Astrophotography is as much about preparation as it is about technical skills and learning. Even the best equipment and ideal planning may not give you the desired results if they come without careful planning. It helps with anticipating challenges, choosing the right time and location, and choosing the ideal set of equipment and your subject. This guide will take you through the crucial steps of planning involved in astrophotography.
Importance of planning in astrophotography
Planning is considered to be the foundation of astrophotography. The night sky is dynamic; the celestial objects keep moving and changing due to Earth’s rotation and seasonal shifts. Along with this, the local conditions play a crucial role in astrophotography. Proper planning, however, ensures that you are at the right place at the right time.
Planning for a session includes knowing what celestial object you are going to photograph. Rather than deciding this at the field (which you also do at times), a clear idea of your subject will not only save you precious time at the field but also give you confidence at the beginning of your session. Another example would be to have a better idea of the weather that you are going to face at night. Weather apps, for example, in the modern era, provide good predictions about the upcoming rains or clouds. Before driving 6 hours to a location, you should have an idea of what sky conditions you are going to face. This will save you from surprises and frustration. Of course, through the course of your astrophotography journey, not all the weather predictions will turn into reality. But it is more about “preparing yourself” before a night’s session.
Choosing the right location
Choosing the location for your session can make or break your images. Light pollution at the location is probably one of the most important factors. The darker the sky, the better your results will be.
Understanding light pollution
Remember that the objects that you are going to photograph are faint. The bright lights of cities and towns are going to interfere strongly with these faint objects. While it may not have much impact on lunar and planetary photography (and solar photography), deep-sky photography and wide-field astrophotography are heavily impacted by light pollution. In 2005, John E. Bortle created a parameter to determine the light pollution of a region – Bortle Scale. The scale goes from Bortle 1 (pristine dark skies) to Bortle 9 (heavily light-polluted inner city skies). The aim of astrophotographers is to have a session from the best skies, preferably Bortle 3 or lower.
Tools for finding dark skies
There are several websites and apps that can help you find the Bortle scale and amount of light pollution in a specific area. Websites like lightpollutionmap.info show this. If you have chosen a specific region or are about to decide on the location, a light pollution map is the best way to test and determine the location. Copying the coordinates from Google Maps and pasting them onto this website will show you all the necessary details. There are also other websites like Dark Sky Finder and apps like Light Pollution Map that will give you this information. There are many designated dark sky parks and dark sky reserves that are suited for observation and astrophotography. Dark Sky International lists these areas.
Scouting the location
If you are aiming for a session on wide-field astrophotography, it is best to reach the location during the daytime. This will give you the opportunity to scout the area, find out the best possible place to set up and determine your composition. Remember that dark locations get really dark during the night, and it becomes very difficult to scout for locations at night. During your daytime scouting, with the help of planetarium apps, you will also be able to determine the positions of the astronomical objects (e.g. rising Milky Way, rising full moon etc.) that you are planning to shoot at night. This will make your life easier at night.
Understanding the night sky
As mentioned before, the sky and the astronomical objects do not remain static over the night or over the year. Every night, the objects rise at a specific time and set. Throughout the year, the objects that are visible in the night sky keep changing. In order to become an astrophotographer and to have successful astrophotography sessions, knowledge about the sky and astronomical objects is crucial.
Daily and seasonal changes
If you are planning to shoot the Milky Way, for example, first, you need to figure out when the Milky Way is visible. Without knowing that the core region of the Milky Way will rise late at night in March-April or will set soon after sunset in September-October, you are not going to have a successful photograph of the object. Due to Earth’s rotation and its orbit around the Sun, the sky keeps changing. Planning involves the knowledge of the specific objects visible during a period, as well as their rising and setting time.
Astronomical events
Throughout the year, many “special” astronomical events take place. This includes solar and lunar eclipses, conjunctions, meteor showers, occultations, oppositions, etc. In order to photograph these events, proper research of their date and time should be done in advance. At times, this research and planning are done a few years ahead of the event. Almost all planetarium apps have these events listed for the next 10-20 years. So you should not have a problem in planning ahead to capture these rare and mesmerizing events.
New moon phase
Along with the knowledge of the celestial “subject” and astronomical events, one also has to be aware of the moon phase. Unless you are planning to photograph the moon, the new moon phase is considered to be the best time for astrophotography. The absence of the bright moon helps you to capture the faint deep sky objects and also wide-field objects. The week of the new moon (up to four days before and after the new moon) is the perfect time to plan a trip.
