Category Archives: Astrophotography

Cuando observamos el cielo con telescopios podemos apreciar los colores de las estrellas. Las hay azules, amarillas, rojizas… pero no vemos nunca estrellas verdes, rosas o moradas ¿Por qué no hay estrellas de estos colores?

El motivo por el que no vemos estrellas de color verde es porque este color se encuentra en la mitad del rango de longitudes de onda del visible por lo que nuestro cerebro interpreta esta suma de rojo, verde y azul como el color blanco. Así si una estrella tiene una emisión de colores muy simétrica la vemos como de color blanco, una mezcla de todos los colores, mientas que si empieza a tender a uno de los lados o extremos de nuestro espectro de visión empezaremos a verla azulada o rojiza (a pesar de que la estrella seguirá emitiendo en todo el espectro, solo que el pico de emisión lo tendrá en uno de los colores). Las estrellas emiten luz en un espectro continuo de frecuencias aunque con diferente intensidad.

Recordemos también que el color de las estrellas está relacionado con su temperatura, las estrellas con el pico de emisión de color rojo son más frías con temperaturas en torno a los 3500K mientras que las estrellas azules tienen temperaturas más cálidas de unos 12000K. Por ejemplo, el Sol, una estrella amarilla, tiene una temperatura de unos 5770K. Pero las estrellas emiten todos los colores, solo que tienen su pico de emisión en el color en el que las vemos.

¿Y por qué no hay estrellas rosas?

El color rosa en realidad no existe, es una interpretación que hace nuestro cerebro cuando las células de nuestros ojos detectan todos los colores menos el verde. Como el espectro de las estrellas es continuo siempre va a haber una componente verde y por lo tanto nuestro cerebro nunca verá las estrellas de ese color.

Por otro lado no vemos nunca estrellas de color violeta porque nuestros ojos son muy ineficientes a la hora de interpretar ese color, que está muy cerca del azul en el espectro y este último es mucho más fácil de detectar por nuestros ojos, así que las estrellas violetas las vemos azuladas.

© Jamie Carter
A strong foreground subject really helps a star trail composition.

It’s one of the most visually arresting images in all of astrophotography and it’s one that can be created quite easily in your backyard – whatever your level of light pollution – but the star trail has been a challenging shot until recently. However, advances in cameras, sensors and software has made it not only a relatively easy shot, but one that you can take using a whole host of different devices and approaches.

The classic star trail photo is of circles in the sky that show the movement of stars in the night sky and, consequently, the rotation of our planet. It’s usually achieved by pointing the camera toward either the south pole or the north pole, but there are a lot of choices to make before you start shooting.

Here are seven different ways to shoot a star trail: 

1: The easy way

The most modern way of shooting a star trail is to take a series of short exposures with little or no gap between them, then stack them to create a composite image. The finished image is the same, but with two important advantages; it’s clean and you can avoid individual frames that show planes, lights or a passing cloud. 

The fundamental technique involves creating a captivating nightscape image using a manual camera on a tripod using a wide-angle lens on f2.8 (or similar), a shutter speed of 30 seconds and around IS0 800, and experimenting until you have a great-looking single image. You then simply repeat the image hundreds of times using an intervalometer or a shutter release cable that can be locked in place (if the latter then use a short shutter delay of a few seconds to allow the camera’s sensor to cool down between each shot). 

You then simply drag and drop all of your images into the free StarStaX software, which will build a star trail image and output it as a JPEG. It’s also got a handy ‘gap-filling’ mode that uses AI to compensate for any frames you’ve taken out. 

• How to shoot star trails by taking and blending images of the night sky

2: The old-fashioned way

The classic way to shoot a star trail requires careful planning, patience and precise timing. The essential technique is to open the shutter on a camera for a long period. To do this you need a camera on a tripod sporting a wide-angle lens with manual controls and a bulb mode. To calculate the settings punch the settings you used above – in this example f/2.8, 30 seconds and IS0 800 – into the exposure calculator in the handy PhotoPills app, which can be used to work out the exact equivalent settings for a smaller aperture and lower ISO (in this example it prescribes f/14, ISO 800 and 1 hour 41 minutes). 

Although the resulting image is often so noisy that it’s hard to justify over the new method unless shooting with film. But it’s instructive – and a halfway house should be considered. For example, a much longer exposure than 30 seconds will properly expose for an interesting foreground subject – something that will make your star trail standout. PhotoPills is also handy for calculating that, first using test settings on a very high ISO to take a test shot before dialing down the ISO to see what the equivalent aperture and exposure time is (we’re talking about an exposure of roughly five to 10 minutes). 

