Getting started in astronomy! Once I got started in astrophotography, I was instantly hooked! My name is Tom, founder of Picastro, and I have been taking images of Deep Sky Objects since 2021. My astro equipment has grown arms and legs, my experience has grown using the software to process the images, and I've learned so much from this amazing community of astro-nerds. You are all amazing! With that in mind, astrophotography is a beautiful blend of astronomy and photography (and trouble shooting), allowing those with an interest in astronomy and photography to capture the wonders of our universe, from stunning details of the moon to the breathtaking Milky Way to distant galaxies and nebula far beyond what our eyes would normally be able to see. It is all so vast and intriguing. The amazing thing about the hobby is that it can be as creative as you want it to be. Astrophotography can often be seen as a subjective art from, but can be as scientific or non-scientific as your mood or creative style suits. Take a look at some of the amazing images uploaded by the astronomy community on the Picastro app. The space images you see may look complicated to create, but getting started in astrophotography is simple, and you don’t need super-expensive gear to begin your journey. Although, trust me... when you start this hobby, it will become all-consuming pretty fast! Ask my wife. Let me walk you through some simple tips and techniques that could help you dive into this rewarding hobby. Why Astrophotography? Ever since I was a little boy, I have always had a passion for the night sky. Looking at the stars on a clear night is one of the most magical things you can do, but capturing that magic with a camera allows you to see even more details hidden in our night sky — colours, patterns, galaxies, nebulae and stars that you simply can’t observe with the naked eye. Some objects, like our Milkyway, Andromeda Galaxy, and Orion Nebula, are visible in areas that are not tarnished by light pollution, and are even more visible to the naked eye in dark sky areas, which Scotland has a fair few of. While many of the images you may see online and on this website are amazing, they seem to be created using advanced equipment, but even basic setups can produce remarkable results. I’ve seen some tremendous examples of deep sky object images with just a mobile phone and a tracking mount... insanely good stuff. What you might need to start in this hobby we call astro: Before jumping into deep sky object (DSO) imaging, there could be some simple things you can do to help you get started, but first I would strongly recommend familiarising yourself a little with the night sky. Whether that’s through a book or an app, it makes sense to start there first. Reading some books was the best thing I ever did and I'm constantly building my knowledge of the night sky, although there is still lots to learn. Where’s that monocular?! Astronomy cameras, telescopes and more - so much choice While any camera can technically capture the night sky, some are better suited for astrophotography than others: DSLR (mirrorless is probably best) These offer a lot of control over settings like exposure, ISO, and aperture. A camera with manual settings is essential for capturing night skies effectively. Because a DSLR camera can't be cooled the way dedicated astronomy cameras can, they can be problematic when taking deep sky images, but it is still very possible. I have a Nikon D5200 and it is a great starting point for astro imaging. Mine isn’t astro modded, however. I do recommend that you find a DSLR that has been astro modded so you don't need to try and do it yourself. Astro modded means that the I/R filter part has been removed to allow for more photons to hit the sensor. Choose your camera wisely and choose which option will suit you as you grow with the hobby and budget! My experience is that, very quickly, you might find you outgrow your choices, but as always, choices will depend on budgets and how far you want to take the hobby. Cameras can range in price from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds. I bought my DSLR fairly new and it has never let me down. Dedicated astronomy cameras (One shoot colour or monochrome!) There are so many choices of astronomy cameras available to us. From one shoot colour, I started off with this type of camera, and of course monochrome. Modern dedicated cameras come with CMOS sensors which, to the best of my limited knowledge, are better for deep sky astrophotography. Smartphones Surprisingly, newer smartphones with a “night mode” can also take impressive shots of the night sky. However, they have limitations compared to dedicated cameras. But, to get you started, give them a go! I have taken some amazing (well, I think so, anyway!) shots of some moon craters on my smartphone! Smart Telescope: A more recent technological innovation in deep sky imaging is the Smart Telescope, and these are a great option to get you hooked on this marvellous hobby. In the most part, they will help you do most of the clever stuff inline in the telescope, or using their new software contained within the relevant Smart Telescope. Lenses Wide-Angle Lens: A lens with a wide field of view (e.g., 14mm to 24mm) is perfect for capturing the night sky, especially the Milky Way or large constellations. Aperture: Look for a lens with a wide aperture (low f-number such as f/2.8 or lower). This allows more light to hit the sensor, which is critical for low-light astrophotography. Tripod or Equitorial mount Stability is key when taking long-exposure shots. A sturdy tripod will eliminate any shake or movement that could blur your images. Even a slight shake from pressing the shutter button can ruin a shot, so a tripod is essential. If you can, it would be best to go for an equatorial mount with a computerised goto gearing that can help you track the stars. Remote Shutter or Timer To avoid camera shake when pressing the shutter, use a remote trigger or your camera’s built-in timer (set it to 2-5 seconds). This ensures your camera remains stable while shooting. Star Tracker If you want to advance to capturing deep-sky objects (e.g., nebulae or galaxies), a star tracker can definitely help. Like an equatorial mount, it can help compensate for the Earth’s rotation, allowing you to take longer exposures without stars turning into trails, although star trail shots are amazing and rather creative in their own right. Astrophotography 101 Now that you have made some choices with the astronomy equipment, let’s talk about some things to help you get the best from your equipment. Choose the Right Location Light Pollution: One of the biggest challenges for astrophotographers is light pollution. Urban areas with bright lights make it difficult to see stars clearly. Use websites like [Light Pollution Map](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/) to