In the modern era, smartphone apps and numerous websites have made the life of an astrophotographer easier. Here are some of these tools that you should consider for planning.
Star Maps and planetarium apps
These planetarium apps simulate the night sky, show the position of the celestial objects, and help you identify objects in the sky. Most of these apps let you have control over the location and date/time so that you can accurately find out how the night sky will look on a specific date and time from a specific location. Apps of these kinds include Stellarium (also available as a website), Skysafari and many more. These apps are essential to plan for photographing a specific object and/or to have an idea of how the night sky will look during your session(s).
Weather apps
As mentioned earlier, weather plays a crucial role in astrophotography. The goal remains to have a session with no interference from clouds and rain. Apps like Clear Outside help you find out the percentage of cloud cover and transparency during the night. General weather apps like AccuWeather will also help you find out the weather forecast.
Planning apps
Smartphone apps like Photopills or Planit are tailored for astrophotographers. These apps contain many useful tools for astrophotography. These include virtual reality mode that allows you to visualise the movement of the Milky Way from a specific location. These apps will also help you find the perfect composition, camera settings and many more. If you are to photograph the rising/setting sun/moon with a specific landscape element (e.g. a lighthouse), these apps will tell you the exact time and location to set up your camera to get the perfect shot.
Determining what to capture
With the dynamic nature of the sky and the celestial objects, one should decide ahead on what to capture during the night.
Wide-field images
Doing wide-field astrophotography requires you to find the darkest possible locations, preferably Bortle 1 or 2 regions. As you are going to capture a large portion of the sky, any light pollution will interfere strongly with your composition. You also need to pack the right gear for wide-field images. This includes a wide-field lens, DSLR or mirrorless camera, tripod, a portable tracker and a power bank.
Deep-sky objects
Unlike wide-field images, photographing deep sky objects often involves the use of many filters (broadband, narrowband etc.). Although there are no replacements for Bortle 1 or 2 skies, deep sky photography can be done even from Bortle 3-4 regions. You will also need to do research on the specific objects visible during that period, their rising and setting time. If you are carrying a telescope, a large EQ mount and a dedicated astronomy camera, you will also need to ensure that you have an uninterrupted power supply to run this equipment.
Lunar, Planetary and Solar photography
These types of astrophotography are least affected by light pollution. However, you are still required to plan ahead for them. One needs to find out the position of the planets, the phases of the moon, visible sunspots on the solar surface (via Spaceweather), etc.
Special events
Photographing events like eclipses and meteor showers should be done well ahead. One needs to consider factors like the right location, possible compositions, unobstructed view of the horizon and many more. Arriving at the location a day or two ahead is important for getting used to the area.
Building a checklist
Before you start your trip for some amazing astronomical images, a checklist will ensure you are not missing out on anything. Here is a sample you can refer to:
- Camera
- Lenses (according to your shooting plans) or telescopes
- Tripod
- Star tracker or EQ mount
- Memory card
- Storage device and laptop
- Multiple batteries
- Intervalometer
- Filters
- Power bank or large batteries
- Chargers
- Dew heater
- Cables required to connect all your equipment and screws
- Warm dress or other comfortable dress
- Camping chair
- Snacks and water
- Required apps installed on your phone
The list, of course, is not exhaustive. But it should give you an idea of how to build a checklist. The best way to make sure that you are not forgetting any photography equipment, cables or screws is to build your set up at home and then dismantle it to pack them one by one.
Backup plan and patience
Although you had planned ahead and planned well for a trip or a session, things could go wrong. Astrophotography is dependent on nature’s mercy. You can face a sky completely filled with clouds and rain during the whole trip. It is important not to give up. If you have a backup plan with another location, try that. If you do not have the option to relocate, enjoy and nature with some daytime landscape photography. Patience is the key to becoming a successful astrophotographer. During the monsoon season, you could go for months without having a single opportunity to take a photograph. Utilize the time wisely by talking to other astrophotographers, processing old data, learning new techniques from YouTube or blogs. Although it might take some time, your patience will surely be rewarded.
Planning is the essence of successful astrophotography. Finding out the right location, understanding the sky and the celestial objects, choosing the right equipment, and preparing for the upcoming challenges are all part of a careful preparation for a successful nighttime session. And these little steps are what transform your session into a rewarding one. For beginners, planning simple things should be practised to turn them into second nature. A careful and well-thought-out plan will not only prepare you for astrophotography but will also improve your results dramatically. Take your time, do your research. The stars are waiting for you.
Clear skies!