3: Shoot for an hour

Go stand outside for more than 10 minutes and you’ll notice that the position of the stars above you appear to move. Although stars are moving through space, that’s not what you’re saying here. Instead, what you’re seeing is the rotation of Earth. Stars rise in the east, traverse the night sky to set in the west. A star trail photo is a way of seeing this sped up, just like a time-lapse, but to get a proper impression of the motion of stars requires at least an hour’s worth of motion. If you’re using a shutter speed of 30 seconds then that’s roughly 120 shots. Anything less and the impression is slight – we’re talking just a few elongated lines in place of each star – but 120 is a good place for beginners to start.

4: Leave a camera overnight

For a truly impressive star trail image, aim to leave your camera imaging the night sky for at least two hours. That’s about 240 shots. However, if you really want to create something spectacular that few other photographers ever get around to doing then pull an all-nighter. Of course, you don’t actually have to stay up all night – only your camera does – but if you can get several hundred shots over the course of five or six hours then the effect can be beautifully elongated trails and more vibrant stars. Just check the weather before you go to sleep! 

5: Use an action camera

It’s even possible to shoot a star trail using an action camera. New to the GoPro Hero 11 Black and GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini – which have a 12mm f2.8 lens and reach ISO 1600 – is a Star Trails mode. It takes a series of long exposure photos that its software then automatically stacks, but rather than producing a photo it creates a short animated video. Since it’s weatherproof it’s possible to leave the camera in the backyard overnight (attached to a portable battery for extra power) to shoot an all-night star trail. The Insta360 One X2 360º camera can also shoot a widescreen Starlapse animation, though it’s more basic. 

See more on using a GoPro for astrophotography

6: Use a smartphone

Better sensors and smarter noise controls make the latest smartphones (think: handsets from Apple, Samsung, Huawei and Google) capable of astrophotography, including star trails. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has an astro mode within its Hyperlapse feature. Although it can also take a single image of the night sky over several minutes, this setting produces a short animation of the stars moving across the sky, either as single points of light or as elongated curves. Whatever smartphone you have you can try a star trail using the PhotoPills app, which has a built-in star trails mode. However, what you will need to do to any smartphone before attempting a star trail is to support it using a small tripod – any movement and your star trail is ruined. 

7: Point away from the poles

Concentric circles are only possible if you orient your camera towards the north in the northern hemisphere and towards the south in the southern hemisphere. Compositionally, it makes sense to have that pole just above a foreground subject, such as a tree or building. However, if you think that shot is rather cliched (or if you’re shooting near the equator), then consider pointing your camera, either east south, or west. Instead of circles, you’ll get star paths rising from or sinking into the horizon, which can look just as dramatic. Also, consider shooting a star trail in portrait orientation, which few astrophotographers do but can look spectacular. 

Read more:

• Astrophotography: How-to guides, tips and videos

• Astrophotography tools: the best camera, lenses and gear • The best lenses for astrophotography

• The best star tracker camera mounts

• Best equatorial mounts

• Best deep-space telescopes

• The best light pollution filters • The best CCD cameras for astrophotography

• The best spotting scopes

• The best binoculars

Not using one of the best headlamps while skywatching or shooting astrophotography in low light environments can be a challenge because of the lack of light. And while torches are great, handling them at the same time as a camera is tough. That’s where the best headlamps come in. They preserve your night vision while keeping your hands free to adjust lenses, tripods, and camera settings.

As such, they’re an essential accessory for budding astronomers and pros alike. There are hundreds of options available out there, so we’re cutting through the noise and presenting you with our top picks in the market right now. We’ve tested and reviewed these headlamps to help you find the right model to suit your personal requirements and budget.

The works of two Israeli astrophotographers — computer engineer Leo Shatz and El Al pilot Kfir Simon — are included in “Reaching the Heavens,” an exhibition showcasing 32 award-winning photos and a selection of shortlisted photos from the 14th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest sponsored by Royal Museums in Greenwich, England.

The display is simultaneously exhibited in London’s National Maritime Museum and, for the first time, at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa. It’s open through September 1.

Paddy Rodgers, CEO of Royal Museums Greenwich, said the winners were chosen from about 30,000 entrants from some 65 countries.

