Astrophotography

Latest about Astrophotography

A comparison shot of the 2024 image and 1999 image
Old tech can learn new tricks. Colorful comparison photos of Crab Nebula wouldn’t have been possible with newer telescopes, NASA says

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published

ASTRO Images of the same colorful nebulae 25 years apart are a key example of why the Hubble Space Telescope's longevity matters

ASTRO
This depicts the satellite-filled sky that is now a reality and getting more crowded every week! This adds together exposures taken over just 30 minutes on an early June night when, from my latitude of 51° N satellites even in low Earth orbit are lit all night by sunlight. Many of the parallel streaks heading generally horizontal west to east (right to left) may be from groups of SpaceX Starlinks. Others traveling vertically north-south are more likely from Earth observation satellites. There is at least one natural streak in the image — a meteor at centre, caught by chance on one frame. It appears as a colored and tapered streak. Other uniform undashed streaks may be from high-altitude satellites moving much more slowly. By comparison, most satellites appear as dashed lines because the image is a blend of many 2-second-long exposures with a gap of one second between exposures when the camera shutter was closed. So the motion of the satellites and image stacking turns them into dashes. The longer the dashes, the faster the satellite is traveling, with the fastest satellites being the lowest. This is looking due south and all the trails disappear low in the south above the trees, as that's where the Earth's shadow is, even on this June night. So the satellites aren't lit when they are in that small part of the sky. They emerge from the shadow heading north and disappear into the shadow heading south. The shadow creates the obvious boundary of where satellite trails are visible. At other times of the year low-orbit satellites are visible only after sunset or before sunrise, especially from lower latitudes. But not near summer solstice, and from higher latitudes. The field of view is about 100° by 75°. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
As an astrophotographer, this photograph is breaking my heart. A photographer captured a photo that illustrates just how much satellites are ruining astrophotography

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published

OPINION Around 90 percent of astrophotographers report that satellites are affecting night sky photography

7 Comments
OPINION
Two people hold hands while watching the northern lights
Time to watch the skies! The odds for northern lights photography this week just got even better

By Hillary K. Grigonis Last updated

AURORA Experts are predicting solar storms as strong as a KP6 tonight, as well as high odds tomorrow night

AURORA
A lunar eclipse takes place above Prelude Lake while the Aurora Borealis puts on a show, in this composite image from Prelude Lake Territorial Park, Northwest Territories, Canada.
Astrophotography in March 2026: a spectacular blood moon during Northern Light season is the highlight for night photographers this month

By Jamie Carter Published

Astro Everything you need to know about what’s worth photographing in the night skies over the coming month

Astro
Close-up image of Blood Moon from 2014
How to photograph a lunar eclipse

By Mike Harris Last updated

Tutorial A total lunar eclipse is set to wow North American astrophotographers on March 3, here’s how to photograph this stellar celestial event, from knowing where and when to choosing the right glass and nailing your exposure

Tutorial
A photograph of the Egg Nebula, a pre-planetary nebula, captured by he Hubble Space Telescope
NASA’s new photo of this egg-shaped dying star is both art and science

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published

SPACE Hubble has captured its clearest view yet of the closest pre-planetary nebula, dubbed Egg Nebula, a dying Sun-like star

SPACE
A stunning night sky over a rocky coastline, featuring the Milky Way, shooting stars, and a unique rock arch formation
This is the kit you need to be an award-winning astrophotographer

By Kim Bunermann Published

PRO ADVICE Josh Dury shares the astrophotography gear he trusts – ahead of The Photography & Video Show 2026

PRO ADVICE
Digital composite view of annular solar eclipse on May 20, 2012. Fourteen separate exposures were made ten minutes apart and combined into one image.
Astrophotography in February 2026: what to shoot in the night sky this month

By Jamie Carter Published

sky at night Everything you need to know about what’s happening in the night skies above over the coming month

sky at night
Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are seen above Breckerfeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany, on January 19, 2026. (Photo by SASCHA SCHUERMANN / AFP via Getty Images)
A major solar storm brought the aurora farther south than normal. But are we in for an encore for photographers tonight?

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published

AURORA Chances of spotting the northern lights linger into Tuesday night after a major solar storm

AURORA
Totality during total solar eclipse, 2017
10 must-shoot events for astrophotographers in 2026

By Jamie Carter Published

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY From a ‘blood moon’ and a total solar eclipse to meteor showers and conjunctions, these are the 10 events astrophotographers should shoot this year

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
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