{"id":48789,"date":"2023-09-02T08:20:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T08:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e8cfcf95-09a2-43f1-8500-ecc2c3bcd178"},"modified":"2023-09-02T09:32:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T09:32:35","slug":"10-of-the-best-astrophotography-targets-for-beginners","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/10-of-the-best-astrophotography-targets-for-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"10 of the best astrophotography targets for beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our pick of the best objects to get you started photographing the night sky. <\/p>

By Tom Kerss\n <\/p>

Published: Saturday, 02 September 2023 at 08:20 AM<\/p>

\n\n

In this imaging guide we’ll reveal the best astrophotography targets for beginners.<\/p>

There\u2019s a long-standing debate among amateur astronomers: which is better, observing the sky with your eyes or capturing it with your camera?<\/p>

It will always be a matter of personal taste, but the good news is that for anyone looking to try their hand at astrophotography<\/a>, there\u2019s never been a better time.<\/p>

Whether it\u2019s taking casual snaps of the stars or delving into more advanced techniques \u2013 what the seasoned called \u2018imaging\u2019 \u2013 this hobby has seen an explosion of popularity.<\/p>

Increasingly ubiquitous astro-capable cameras and superb software have made astrophotography easier.<\/p>

Want to try astrophotograpy? Here are 10 targets to get you started.<\/p>

Deep-sky astrophotography Masterclass<\/strong><\/h2>\nBBC Sky at Night Magazine Deep-Sky Imaging Masterclass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Interested in astrophotography? Sign up for our Deep-Sky Imaging Masterclass and find out how to capture distant galaxies and nebulae.<\/p>
Click here to book tickets for all three Masterclasses and save 20%<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
Simple targets for getting started<\/strong> in astrophotography<\/h2>
Nothing is easier than placing your camera or smartphone on a tripod and shooting away, as you\u2019ll find with these entry-level projects.<\/p>
The Milky Way<\/strong><\/h3>
Capture the river of light that crosses the sky<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"The$ The Milkyway over the Yorkshire Moors. Credit: Chris McLoughlin \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The warm nights of summer and the early autumn invite us to stay out and enjoy the splendour of the Milky Way<\/a>.<\/p>
Rich with the light of billions of stars, it\u2019s a perfect playground for experimenting with your camera. <\/p>
The Milky Way is one of the best astrophotography targets for beginners.<\/p>
Investigate your lenses and choose a wide one with a fast maximum aperture, such as f\/1.4, f\/2.8 or f\/4. <\/p>
Angling your camera up to the sky, you should be able to see various brighter stars on its live view screen.<\/p>
This will aid with manually focusing and with framing the Milky Way\u2019s bright core.<\/p>
With an ISO<\/a> value of 800 or 1600, take exposures of 5\u201315 seconds.<\/p>
Star trailing will become evident on longer exposures, but use the \u2018500 rule\u2019 to avoid the shot being spoiled.<\/p>
The 500 rule in astrophotography states that your maximum exposure (in seconds) should be no more than 500 divided by your lens focal length in millimetres.<\/p>
For example, with a 14mm lens don\u2019t go longer than 500 \u00f7 14 = 36 seconds.<\/p>
If your camera has a crop factor (see your user manual), multiply the focal length by that first.<\/p>
So for a 14mm lens on a DSLR with a 1.6x crop factor, the maximum exposure time becomes 500 \u00f7 (14 x 1.6) = 22 seconds.<\/p>
For more info, read our guide on how to photograph the Milky Way<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
Meteors<\/strong><\/h3>
Catching shooting stars is mostly down to serendipity, but you can give luck a helping hand<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Perseid$ Perseid meteor shower by Juan Miguel Sala, Moya, Cuenca, Spain, 13 August 2021. Equipment: Nikon D850 DSLR, Sigma Art 14mm lens, Benro tripod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
When photographing the night sky, it\u2019s not uncommon to capture a streak of light. <\/p>
Usually this is a satellite trail, but rarely you\u2019ll encounter a natural streak \u2013 a meteor!<\/p>
It\u2019s mainly down to chance, but you can greatly increase your odds by shooting during a meteor shower<\/a> and by taking a continuous sequence of exposures.<\/p>
Using an intervalometer, or timelapse remote, you can set your camera going and enjoy the shower with your own eyes.<\/p>
Later, skim through your images and see what you get.<\/p>
Bright meteors, such as fireballs, will be hard to miss and often produce varicoloured trails as they travel through the atmosphere.<\/p>
Your camera may have onboard noise reduction enabled \u2013 switching this off will minimise the gaps between exposures.<\/p>
Of course, if like me you\u2019re often terribly unlucky, you might not catch any meteors.<\/p>
But your sequence of identical images can still be put to good use for creating star trails.<\/p>
For more info, read our guide on how to photograph a meteor shower<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
Star trails<\/strong><\/h3>
