Ready to shoot the night sky with a ‘proper camera’?
There comes a time in every stargazer’s journey when they want to take better photos of the night sky than a smartphone can capture. The next step is to use a DSLR camera – with wider lenses and more control over exposures, these cameras are just as suited to night shots as they are for daytime use. But how do you use one without your pictures coming out black? Help is at hand in our feature here, where seasoned astrophotographer Stuart Atkinson offers his tips for equipment, settings and, importantly, post-processing techniques to get your nightscapes with a DSLR looking great right from the start.
There are some fantastic targets to frame in that first DSLR astrophoto this month. Venus, the ‘Evening Star’, is bright all through February and will be hard to miss, low to the western horizon after sunset. A little higher in the sky is Jupiter, and a slender crescent Moon joins them both on 21 February too. Find more details about this attractive trio and lots more besides , including where bright comet C/2022 E3 ZTF will be this month, in the Sky Guide.
Speaking of bright visitors in our skies, this month marks the 10th anniversary of the Chelyabinsk meteor. When this 20-metre asteroid exploded over the Russian city of the same name on 15 February 2013 it shocked the world, and our very own Ezzy Pearson was sent there to report on it. In her feature, she recalls her visit and explains how our planet’s defences against large meteor strikes have been strengthened in the decade since.
PS Our next issue goes on sale on Thursday 16 February 2023.