find dark sky locations near you. Also, you can take a look at Dark Sky international , who's aim is to help rid the world of light pollution so we can all gaze at the wonder of our night skies with no light pollution, Settings for Night Sky Photography These solutions below will mainly pertain to DSLR cameras. Dedicated cameras have similar but different settings in relation to ISO, and is normally called gain. Manual Mode: Always shoot in manual mode to control exposure, ISO, and aperture. Exposure Time For wide-angle shots of the Milky Way or constellations, use exposure times of 10-30 seconds. Longer exposures can result in star trails, unless you're using a star tracker. ISO : Start with an ISO of 1600 or higher to capture more light, but be cautious of noise (graininess). Some cameras handle high ISO better than others, so experiment! Aperture: Set your aperture to its widest setting (e.g., f/2.8). This allows the maximum amount of light into the lens. Focus : Use manual focus and set it to infinity. Since autofocus doesn’t work well in low-light, you’ll need to manually adjust the focus to get crisp stars. The Rule of 500 To avoid star trails in your photos without using a star tracker, you can use the 500 Rule: You take the number 500 and divide by the focal length of your lens. For example, if you have a 20mm wide angle lens, then 500 / 20 = 25. The 500 rule measures the maximum exposure time you can shoot before the stars become blurry or star trails appear, but as a general rule of thumb star trails will start to appear after exposure times of around 13 seconds if you don't have a star tracker or guiding mount. Use RAW Format Always shoot in RAW rather than JPEG. RAW files contain more data, allowing you to extract more details and colors during post-processing. Dedicated cameras have a different format called FITs which is very similar to ISO settings on a DSLR. Clear Skies It sounds daft, but check the weather and aim for nights with little to no cloud cover. Space apps and weather apps can help predict good stargazing conditions, but be aware that weather apps don’t always get it right. Pop your head outside and keep a watchful eye. Cloudholes, as I like to call them, are thorns in the sides of astronomers and astrophotographers! Capturing Different objects in the Sky Now that you know a few of the basics, let’s talk about what you can capture and the settings that work best for different celestial objects. The Moon The moon is the easiest object to photograph and requires different settings: Settings: Use a low ISO 400-800), a shutter speed around 1/125s, and a medium aperture (f/8-f/11). You’ll need a telephoto lens (200mm or more) to get close-up shots. Tips : Try shooting during different phases of the moon. A crescent or half-moon often reveal more detail in the craters due to the shadows. The Milky Way Settings: Use a wide-angle lens (14mm-24mm), ISO 1600-3200, an aperture around f/2.8, and an exposure time of 15-30 seconds (depending on the focal length). Tips : The Milky Way is more visible during certain times of the year and is best viewed away from city lights. Try using apps like **Star Walk** or **SkySafari** to track its position in the sky. Imaging amazing star trails Settings: Use longer exposure times (up to several minutes or more) and a lower ISO (100-800). Star trails occur due to the Earth's rotation, and capturing them can make for stunning images. Tips : Use an intervalometer (or your camera’s built-in one) to take multiple shots over several hours and stack them together in post-processing software like StarStaX or Photoshop to create impressive star trail images. Photographing galaxies I used to use a one shoot colour (OSC) to take images of deep sky objects and it was a great intro to imaging galaxies and nebula. Most amateurs like me start with M81 Bodes galaxy and M33 Triangulum as these are brighter and larger and closer to us, so make for easy capturing. Photographing astonishing Deep Sky Objects (DSOs) This is the holy grail for most who get into the hobby. To be able to take amazing pictures of some of these colourful, bright and varied objects is something quite special. It can be the most rewarding thing to image, from bright nebula to the dimmest of objects in our night sky. Post-Processing Your Astrophotography Astrophotography images often need post-processing to bring out the beautiful colours and details contained within the dark images you will take. Here are a few basic steps to enhance your photos: Adjust Exposure and Contrast: This helps bring out faint stars and details in deep-sky objects. Reduce Noise: SNR ( Signal to Noise Ration). Loads of auto types talk about this and it is one of the most important stages of taking images of space. High ISO settings introduce noise, so use noise reduction or use a dedicated one shoot or monochrome camera to help reduce the mount of noise and increase the signal getting to your camera. Software including Lightroom, Photoshop, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight, and SiRIL will help with post-processing. Stacking : This is the single most important process in an astrophotographer's arsenal. For deep-sky images, we take multiple exposures and stack them using software (like DeepSkyStacker). This reduces noise and enhances details. I will talk more on this in another article. My Final Thoughts When I reignited my passion for the night sky in 2020, I stared with the moon and the planets. I had a very simple reflector telescope that was given to me as a birthday gift, a basic telescope mount (not equatorial), and I manually tracked some celestial objects such as Jupiter, the moon, and Saturn! Astrophotography might seem intimidating at first, but with the right equipment and techniques, it’s a hobby that anyone can start. Begin with basic night sky shots and gradually work your way towards more complex images. The beauty of astrophotography lies not just in the photos you take, but in the experience of connecting with the cosmos. Whether you’re capturing the craters of the moon or the magic of the Milky Way, the universe is yours to explore and photograph. This article is intended as a basic intro to astrophotography, so do your research and find out what works for you. The best advice I have heard so far, and it is true, is that the best telescope is the one you use the most. Don’t burden yourself with lots of stuff you might not actually use. The hobby can get complex very quickly, with learning how to use the various types of astronomy equipment, mounts, cameras, and software. Start slow and build up your experience. So, grab your astronomy camera, head to your back garden, and start capturing the beauty of our night sky, but be warned: once you start, you will be instantly drawn into this wonderful hobby we call astro. Tx

