancing their portfolio. Here's what you can expect this month.

Capturing a total solar eclipse is not only a technical challenge, but also an awe-inspiring experience that merges art with astronomy. With such an event coming up for many of us, now is a great time to check out this fantastic guide to capturing one.

Astrophotography is a fascinating niche within photography that combines technical skill with an appreciation for the cosmos. It requires specialized equipment to capture distant celestial objects like star clusters and nebulae, making the choice of gear crucial for enthusiasts and professionals alike, and that choice can often be expensive. This fantastic video takes a look at what you can achieve for under $500.

The Seestar S50, a portable smart telescope, is revolutionizing astrophotography by making it accessible and straightforward for everyone. This great video review showcases the S50's capabilities, emphasizing how it simplifies the process of capturing celestial images without requiring prior photography experience.

It hasn't been long since I reviewed that Dwarf II portable telescope/camera combo. I found it reasonably priced, ($595 with filters, tripod, extra battery and carry bag), easy to use, and something that was going to excite people of all ages who have longed to take good astrophotographs without spending a fortune or having to learn a lot of complicated science and processing skills.

Of all the magical experiences I have ever photographed, spending nights under the Northern Lights are still my favorite memories. I have had some incredible moments under some incredible displays, and I also love to watch other photographers experience the beauty of the Northern Lights too. In this video by Andrew Allan, he travels to Arctic Norway and has an unforgettable night.

Astrophotography is something that can be quite elusive for many, mainly due to where they live and the constant presence of light and light pollution, which can dramatically reduce the chances of detailed images of the distant stars and galaxies. If you are like me, living in Ireland, you will know of the constant battle that we have with clouds trying to ruin the day.

Canon has just announced their longest zoom lens for the RF mount, the RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM ,and we’ve tried it in the real world. How was it? Pretty damn enjoyable! Is it worth considering? We certainly believe so! But there is a downside to it. Let’s have a proper look at the new telephoto.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the Milky Way core season is sadly coming to a close for this year and we will not see it again for another 5 or 6 months. In this fantastic video by Jeroen Linnenkamp, he chooses seven amazing night-time subjects that can keep you shooting throughout those core-less months.

Astrophotography can be one of the neatest and most interesting genres, but it is also one of the most challenging, requiring a lot of very specific knowledge and techniques, as well as some very specialized gear. If you would like to get started with astrophotography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of the genre.

Landscape photography as a genre can be perceived as quite repetitive to some. However, to others, it can be a multifaceted challenge depending on the light, conditions, and locations that we choose to photograph!

TTArtisan has recently announced a 500mm f/6.3 lens for Sony E Mount, Leica L Mount, Nikon Z Mount, and Canon RF Mount, and it is only $329! So, what is the catch? In this video by Olle Nilsson, he reviews this lens and explains the positives and negatives.

If you roll back the clock to around 300 years ago, America was still in its infancy years. It was a time before the Revolutionary War, and the slave trade was thriving across the world. Across the Atlantic Ocean, in England, a small sapling was beginning to grow which would later become an icon, until now.

It’s the time for many of us to see and photograph the auroras. Sadly, that generates a lot of invalid arguments about how the images should or should not look. But here's how you can capture them in all their glory.

A few months ago, I shared how to take stunning night photos. There, I touched on the technical aspects of taking and editing such images. In today's article, I expand on the topic, focusing on creating perfectly noise-free night images.

For astrophotographers, there is a huge need for finding an important balance between the landscape or foreground, and the amazing interest in the sky. Whether you are photographing the Milky Way, Aurora Borealis, or the Winter Circle, the fundamentals of composition are still just as important as they are in normal landscape photography. In this video by Jeroen Linnenkamp, he provides three tips that will help you improve your compositions.

I've been an amateur astronomer since I was around 11 years old. I had an uncle, a retired engineer, who had a small reflecting telescope, and when I saw Saturn for the first time I was hooked. Photography through a telescope came much later for me, and it was a very difficult undertaking in the film days. I remember taking some star shots to the drugstore for processing, and they told me they threw them away because there were just a bunch of white spots on them, and I should take better care to learn how to take pictures. Oh well.

PhotoPills might be the most popular app for planning photoshoots. However, there is another feature-rich app that can do even more. In this video, Alyn Wallace shows the app Planit Pro and some of its unique features.

Astrophotography can be one of the most stunning and magical genres of photography, as you watch wonders of the universe that are invisible to the naked eye appear on your camera screen. It is also one of the most technically challenging photography genres, but your practice and patience will be rewarded. If you are ready to get started, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the basics of wide field astrophotography.

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower is due to happen this weekend between the 11th and 13th. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most impressive displays, with counts of over 100 meteors per hour during the peak. In this video from StarScaper, he goes into further details on how to photograph and edit meteor shower images.

When taking landscape photos, it can sometimes be helpful to put yourself into the scene to provide a sense of scale. The same is true for night photos. But the long exposure times make it hard to create sharp selfies. In this video, Alyn Wallace shows how to solve this problem.

For astrophotographers around the world who are wondering what there is to shoot in August 2023, Alyn Wallace has you covered with this in-depth guide to what's in the night sky. August is a fantastic month with the Perseid meteor shower, Milky Way core, and supermoons.

Astrophotography can be a tremendously fun and rewarding genre, but it takes some specialized knowledge, techniques, and often, equipment. If you are interested in capturing eye-catching photos of the night sky, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know to get started.

The night sky is a surprisingly active place, and it helps to know what is on deck for the next few weeks. If you want to enjoy a nice summer night or two with your camera, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses some of the most exciting astrophotography opportunities coming up in July and offers some useful for getting the most from your images.

I've taken a look at some earlier iterations of Astro Panel over the years, a plug-in designed for automating and enhancing both astrophotography and landscape photos. I found it a powerful addition to my editing arsenal, and it was easy to use but could do some very sophisticated editing. This new version from photographer Angelo Perrone adds more than 80 new astrophotography and landscape functions, as well as some features to support portrait editing.

We have all seen the flat earthers and other conspiracy theorists out there. Enter Dave McKeegan, who is out there, providing information on his YouTube channel to prove they are wrong and that the Earth is indeed a globe and the International Space Station does actually exist. In this video, McKeegan shows us how he captured the ISS transiting across the moon to prove them wrong.

The Northern Lights season has now drawn to a close. However, the next couple of seasons could be very special indeed for auroras chasers. Join me as I discuss the beauty of the Northern Lights, some of the science behind them, and how I capture this magical experience.

Deep sky astrophotography has long intrigued me. The targets that can be found in the vastness of space are nothing less than impressive. In this video by Trevor Jones of AstroBackyard, he visits the Texas Star Party and captures something incredible!

For astrophotographers around the world who are wondering what there is to shoot in June, Alyn Wallace has you covered with this in-depth guide to what's in the night sky.