“Captured using a range of equipment, from sophisticated cameras and telescopes to tablets and mobile phones, these photos reflect the skill, passion, creativity and enthusiasm of the global astrophotography community,” he said.

Shatz and Simon are astrophotography hobbyists, taking photos mostly in the Negev desert where there’s no light pollution.

Shatz said he hopes the exhibit serves as “a call to be curious and look up at the stars. It’s a wonderful hobby, with today’s technology making it possible to capture the night sky with relatively simple means.”

Out of this world

Shatz’s “Dunes of Cerberus Region on Mars” was shortlisted for the Annie Maunder Prize for Digital Innovation for the creative and inventive use of pre-existing astronomical data.

The Cerberus region at the southeastern edge of the huge Elysium Mons volcanic complex on Mars encompasses a range of geological terrains, Shatz explains, “from relatively young and smooth lava flows to the ancient, very rugged and eroded landscape.”

Shatz created his digital image in Photoshop using photos from the high-resolution imaging experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. He notes that depending on the angle from which you look at the picture, the depressions can be seen as hills.

Shatz tells ISRAEL21c that he began taking astronomy photos about 10 years ago as a way of combining his computer engineering skills with his childhood interest in physics.

“Unlike taking everyday photos in a snap, obtaining good-quality astronomical image, such as galaxy or nebula, usually requires several nights of imaging, collecting as many photons as possible, since the light from distant objects is extremely faint,” he says.

“The collected set of light frames undergoes several steps of time-consuming processing in dedicated software. It’s hard work, similar to that of an artist, but the results are literally out of this world. These images tell us a story of a bigger picture in which our Earth is a tiny speckle in the cosmos.”

Some of the few dozen photos he has processed from his own and other sources have been published by NASA and its Astronomy Picture of the Day website.

Click here to see a gallery of Shatz’s astrophotos.

Fiery clouds

Simon’s photo, titled “Dante’s Hell,” was entered in the Stars and Nabulae category of the competition.

‘This dramatic starless image of the Horsehead Nebula region was imaged solely with a H-alpha filter to emphasize the hydrogen clouds in the area,” the professional pilot explained.

“Removing all the known stars from the image gives a sense of the real fiery, flame-like nature of these clouds, resembling Dante’s vision of Hell from his epic poem The Divine Comedy.”

Simon said he loved the night sky since he was a child.

“Those small sparkling dots captured my imagination about distant worlds and their alien inhabitants. When I was 12, I grinded my first telescope mirror to make the night sky come a little brighter.”

He now specializes in helping other astrophotographers enhance the faint details of their cosmic photos for a “wow” effect.

Maritime and astronomy

Yotam Yakir, CEO of Haifa Museums, said that the history of seafaring is integrally related to our understanding of the heavenly bodies.

“To this end, we added scientific instruments from the museum’s collection, which illustrate the development of maritime navigation. In the exhibition and throughout the museum, visitors will be able to view various exhibits illustrating the connection between astronomy and the development of maritime navigation.”

Haifa Museums purchased powerful projectors especially to project the rare cosmic images optimally, and has planned a variety of related educational activities and special events to complement the exhibition.

For more information, click here.

After floating around the rumour mill for a while, the highly anticipated Google Pixel Fold has gone up for preorders. Google pulled back the curtain on its first-ever foldable phone at Google I/O last week. It will be interesting to see whether the Pixel Fold will dethrone the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 as the best foldable phone.

Google Pixel Fold preorder

Google gave us our first glimpse into its foldable phone at the recently concluded I/O. However, Pixel fans will have to wait before getting their hands on the American tech giant’s maiden foldable phone. According to a Google blog post, the Pixel Fold will launch alongside Android 14 later this year.

In the meantime, you can head straight to the Google Store and preorder the Pixel Fold. The newly launched foldable phone is currently available for preorder only in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Moreover, you can choose between two eye-catching colour options including Porcelain and Obsidian in the United States.

On top of that, Google is offering some nice freebies when you place your order from the Google Store. Notably, you can get a free Google Pixel Watch that costs $349.99 (about £280) or $399.99 (about £320), depending on whether you select the Bluetooth or LTE version.

In addition to that, you get a couple of free subscriptions to Google services including six months of Google One and three months of YouTube Premium. Alternatively, you can order the Pixel Fold through Amazon. However, the preorder will start on June 20. Those who aren’t willing to wait until then can simply get their pre-orders in from Google Store.