Ivana's amazingly detailed image of Mars from her back garden As winter approaches, so do opportunities to image the planets in their prime. For planets of the outer solar system, time around their respective oppositions is a chance to catch them at their seemingly biggest and brightest. Whether you are a seasoned deep space photographer or just starting out, planetary astrophotography can be fun and incredibly satisfying when it all goes well, so here is a very simple guide to making the most of this planetary season! Planets take up an incredibly tiny portion of the sky, so to be able to capture detail, you will want as much aperture and focal length as you can realistically get. However, if you don’t have the space or the cash for large instruments, a simple 5” Maksutov-Cassegrain like Skywatcher’s universally beloved Skymax 127, or a 6” Schmidt-Cassegrain like Celestron’s Nexstar, could get you started off right. Planetary imaging requires no equatorial tracking, so the mount can be Alt-Az, and there’s no need for guiding, or calculating for correct backfocus as there’s no need for a flat field. All you want are good conditions – which is sometimes a tall order! A planetary camera is best suited for the job because of their small sensors, fast framerates, and good sensitivity. DSLRs unfortunately don’t have the bandwidth for this type of imaging – not that they won’t produce results, but it won’t be the best the telescope can give. Similarly with dedicated deep space cameras, as they often don’t have the framerate and small enough regions of interest. Framerate is important for planetary imaging to beat the effects of seeing and atmospheric turbulence, as well as to allow for as much data to be captured in order to stack and reveal the detail. Some come with an already built-in UV/IR cut filter and some don’t, so if yours is the latter, you will need to add one to the imaging train. A Barlow lens is a useful addition for those great nights of good seeing, when you can increase your reach to capture a bit more detail. The magnification will depend on your particular setup. TeleVue Powermates are a popular and more expensive option, which offer a bit more brightness, and are parfocal, making it easier to slot anywhere into the imaging train.   Another helpful addition to the imaging train for times when planets haven’t risen above around 30 degrees, is an atmospheric dispersion corrector, or an ADC. They can lessen the effects of atmosphere and correct the blue and orange fringe caused by diffraction. When it comes to capture software, the most popular and often used ones are SharpCap and Firecapture. Both will allow to use a tight region of interest necessary for bringing framerate up, sharpening tools, and even track the object if it drifts across the sensor.   For stacking and processing, the best software to start with, if anything due to the sheer amount of tutorials and guidance available online, are Autostakkert and Registax. Autostakkert will analyse and stack best frames from the capture, while Registax splits the stacked image into six layers for targeted wavelet sharpening and denoise. It can also correct color balance, and fix some stubborn RGB misalignment.   The easiest target to start with are Jupiter and Saturn, which are bright and have clear features. Wider views and higher exposure may reveal some moons, which can either be captured together with the planet or layered afterwards. Sky and Telescope offers a handy tool for following moons around both of the planets, as well as planning transits and shadow transits. Among many handy tools, there is also a very handy tool to help plan for when the Great Red Spot will be visible on the surface of Jupiter. https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/interactive-sky-watching-tools/  For a more detailed dive into particulars of the equipment, setup, and process, I have assembled a few YouTube videos showing all the details of how I create planetary images:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdmGLeiqmqJYul8Fk2sF6aDfECzdxH8UE&feature=shared

I first started to take images of the moon properly in 2019 as I immersed myself in the little barren rock. The moon lies around 239,000 miles (384,000 km) from earth. The moon is approx 4.5 billion years old which, coincidentally, is the same age as earth. I took this image of the moon in 2021 with my Nikon D5100 attached to my Skywatcher telescope — I think I took around 350 images, ISO 800, then stacked in Photoshop and processed the image to reveal some of the mineral colours on the moon's surface. Astronomers think the moon was formed by a massive collision during earth's early days. The theoretical planet was called Theia. The resulting debris ejected from that collision coalesced to form what we now call our moon. The word moon can be traced to the word mōna, an Old English word from medieval times. Mōna shares its origins with the Latin words metri, which means to measure, and mensis, which means month. So, we see that the moon is called the moon because it is used to measure the months - source : Wikipedia Astronomers say the moon is tidally locked, which is why we see the same face of the moon all of the time. The moon does wobble a little, meaning we technically can see a little bit more of it from time-to-time. This wobble is called the libration. A misconception about the moon is that is has a dark side. Astronomers don’t call it the dark side; they call the far side. The moon is still illumined on the far side - it’s just that we don’t see it from our perspective. And yes, I’m afraid we did land on the moon, and NO... NASA did not put images of the moon inside our telescopes. Sorry. Below are some close up images of some amazing craters on the lunar surface that I took, believe it or not, with my mobile phone attached to my telescope. The daytime moon at the bottom left was taken with my DSLR attached to my telescope. There are some absolutely astonishing images of the moon taken by astrophotographers such as Andrew McCarthy and more. Go and check them out: they are insanely detailed. From top left the images below are: Clavius crater, Plato and Cassini in the middle of the same image (in this image, because of the moon phase, it looks like a little love heart). The right most image is some lunar craters called Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel showing right to left in this image. The bottom left image is a daytime moon I took with my DSLR attached to my Skywatcher telescope, and the final image is that of Copernicus (bottom left corner of this iamge) Copernicus is a huge complex lunar crater about 90km in diameter and about 2km in depth. Copernicus comes after the Late Heavy Bombardment , and may well be less than a billion years old. The link here takes you to NASA website explaining more about this period in the moon and earth's history. Thanks for reading this far.