The arcs of passing stars are a great way to show the motion of Earth on its axis<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Star$ Star trails over a Sicilian tulip field by Dario Giannobile, Blufi, Sicily, 26 March 2021. Equipment: Canon 6D DSLR, Canon 8-15mm lens, Manfrotto MT190XPRO4 tripod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Whenever you try <\/strong>to shoot a meteor shower, you\u2019ll end up with perhaps hundreds of identically positioned photographs, evenly spaced in time.<\/p>
These are ideal collections from which to create star trail images.<\/p>
Such beautiful works of art illustrate the rotation of Earth.<\/p>
As each star in the sky traces its arc around the celestial pole, the effect becomes more dramatic when facing north.<\/p>
Star trails also look fantastic in contrast with a perfectly still foreground, such as a building or rock feature.<\/p>
There are two excellent, easy-to-use pieces of free software that turn your sequences into trails: <\/p>
\n
StarStaX<\/a> by Markus Enzweiler, which is available for macOS and Windows<\/li>
Sequator<\/a> by Yi-Ruei Wu, which is available for Windows<\/li>\n<\/ul>
For more info, read our guide on how to photograph star trails<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
The Moon and Earth<\/strong><\/h3>
Shooting both the Moon and Earth requires a little balance<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Lunar$ Lunar solstice by Simone Lochi, Oristano, Italy, 21 December 2022. Equipment: Canon EOS 1100D DSLR camera, Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens, K&F Concept tripod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The Moon makes a gorgeous subject for photography.<\/p>
The Moon is probably the easiest target in the sky, making it one of the best targets for astrophotography beginners.<\/p>
Conspicuous and ever-changing, the Moon offers many avenues for creativity.<\/p>
When the Moon is relatively low on the horizon, you can capture two worlds in one photo.<\/p>
Capturing a simple nightscape with the Moon is a great option.<\/p>
The Moon appears very small through wide-angle lenses; consider using your longest lens to see how much detail you can tease out.<\/p>
The Moon shines in very bright contrast against a dark sky, which makes it challenging to frame among the stars.<\/p>
Underexposed shots will show the Moon\u2019s surface features but fail to bring out stars<\/p>
Overexposed shots will recover stars at the expense of blowing out the Moon.<\/p>
An exception is possible during a fine crescent phase, where long exposures can simultaneously reveal stars as well as the Moon\u2019s faint night side, which is itself illuminated by the brightness of Earth.<\/p>
For more info, read our guide on how to photograph the Moon<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
Going deeper<\/strong><\/h2>
A tracking device is an essential upgrade for astrophotography, allowing long exposures and longer lenses to bring out fainter details<\/p>
Star clouds in Cygnus<\/strong><\/h3>
You can bring out even more detail by stacking together multiple images<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Cygnus$ Cygnus Region by Kevin Stewart, Alnwick, Northumberland, UK. Equipment: Modded Canon 1100d, 50mm lens f4, iOptron Skytracker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The brightest region of the Milky Way is its core, but that only skirts our southern horizon; to us, the star clouds of Cygnus are more prominent.<\/p>
Gazing at the northeast of the Summer Triangle<\/a>, you\u2019ll find yourself looking along the spiral arm we inhabit in the Galaxy.<\/p>
A rich concentration of distant light paints the scene around the brilliant star Deneb<\/a>.<\/p>
On a tracking mount<\/a>, use a fast telephoto lens to resolve the many stars.<\/p>
This subject provides a good opportunity to try aligning and stacking<\/a> multiple exposures to reduce noise in your image.<\/p>
Try free stacking tools such as Siril<\/a> (macOS, Windows, Linux) and DeepSkyStacker<\/a> (Windows).<\/p>
Even if you\u2019re new to stacking, it\u2019s worth taking lots of images of each deep-sky target.<\/p>
You\u2019ll be able to return to the data later on and produce better results with the benefit of your experience.<\/p>
Jewels of Orion<\/strong><\/h3>
The familiar constellation boasts a host of fascinating deep-sky objects<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Orion's$ Orion’s Sword captured with a Canon EOS-1D X DSLR camera. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The mighty Orion<\/a> is upon us soon as autumn rolls around.<\/p>
A splendid tapestry of colourful stars and nebulous features, this constellation is home to a chain of objects called Orion\u2019s Sword<\/a>.<\/p>
Among them is the Orion Nebula<\/a> (M42), which is conspicuous in photographs.<\/p>
Using a lens with a focal length of 50\u201370mm, you can generally frame the most interest parts of the constellation fully, while also resolving some of the details that make the Sword so special.<\/p>
You may be surprised to see the iconic Horsehead Nebula<\/a> (Barnard 33) clearly visible in your images. <\/p>
Orion\u2019s dramatic colours can be drawn out by stacking images, and correctly calibrated in tools like AstroPixelProcessor<\/a> (macOS, Windows, Linux).<\/p>
For more info, read our guide on how to photograph the Orion Nebula<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>
Using a telescope and eyepiec<\/strong>e<\/h2>
With a special adaptor, you can use your smartphone to snap quick shots through your telescope eyepiece<\/p>
The disc of Venus<\/strong><\/h3>