How to Preorder the Google Pixel Fold

• Go to the Pixel Fold product page and press preorder.
• Choose your colour (Porcelain or Obsidian)
• Select your storage size. The 256GB model will set you back $1,799 (about £1,440). The 512GB model is only available in Obsidian shade and carries a price tag of $1,919 (about £1536).
• Now, choose a carrier. You could only go with Google Fi or preorder an unlocked Pixel Fold at the time of writing.
• If you’re interested in going with Google’s device protection scheme, you can add Preferred Care.
• Confirm whether you want a free Pixel Watch with your order and press “Add to Cart.”
• On the next page, press Go to Cart after selecting any additional accessories you’d like to order.
• Hit Proceed to checkout after checking your order summary is correct.
• Your order will be confirmed once you complete your payment information.

The Pixel Fold pre-order page suggests Google will start delivering its new foldable phone between June 27 and July 3. So, it is safe to say that June 27 is the first shipping date. The folks at Android Authority believe this could also be the first day the Pixel Fold will become available for purchase in stores.

Google Pixel Fold expected specs

Amid the lack of an official confirmation, the Pixel Fold rumour mill has been in full swing. According to past leaks, the Pixel Fold will sport a 5.8 inch OLED cover display and a 7.6 inch OLED main display with up to 120Hz refresh rate for both screens. Under the hood, the handset will reportedly pack a Tensor G2 chipset.

Furthermore, this processor could be paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB / 512GB of onboard storage capacity. For optics, it houses a 48MP main camera, 10.8MP ultrawide, and a 10.8MP telephoto sensor on the back. Upfront, the Pixel Fold features a 9.5MP camera and also an 8MP inner camera. The phone will draw its juice from a 4,821mAh battery that supports 30W wired charging.

According to an earlier report, the Pixel Fold will offer a disappointing charging speed of 20W via cable. This could be the handset’s biggest weakness if the speculation turns out to be true. Still, it will be interesting to see whether Google’s foldable phone can outperform the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which is expected to arrive in July despite its steep price tag and drawbacks.

Can a GoPro do astrophotography? Common sense says an action camera primarily designed for filming high-octane videos of bike rides and TikTok shorts isn’t going to be much use when the sun goes down. However, just as smartphone cameras now use low-noise sensors to fuel impressive ‘night modes’ so the GoPro is, with every iteration, getting better at coping with low light and even complete darkness.

‘Night Photo’ and ‘Night Lapse’ have been available on the GoPro for a few years, but new to the GoPro Hero 11 Black and GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini are three new night effects modes – ‘Star Trails’, ‘Light Painting’ and ‘Vehicle Light Trails’. They join ‘Night Photo’ (only on the Go Pro Hero 11 Black) and ‘Night Lapse’ to create a generous niche of night effects. 

© Provided by MUO

Landscape astrophotography is a type of night photography that involves capturing land and sky. It might seem daunting to beginners given the obstacles a photographer faces when shooting in low-light, let alone capturing the Milky Way.

However, we’re here to tell you that those majestic photographs of celestial objects aren’t as daunting as they first appear. Let’s discuss what landscape astrophotography entails and give you some tips to get started with this genre.

What Is Landscape Astrophotography?

Astrophotography is an umbrella term that includes subgenres such as landscape, planetary, solar, and lunar astrophotography; all of which capture the contents of the sky. Landscape photography is also an umbrella term that hosts subgenres such as storm photography and seascapes; it involves capturing nature scenes.

Put astrophotography and landscape photography together, and you’ve got landscape astrophotography. It’s an amalgamation of land and sky, capturing scenic outdoor shots with the sky being the main element of the composition.

Landscape astrophotography is the most accessible genre of astrophotography—you’ll need more in-depth knowledge and expensive equipment to snap detailed and deep astrophotos. Landscape astrophotography typically doesn’t go beyond capturing what we can already see with the naked eye.

As with any genre of photography, there are certain techniques you can employ in order to get the best results. Your main goal will be letting as much light into the camera as possible without compromising the shot, but that’s not all there is to it.

1. Find a Suitable Location

Getting a shot of the sky isn’t as easy as going outside and snapping away. You need to find a location away from suburbs and cities without too much light pollution, and with some natural landscapes. If you happen to have a mountainous view from your backyard, this might suffice.