This nebula was actually quite tricky to process. But, I was so lucky to be able to highlight some of these amazing colours with such a short integration time. Total Integration time : 9hours 25 min Moon coverage : 90% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 The Pelican nebula is an emission nebula in the constalltion of Cygnus and forms part of the North Amercian Nebula. I also shot part of the Cygnus wall, NGC7000 in 2024. See below. The Pelican Nebula is an HII (Hydrogen rich) region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The gaseous contortions of this emission nebula show a resemblance to a pelican, giving rise to its name. Source: Wikipedia. I have always liked this part of our night sky but never really imaged it that well, but on 21/09/24 I decided to make use of the clear skies that week and headed to that target. I had recently upgraded my telescope so it was a good chance to give it a little more of a run for its money. My old telescope mount, the Skywatcher HEQ5Pro, now sits gathering dust in my office at home, so I decided to use the new ZWO AM5 mount. I have to say this mount is an absolute beast, and not having to mess around with balancing huge weights at the end of my telescope mount is a blessing now. I'm getting to that age, I'm afraid. The ZWO harmonic drive copes amazingly well with my 11.5kg scope with all the bits added on: my filter wheel, auto focuser, mono camera, and I have to say that Polar aligning with the AM5 is a breeze too. My older, slightly more mechanical HEQ5Pro was a little bit of a pain to PA (polar align), but this new mount is so much easier and smoother. Time will tell if it needs maintenance or not. So far though, even on a windy day, which my old HEQ5Pro couldn't really cope with, this new mount has coped incredibly well, and was guiding at a total error of .3 to .5 which, in guiding terms, with such a large OTA (Optical Tube Assembly), is really fab. On a windy day my other mount would simply get nowhere near that.

Image of a 50% waxing by Tom McCrorie The moon, despite being so far from where we stand—238,855 miles, to be precise—is always close to us, in some way, shape, or form. The human species has always been drawn to it, our eyes searching upwards to locate our glowing friend in the darkness. From those in the Stone Age recording its phases to modern-day lunaphiles, the moon links us over centuries and countries, across sweeping oceans and wide stretches of land. It is a constant: it is there to address, acknowledge, and, at the end of a long day, adieu. With only a few lucky enough to set foot on its terrain, we can instead take a step closer to the moon through the lens of a telescope, camera, or even the naked eye, but the allure is no lesser. Not only is the moon incredibly visible to us, but it is also the centre of our daily lives in many ways, from werewolf stories (full moon, I’m looking at you) to the waves on our beaches. From Massachusetts to Malaysia, Ontario to Oslo, we can always rely on our lunar friend being nearby, or as nearby as you perceive 238,855 miles to be! If you are a fellow space-nerd, it is most likely the case that you have either looked at the moon through a telescope, or scrolled through troves of snapshots online of other peoples’ fascinating images. Although seemingly formulaic, pictures of the moon manage to be unique in their own way, each a little different from the next. However, despite always being present in our night sky, the moon is gradually creeping away from us, roughly one inch further away annually. It won’t be going anywhere anytime soon (hopefully), but this is just one of many curious facts about our lunar friend. Similar to the planet we call home, the moon’s surface once housed active volcanoes, which now lay comatose, but there is more to its surface than meets the eye. There are both “light” and “dark” areas on the moon, known as “highlands” and “maria”, respectively. The latter once contained lava billions of years ago, and its name originates from the Latin word for seas. Aside from naturally-made features on the surface, the moon is also home to fragments of machinery, six different flags, and other remnants of humanity’s odysseys to our silver neighbour, a reminder of how far we have come in terms of space exploration. So, whether you say hello to it from your bedroom window, or one day make it up there in a rocket, either as an astronaut or “space tourist”, our lunar friend will always be there to greet us back, providing an omnipresent glow in the darkness. Take a moment to appreciate it – either through a camera or just a look out from the back door of your house – because we are privileged to exist in a world where the moon, something so far away, is so visible.