Smartphones offer a quick, easy way to capture our closest planet\u2019s phases<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Venus$ Venus in its 50% phase. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Our nearest neighbouring <\/strong>planet, Venus is a treat through a telescope.<\/p>
As Galileo<\/a> first discovered over four centuries ago, it shows changing phases as it orbits the Sun.<\/p>
Among the planets, it can produce the largest and brightest disc as seen from Earth<\/p>
It\u2019s an ideal target for smartphone astrophotography<\/a> practice.<\/p>
Use a high-power eyepiece (at least 50x magnification) and ensure your telescope is focused by eye, then swap to your smartphone.<\/p>
Your camera\u2019s autofocus may not produce good results, and it may also struggle to expose correctly for the high contrast of the scene.<\/p>
Consider using manual settings to control the exposure and focus – you may need to source an app to enable this.<\/p>
You should also shoot in your phone\u2019s raw image format where possible.<\/p>
Naturally, touching the phone will cause the telescope to wobble.<\/p>
So use a countdown timer, Bluetooth remote or \u2013 if your phone supports it \u2013 voice-activated shutter.<\/p>
Jupiter and Galilean moons<\/strong><\/h3>
Capture the movement of the four moons around the gas giant<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Jupiter\u2019s$ Jupiter\u2019s four bright Galilean moons appear in a line, shining like stars near to the planet. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
While Venus is <\/strong>essentially featureless in appearance (unless we use special filters and cameras), the Solar System\u2019s largest planet, Jupiter, has a very interesting face.<\/p>
Your phone\u2019s camera, correctly exposed, can reveal cloud belts and larger storms including the Great Red Spot<\/a>.<\/p>
Perhaps more compelling, though, are the four large moons that accompany Jupiter \u2013 the Galilean moons<\/a>.<\/p>
At any given moment, up to four are visible flanking the planet<\/p>
Though one or more are often obscured by the planet or immediately in front of it from our perspective.<\/p>
Compared with Venus, you may find that longer exposures are needed to capture Jupiter<\/p>
But these will be at most just a fraction of a second.<\/p>
Keep shooting, too \u2013 the bluring effects of astronomical seeing will be evident at high magnification, so some shots will be sharper than others.<\/p>
Using your telescope as a lens<\/strong><\/h2>
Many telescopes can be transformed into a giant lens by attaching a camera \u2013 including DSLRs and mirrorless cameras<\/p>
The Moon up-close<\/strong><\/h3>
Combining your camera with a telescope can bring out a view of the Moon that\u2019s usually hidden<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"The$ The Moon by Linda Cooper, Firth of Forth, Scotland, 5 November 2022. Equipment: Canon EOS 90D DSLR camera, Sigma 150-600mm lens at f\/22, Peak Design Travel Tripod<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Even short telescopes are equivalent to powerful telephoto lenses, and longer scopes go far beyond the range offered by camera lenses.<\/p>
A 1.5m-focal-length telescope, for example, can project the face of the Moon across a DSLR sensor, almost edge to edge.<\/p>
With thousands of pixels sampling its rugged surface, remarkable details are revealed.<\/p>
Owing to its brightness, the Moon is a forgiving target at such long focal lengths<\/a>.<\/p>
You don\u2019t need tracking (although it does help) to achieve great results.<\/p>
And it\u2019s not just spatial details that come into view.<\/p>
With high-resolution images of the Moon, we can draw out its subtle colours using image-processing software.<\/p>
By enhancing the saturation and vibrance of the image, we can see the chemical variance of the lunar surface.<\/p>
These colours are virtually imperceptible to the eye, even with a large telescope and lots of observing experience.<\/p>
The Pleiades<\/strong><\/h3>
With a powerful lens you\u2019ll be able to capture many of the Seven Sisters\u2019 siblings<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"The$ The Pleiades by Olly Barrett, North York Moors National Park, Yorkshire, 21 November 2022. Equipment: ZWO ASI 2600MM Pro mono CMOS camera, William Optics RedCat 51 APO refractor, iOptron GEM28 mount<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
As with our earlier look at deep-sky targets, a properly aligned tracking mount is essential when using your telescope to capture the stars.<\/p>
But the results are worth the effort.<\/p>
Using a fast, widefield telescope, you can turn your camera into a powerful astro-imaging tool.<\/p>
And the Pleiades<\/a> star cluster is one of the best astrophotography targets for beginners to sharpen their imaging skills.<\/p>
The goal is to draw out fainter members of the cluster, the rich, blue colour of its prominent stars and the delicate reflection nebula in its vicinity.<\/p>
By practising your exposure stacking and image processing, you can turn out results that dramatically improve on anything offered by a single photo.<\/p>
Errors in tracking are punishing, but the Pleiades is one of the brightest deep-sky objects.<\/p>
And you\u2019ll be able to get away with exposures ranging from 10 to 30 seconds, depending on your telescope\u2019s aperture and camera ISO setting.<\/p>
Have fun experimenting, and good luck with your first steps in astrophotography!<\/p>
Have you captured a beautiful image of the night sky? Don’t forget to send us your images<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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