If you live far away from a nature spot or don’t frequently go on camping trips, unfortunately, your landscape astro shots will look a little empty when taken near a city. You might still be able to get some nice shots of the moon, but it’s unlikely that you’ll capture many stars.

If you have the opportunity to travel, use a tool like Light Pollution Map to find the best location away from light pollution. If you plan to include the moon in your shot, you can download a moon phase app like My Moon Phase that lets you know where the moon will be at which time, as well as its condition.

2. Prepare for the Night

Astrophotography is about capturing celestial objects, and they’re usually not visible in the daytime. This means that your shoot is going to happen at night.

Bring gloves and a heat pack to keep your hands warm so that you don’t have any difficulty operating the equipment in the cold of the night. And, perhaps more importantly, ensure you will be in a safe location, especially if you’re going out at night alone—stay close to your car.

Lastly, it’s always a good idea to check what the weather will be like in your chosen location. No point in driving somewhere for an hour only for the sky to be covered in clouds.

3. A Full-Frame Camera Is Preferable, but Use What You Have

If you’re new to landscape astrophotography, or photography in general, you might worry about having the right camera. While full-frame cameras do perform better in low-light conditions, crop-sensor cameras will get the job done just fine, especially if you’re still uncertain about pursuing this genre of photography.

Chances are you already own a crop-sensor DSLR, so there’s no need to go out and splurge on an expensive full-frame one—you’ll just need to pay extra attention to the exposure settings. Even your smartphone might suffice if it lets you control the exposure; if not, you can always download a camera app that lets you do this.

4. Use a Wide-Angle Lens

There’s no need to splurge on a new lens for a genre you’ve never tried before. So, use the widest lens you have. And if the kit lens happens to be the only one you own, that’s fine too—most kit lenses are moderately wide-angled.

However, wide-angle lenses that fall within 14-35mm are ideal for landscape astrophotography. They allow you to fit more of the scene into the shot, making them perfect for landscape astrophotography since the sky stretches beyond the landscape—you want to capture as much of it as possible.

It might be worth investing in a wide-angle lens even if it turns out landscape astrophotography isn’t your jam—they’re versatile pieces of equipment.

As for using a zoom vs. a prime lens, both come with benefits and drawbacks for astrophotography. Prime lenses will give you a sharper image, but a zoom will give you more control over the field of view and composition without needing to swap out lenses.

5. Use a Fast Lens

A fast lens is preferable for shooting in low-light conditions since it lets more light into the camera. “Fast” lens means it has a high maximum aperture, and the higher the aperture, the wider the pupil of the lens opens, letting more light in. For any type of night photography, an f/2.8 lens or lower is ideal.

Again, don’t splurge on a new lens if the kit lens is all you own; you might have to rely more on ISO to get the right exposure, but it’ll make do.

You can always rent a fast, wide-angle lens if you’re serious about your first landscape astrophotography shoot. Check out these second-hand photography sites, some of them let you rent camera gear.

6. Set a High ISO (but Not Too High)

A lower ISO means darker images, while a higher ISO will result in brighter images. This might entice you to set the ISO as high as possible for astrophotos, but there’s a trade-off; the image will be noisy/grainy. You can boost the ISO to 3200, but it’s safer to stick to 1600.

7. Use a Long Shutter Speed (but Not Too Long)

A longer (or rather, slower) shutter speed lets more light into the camera. This will allow you to turn down the ISO a bit and avoid grain. But you need to be careful with this—remember, the earth rotates, so if you leave the shutter open for longer than about 30 seconds, the objects in the sky will start looking blurred.

You can always use a very long shutter speed intentionally for creative effect, but this steps into star trailing territory—a different genre that requires specific know-how.

So, if you want the perfect shutter speed and are not after star trails, use the 500 Rule. You can read more about it in this photography rules and formulas guide.

8. Do Exposure Blending

If you’re struggling to get the right shot with your exposure settings, do exposure blending. This involves taking bracketed shots at different exposures and blending them together manually. You can always automate the blending process with HDR software, but manual blending gives you more control.

As a rule of thumb, take one underexposed photo, one near-correctly-exposed photo, and one overexposed photo. If you’re still a beginner, you’ll want to check this exposure bracketing guide for how to take bracketed shots automatically.

Then, merge the shots in your photo editing software. The goal is to get the same image that you saw with your eyes while taking the shot; so removing grain, enhancing the contents of the sky, and improving the image quality overall.