A Stargazers Guide-ish to the bortle scale I took this three second image on my phone when I visited Perthshire near Meikleour Estates. Yeah, I know it's not an APOD winning image, but the skies were absolutely incredible. The only time I experienced close to Bortle 1 skies! Stargazing is more than just looking up at the sky—it’s about experiencing the vastness of our universe, and connecting with something far beyond our daily lives. Whether you're a seasoned astrophotographer or someone who's just discovered the delights of the night sky, there's one challenge we all face, besides clouds, that is. This is a simple but effective way to understand how light pollution affects what we can see when we look to our skies and beyond. In this guide, I'll break down what the Bortle scale is, how light pollution impacts stargazing, and where you can find the best dark skies in the UK and beyond. Let’s do this! So, what is the Bortle Scale? The Bortle scale is essentially a tool that helps stargazers rate the quality of the night sky based on the amount of light pollution that is present. Created by astronomer John E. Bortle, it uses a simple scale from 1 to 9 —1 being the darkest skies you can find here on Earth, and 9 being the most light-polluted areas, where only the brightest stars can cut through the artificial glow caused by street lamps and other artificial lighting in areas. In Bortle 9 skies it is, at most, a tea towel of the most recognised asterisms or constellations. Here’s a quick explanation: Bortle Class 1 (Perfectly Dark Skies): The Holy Grail for astrophotographers and stargazers. Absolutely no light pollution. The Milky Way glows bright, and even faint celestial objects are visible to the naked eye; Andromeda galaxy, Orion Nebula and maybe Bodes Galaxy to name a few. Bortle Class 2 (Near Perfect): Still incredibly dark, though you might notice a faint glow from distant towns. Excellent for observing deep-sky objects. Bortle Class 3 (Rural Sky): You’re starting to see a bit of light pollution, but the Milky Way is still clear, and plenty of stars are visible. Bortle Class 4 (Rural/Suburban Transition - where I live): Some light pollution is more noticeable, and the Milky Way fades ever so slightly but with a little more patience Orion Nebula is still visible to the naked eye. Bortle Class 5 (Suburban Sky): This is where light pollution begins to hinder stargazing—fewer stars are visible, and the Milky Way becomes harder to spot. Bortle Class 6 (Bright Suburban Sky): Only the brightest stars are visible now, and light domes from nearby towns or cities are obvious. Bortle Class 7 (Urban Sky): Stars are few and far between. The night sky has a noticeable glow from streetlights, buildings, and other urban sources. Bortle Class 8 (City Sky): The stars have nearly almost all but disappeared, and only the brightest constelations can now be seen. Bortle Class 9 (Inner-City Sky): The sky is completely overrun by artificial light. It’s difficult to see anything beyond the Moon, a planet or two, and maybe the odd star. How Light Pollution Affects Stargazing Light pollution is the bane of stargazer's and astrophotographer's lives. It’s caused by the overuse of artificial light—streetlights, cars, billboards, and even the glow from our homes. This light scatters in the atmosphere, washing out the natural night sky and making it hard to see any or most celestial objects, especially fainter ones like distant galaxies or nebulae. Light pollution can mean the difference between seeing a 'sky full of stars' or just a handful of the brightest ones. A teatowel of the most obvious constellations at most! If you’re an astrophotographer, it can ruin your images by washing out the finer details and reducing the contrast between stars and the surrounding space. But in saying this, more modern light polution filters will help mitigate most of the ligh pollution these days. I used to use light pollution filters available from Optolong as an example. Stargazing in the UK: The best places to look up If you’re based in the UK, you’re probably already aware that light pollution can be a huge challenge—especially in urban areas like Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, or Manchester. In these city environments (which tend to fall into Bortle Class 7-9), your view of the night sky will be massively impaired and the Milky Way will be nearly impossible to spot. But don’t worry—there are still plenty of incredible places to enjoy the stars across the UK! Here are some of the top dark-sky locations in the UK where light pollution is at a minimal. Some of these I have visited, some I have not. Maybe one day I can get to the Atacama! There are some amazing Dark Sky reserves in and around Scotland and the rest of the UK. I have been to one near Dalmellington which used to have The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory (which sadly was raized to the ground by vandals a few years ago), and there is a fantastic dark sky area near Perth In Scotland and I swear I couldn't even visually navigate my around the night sky, there were so many stars visible. There are amazing dark skies in and around Galloway Forest in Newton Stewart and the further up towards the North of Scotland, the darker it gets. Here is a dark sky map from the website Go Stargazing https://gostargazing.co.uk/location-light-pollution/scottish-dark-sky-observatory/ Exmoor National Park (Bortle Class 3): One of the UK’s first Dark Sky Reserves, Exmoor offers stunning views of the Milky Way and plenty of deep-sky objects. It’s perfect for a weekend escape away from those pesky city lights. Northumberland National Park (Bortle Class 2)**: If you’re looking for some of the darkest skies in the UK, Northumberland is the place to be. The park is part of Europe’s largest Dark Sky Park, making it ideal for astrophotography and deep-sky observation. The Lake District (Bortle Class 3): A Dark Sky area known for its low light pollution and incredible views of the Milky Way on a clear night. These locations are perfect for anyone in the UK who wants to experience the true beauty of the night sky without the disturbance of light pollution. Going Further Afield? If you’re feeling adventurous and want to take your stargazing to the next level, there are some truly breathtaking locations around the world where light pollution is virtually non-existent. I haven't been to any of these, but I know people who have. Jealous! Atacama Desert, Chile (Bortle Class 1): With some of the clearest and darkest skies on the planet, the Atacama Desert is a haven for astronomers and astrophotographers. The Milky Way here is so vivid, it feels like you can reach out and touch it. Mauna Kea, Hawaii (Bortle Class 1): At over 13,000 feet above sea level, Mauna Kea offers an extraordinary view of the stars, galaxies, and nebulae, with almost no light pollution at all. Namib Desert, Namibia (Bortle Class 1): Another world-class stargazing destination which boasts pristine skies and a remarkable view of the Milky Way. Jasper National Park, Canada (Bortle Class 2): Designated as a Dark Sky Reserve, Jasper is perfect for those wanting to experience the full glory of the Northern Hemisphere’s night sky. Fighting Light Pollution: While light pollution might seem inevitable, there are steps we can take to help to reduce its impact. Many cities and towns are adopting dark-sky-friendly lighting, which minimizes unnecessary light by using shielded fixtures and directing light where it’s needed, and I think my local council have adopted at least a bit of this. You can also make a difference by reducing outdoor lighting at home and supporting efforts to limit light pollution in your community. Take note, my good neighbour. For stargazers and astrophotographers, the simplest, but perhaps not the easiest solution, is to travel to a dark-sky location whenever possible. If you can’t escape the city lights, using light pollution filters with your telescope or camera can help cut through some of the artificial glow and improve your viewing experience. Some of the light pollution filters have enabled some of these amazing astronomers and astrophotographers to grab some of these amazing deep sky objects using their telescopes and cameras. By choosing the right location—whether in Scotland or the UK or somewhere further afield—you can maximise your chances of seeing the night sky in all of its beauty and glory. Clear skies and happy stargazing!

Image above by Jorge Segura - probably one of the best planetary imagers I know! Astrophotography can be divided into a few main types: Planetary imaging Deep-sky imaging including widefield imaging Bightsky landscape including Milkyway images Let me try and focus on the fist two; planetary and deep sky. While planetary astrophotography focuses on capturing images of objects within our solar system, such as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Moon, and the Sun, deep-sky astrophotography allows amateur astronomers and astrophotographers to image distant celestial objects like galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. Each branch of astrophotography requires slightly different software to process the images to get the best images of the data taken. Software for astronomy processing and planetary images Planetary astrophotography would typically involve capturing high frame-rate videos of planets and then using software to select and extract the sharpest and best frames to then 'stack' them together to produce a high-quality image. I'll run through a few of the different types of software available to you to help with the process of getting amazing images of planets and deep sky objects. Most of these I have used and still use on a regular basis. RegiStax Best for : Planetary and lunar image stacking and sharpening RegiStax is probably one of the most popular software programs for processing planetary images. It allows you to stack video frames and apply sharpening to bring out the finer details of planets, the Moon, and even the Sun (DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH A TELESCOPE without appropriate filters). Key Features - Free to use - Sharpening tools for fine detail enhancement - Multi-point alignment for improved stacking accuracy Why Beginners Like It RegiStax simplifies planetary image processing by offering easy-to-use stacking and sharpening tools. Its wavelet sharpening feature is especially useful for bringing out surface details on planets like Jupiter or Saturn. This software is only available for PC and not Mac computers. AutoStakkert Best for : Automatic stacking for planetary and lunar images AutoStakkert is designed to automatically choose the sharpest frames from a video and stack them into a final image. It is often used in conjunction with RegiStax, where AutoStakkert handles the stacking, and RegiStax is used for sharpening. Key Features - Free to use - Automatic frame selection and stacking - Multi-point alignment for improved accuracy Why Beginners Like It AutoStakkert makes the process of stacking pretty simple, allowing beginners and experts alike to produce clearer planetary images without needing to manually select frames. It’s a great tool for anyone capturing video of planets. Siril Best for : Processing both planetary and deep-sky images Siril is a hugley versatile astrophotography software package that can handle both planetary and deep-sky image processing. For planetary imaging, Siril can convert video files into frames and then stack them, offering tools for post-processing as well. I have used this software a few times and I know a few friends who swear by it. Key Features - Free and open-source - Video-to-frame conversion for planetary processing - Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) Why Beginners Like It Siril provides a user-friendly interface that’s easy to navigate. It’s also one of the few free programs that can handle both planetary and deep-sky image processing, making it an excellent option for those looking to try both types of astrophotography. FireCapture Best for: Video capture for planetary and lunar imaging While FireCapture is technically a video capture tool, it’s worth mentioning for planetary imaging because it offers specialised settings tailored to capture high-frame-rate video files of planets like Jupiter and Saturn etc. You can then export these videos to software like AutoStakkert! and RegiStax for processing. Key Features - Free to use - Capture videos optimised for planetary photography - Automatic tracking and stabilisation during capture Why Beginners Like It FireCapture is often used by planetary astrophotographers to ensure they capture high-quality, high-frame-rate videos. This software works seamlessly with AutoStakkert! and RegiStax for the next stage of your astro image processing workflow. Software for Processing Deep-Sky Images Deep-sky astrophotography involves capturing long exposures of distant celestial objects like galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. This requires stacking multiple frames to reduce noise and enhance detail. Below are some of the best software tools for processing deep-sky images. DeepSkyStacker (DSS) Best for: Image stacking and noise reduction for deep-sky objects DeepSkyStacker is a widely used software for stacking deep-sky images. It combines multiple exposures to reduce noise and improve detail, making it ideal for capturing objects like galaxies and nebulae. Key Features - Free to use - Stacks light, dark, flat, and bias frames - Basic post-processing options Why Beginners Like It DSS is known for its simplicity and effectiveness. It automates much of the stacking process, allowing beginners to focus on capturing quality images and letting the software handle noise reduction and detail enhancement. This software is also only avaulabel for PC and I use it a a lot. AstroPixel Processor (APP) Best for: Complete deep-sky processing workflow, including stacking and calibration— AstroPixel Processor (APP) is designed for astrophotography and offers an all-in-one solution for stacking, calibrating, and processing deep-sky images. It supports advanced features like mosaic creation and multi-band processing, making it versatile for both wide-field and detailed astrophotography. Key Features - Complete stacking, calibration, and post-processing workflow - Tools for multi-channel processing and mosaics - Batch processing capabilities Why Beginners Like It APP is user-friendly and allows beginners to perform all necessary post-processing steps within a single platform. Its powerful features make it a great option for both novice and intermediate astrophotographers. This software is available for mac and PC users. PixInsight Best for: Advanced deep-sky image processing PixInsight is considered one of the most advanced tools for deep-sky astrophotography. While it has a steep learning curve, it offers complete control over the entire processing workflow, from stacking and calibration to noise reduction and colour adjustment. Key Features - Advanced tools for stacking, calibration, and noise reduction - Powerful post-processing options - Batch processing and scripting capabilities Why Beginners Like It Although Pixinsight has a steep learning curve it offers precision and flexibility unmatched by other software. Beginners who are serious about improving their deep-sky images often turn to PixInsight as they gain more experience. StarTools Best for: User-friendly deep-sky image processing StarTools is the new kid on the block and designed specifically for astrophotography and offers a range of tools to make deep-sky image processing easier. It provides modules for noise reduction, sharpening, and colour correction, with an interface aimed at making complex tasks simpler for beginners. Key Features - Specialised tools for deep-sky image processing - Modules for star removal, sharpening, and noise reduction - Free trial available Why Beginners Like It StarTools simplifies many of the technical aspects of astrophotography image processing, allowing beginners to enhance their deep-sky images without needing in-depth knowledge of astrophotography. Adobe Photoshop (or Affinity Photo ) Best for: Fine-tuning deep-sky images with detailed editing While not specifically built for astrophotography, both Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo are powerful image-editing tools that can be used to fine-tune deep-sky images. I find myself sometimes using Photoshop's built-in Theycamera Raw to reduce the noise a little more when I export my images from Pixinsight. Photoshop and Affinity Photo also provide detailed control over colour, contrast, and sharpness, making them perfect for the final touches on my astrophotography images. Key Features - Layer-based editing for advanced workflows in astronomy image processing - Extensive tools for brightness, contrast, and colour adjustments - Supports advanced post-processing techniques like star reduction and noise removal Why Beginners Like It Both Photoshop and Affinity Photo offer immense flexibility for beginners and advanced users alike. Affinity Photo is a budget-friendly alternative to Photoshop, offering similar features at a one-time purchase cost. My preference is towards taking images of deep sky objects, but whether you're focusing on planetary or deep-sky astrophotography, the right software can make a huge difference in the quality of your final images. If you're a beginner I would suggest starting with simpler programs and gradually beginning to explore more advanced options as you gain experience. Pixinsight has probably the largest learning curve, but no matter which type of astrophotography you choose to undertake, the key is to experiment with different software packages, practice consistently, and enjoy the process of bringing your amazing images of the night sky to life through your images. Other software is available for planetary imaging and deep sky stacking and processing and include: StarTools , Winjupos which is de rotation software and mostly used for planets like Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, Sequator , AstroPixelProcessor

I first imaged this deep sky object in 2023 using my one shot colour camera, and I remember the seeing being very good that evening. This is my longest integration so far on this object in our night sky! But the image below was taken in 2024. Total Integration time : 23 hours 25 min Moon coverage : 80% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 The heart of the heart nebula : The Heart Nebula or Melotte 15 is an emission nebula, 7500 light years away from Earth and located in the Perseus Arm of the Galaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. Other object sthatare in this contellation include the Pac-man nebula and more. Melotte 15 was discovered by William Herschel on 3 November 1787. It displays glowing ionised hydrogen gas and darker dust lanes. Source Wikipedia I absolutely love this deep sky object in our night skies. The details I have managed to tease out from over 23 hours worth of image time is crazy. The dark dust structures, the faint dark nebulous details and the gaseous pillars simply blows my mind! The indiviudal images shown below are what are called master lights and these are output from the astro software. I will then combine these to produce the image that you see above. The blue colour tends to signify oxygen, the red, hydrogen in the visisble spectrum of colours, and I am pretty sure there are a vast range of colours in here we can't actually see beyond the visible spectrum. UV, IR and more! Shown above are what the individual master images or master lights look like when I process them in Pixinsight. These individual master frames were produced by digitally stacking lots and lots of exposures to combine in to one master frame. When I combine these master lights they make one full colour image as you can see on the last image above. I then process this image to produce the deep sky image you see below. It all sounds very complex, but once you get used to using the software for a while it gets a little easier to do. Promise :-) Pixinsight does have a huge learning curve however! The image above is a close tight crop on the same object, Melotte 15 but cropped and processed again using something called drizzling which essentialy increases the overall images size. I then use a feature in the Pixinsight software called drop shrinking which then reduces the overall pixel size to make the image feel sharper overall. I was so lucky, as this image was picked for image of the day on the ZWO astronomy app! I hope you enjoy seeing my space images.

I imaged this galaxy from my back garden in 2023 using my one shot colour camera and my light pollution filter and my Skywatcher 200P telescope. Total Integration time : 9hours 25 min Moon coverage : 60% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 The Sunflower galaxy or Messier 63 : The Sunflower galaxy was discovered in 1779 by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain and was the first of 24 objects that Méchain would contribute to Charles Messier’s catalog. The galaxy is located roughly 27 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici. It has an apparent magnitude of 9.3 and appears as a faint patch of light in small telescopes. The best time to observe M63 is during May. Source NASA Shown below is an image in SkySafari showing the location of M63 in our night sky. Some other objects that lie in the same region of space include the Whirlpool galaxy, and I have also imaged this galaxy. This was the fourth Messier object I imaged in the summer months of 2023 - I think I managed to get around 10 Messier objects that time. The summer nights were particularly warm with ambient temperatures around 15 or 16 degrees which is actually pretty warm for Scotland, but I soldiered on nonetheless, with my cooled astronomy camera, to try and get more objects from the Messier Catalogue, of which there are 110. See here for the full list. I hope you enjoy seeing these images.

I imaged this supernova remnant from my back garden on the 15th January 2024, using my one shot colour camera, my skywatcher telescope and my light pollution filter and my Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro telescope mount. Total Integration time : 12 hours Moon coverage : 60% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 The Crab nebula or Messier 1 : The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. The common for this supernova remnant comes from a drawing that resembled a crab with arms produced by William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, in 1842 or 1843 using a 36-inch telescope. Source Wikipedia The Crab Nebula is an expanding remnant of a star's supernova explosion. Japanese and Chinese astronomers recorded this violent event nearly 1,000 years ago in 1054 AD, as likely did the Native Americans. The glowing relic has been expanding since the star exploded, and it is now approximately 11 light-years in width. Here are some things about the crab nebula that you may not have known: The crab nebula is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky, and at the heart of it is a very bright and very energetic pulsar. The pulsar is observed across the entire light spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays. The pulsar generates an extremely powerful wind that interacts with the expanding nebula and generates very intricate and beautiful filaments and you can just about see this in the image I took from my back garden. The Crab Nebula exploded because a massive star ran out of its fuel and collapsed into a neutron star under immense gravity, then violently ejected its outer layers in a supernova explosion. The Crab Nebula is one of the most studied remains of a stellar explosion and is widely accepted to be due to a supernova seen in the year 1054 a.d. by Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arab astronomers, who reported sighting a new bright star in the heavens. The star was so brilliant that it was visible even during the day for nearly three weeks and only faded from view nearly two years later. During that time it was called the Guest star because of its fleeting brightness. Below is a close crop of my image above and you can see some of the amazing filaments described in the copy above.

I imaged this huge emission nebula from my back garden on the west coast of Scotland. It is more commonly called The Crescent nebula or NGC 6888. Total Integration time : 2 hours Moon coverage : 1% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 The Crescent nebula or NGC 6888 : The Crescent Nebula is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, about 5000 light-years away from Earth. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1792. I swear I couldn't believe this was only two hours of exposure time, using my colour astronomy camera, the ZWO 533MCPro. I nearly fell off my little astro chair processing this image. This emission nebula is known for its similarity to a brain. I can definitely see that for sure. William Herschel had originally thought that the crescent nebula was a double star, but it is actually a Wolf-Rayet star, which are the hottest stars in the universe. The Wolf-Rayet star at the heart of the Crescent Nebula is called WR 136. This star is 5.1 times larger than our Sun, nearly 10 times hotter, 21 times as massive and a huge 60,000 times brighter! Stars don't burn or are on fire. They fuse hydrogen to helium under immense gravitational force. And it’s WR-136 that caused the nebula to form. Some nebulae are easy to image and this one was no exception. It is quite bright in the night sky so that makes it slightly easier to image. It is thought that the Wolf-Rayet star at the centre of the Crescent Nebula - known as WR-136 will eventually end its life in a dramatic stellar explosion known as a supernova explosion. I hope you enjoyed looking at my brain in space image.

I imaged this huge galaxy 2.3 million light years away from our milkwyay using my dedicated astronomy camera, my HEQ5Pro equatorial mount and my Skywatcher 200P telescope. Total Integration time : 27 minutes Moon coverage : 50% Location : Northern Hemisphere Bortle : 4 M33 or Triangulum galaxy : The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy 2.73 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598. Source Wikipedia M33 has a relatively bright apparent magnitude of 5.7, making it one of the most distant objects that observers can see with the unaided eye, but only under exceptionally clear and dark skies, definitely not from my back garden on the west coast of Scotland. Although a telescope will start to reveal some of M33’s spiral features and dust lanes, the galaxy is actually easiest to examine with low magnification and a wide field of view, such as a pair of binoculars or a dobsonian telescope. It is best observed in November which is when I took this image in 2023. The image above was the second time I had tried to image this galaxy. I first imaged it in 2022, but my equipment was slighty inferior to what it is now and my slightly older EQ5 Pro mount and my previous colour astronomy camera, couldn't quite cut it. At the time I did have a Baader coma corrector which was a big help for my newtonian scope, but it still wasn't enough! The thing that made the biggest difference, was the addition of the Starizona .75 reducer to my image train and the addition of a CNC spider vein which was a massive help with the collimation of my newtonian telescope and that was astro-life changing to now see how sharp my astro images would become. Oh and collimation to within an inch of my telescopes life! Now in all honesty, processing Triangulum is a bit of a pain as there are so many stars in this galaxy, it is estimated that there are approximately 40 billion sun like stars, in this massive galaxy, so by the laws of probability, there will absoultely be some form of intelligent life in there somewhere, but it is just so far away that even travelling at 99.9% the speed of light would take 5.6 billion years to get there and back and I had to use chat GPT for that! But after reading Brian Cox's book 'What is E=mc2 and how does the affect us' I now understand that time dilation would affect the traveller too and so even though 5.6 billion years had passed on earth, the traveller would have experienced 244,000 years of time passing. Time goes slower for the traveller than that of time on earth, or so I believe or at least from the perspective of the traveller! That's relativity folks! LOL. My goodness that went off on a tangent fast! Anyway I hope you enjoyed looking at my trianglum galaxy image.