9. Stabilize Your Camera

A slow shutter speed requires the camera to be completely still for the entire duration because the slightest movement can result in a blurred image. This is where a tripod will save the day. It’s pretty much an essential piece of equipment for any type of low-light photography.

We also recommend getting a remote shutter release. They’re relatively affordable and there’s a variety of wired and wireless remotes that are compatible with most cameras. This will avoid further camera shake since you wouldn’t need to touch the camera to take the shot.

Shoot Into the Night

Shooting in low-light conditions requires settings that let as much light into the camera as possible. You might not get it right on the first go, but the more you shoot at night, the faster you’ll become familiar with the settings mentioned above.

That’s really all you need to know before you give landscape astrophotography a try. And if you follow our tips, you should be able to capture some stunning shots.

© 24Novembers/Shutterstock
milky way over mountains

If you’re a photographer, you know that the subjects you capture can determine how you shoot and what you shoot with. The gear a nature photographer will utilize will undoubtedly differ from that of someone covering a warzone, or a football game. Astrophotography in particular can require specific gear, which isn’t surprising when you consider the subjects you’re photographing might be trillions of miles away (and that’s just in our solar neighborhood.)

Even the most powerful DSLR cameras will struggle to accurately capture the night sky. The light coming from stars and galaxies is traveling very far, passing through lightyears of dust and other debris, and is faint even to the natural eye. That’s not even taking light pollution into account, which any astrophotographer shooting close to a populated area must contend with.

Fortunately, there are filters available that can help bring out the light you need and discard the light you don’t when photographing the night sky. Different filters serve different purposes, like specifically filtering out light pollution or narrowband filters that specifically pick up the wavelengths of light emitted from certain nebulas. To help you capture the intergalactic images you want, here are the best DSLR filters for astrophotography.

Hoya Starscape

© Hoya
Hoya Starscape 77mm

A major issue astrophotographers must deal with is the skewed coloring of nighttime images, often due to light pollution. Sodium and mercury-vapor streetlights and other powerful lights from urban areas will cast your photos of the night sky with unwanted shades of green, brown, and yellow. The Hoya Starscape will help reduce the skyglow in those yellower shades and give your images a cooler, more pleasing, and natural look. Additionally, it will increase the contrast between the sky and the stars you’re capturing, for a cleaner, more detailed image. Even better, you have a range of options for your lenses, with the Starscape’s circular lens filters coming in 9mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, and 100mm.

However, it’s a shame there’s no 150mm option, and the only filter insert size is limited to 100mm. Another downside to the filter is that it darkens the image by a half-stop, which is not ideal considering you want all the light you can get in astrophotography. Hoya, a Japan-based brand of optical equipment, has been trusted for decades, and its Starscape is one of the best light pollution filters on the market. It’s also reasonably priced, with the ​​55mm lens normally priced at Amazon for $44, and currently available for $33.

Optolong L-eXtreme

© Optolong
Optolong L-eXtreme

If you’re looking to photograph nebulas that are far out in space, the Optolong L-eXtreme is a great dual-narrowband filter that will isolate the H-alpha (Ha) and Oxygen III (OIII) wavelengths of light those nebulas are emitting. The light from such a distance is so faint to begin with, and by highlighting these frequencies and blocking those from nearby light pollution, you can contrast these galactic dust clouds from the night sky and produce some really stunning images. Its high-quality filtering is due in part to a superior multi-layer coating process that makes sure the filter is letting light through consistently across its surface.

The Optolong L-eXtreme doesn’t come cheap; the 2″ is priced at $308 on Amazon. Before you commit to buying this useful ultra-narrowband filter, keep in mind that its clip-in sizes are currently only available for Canon cameras. The filter will also produce a darker image, which can limit how you frame the photograph you want to achieve.

Kase Wolverine Neutral Night

© Kase
Kase Wolverine Neutral Night

If you’re using a DSLR camera and associated accessories, you should be taking extra care to protect your gear, considering how expensive it can be. But sometimes astrophotography requires you to go out to a barren desert, or climb a rocky hill, and you’ll want to make sure your equipment can survive the trip. Because of its high-quality glass and construction, the Kase Wolverine Neutral Night filter is a solid option for astrophotographers. Its Pro HD optical glass and metallic nano coatings are scratch-resistant and tough, providing much-needed durability. Additionally, the filter comes with a storage pouch to keep it protected during transportation.

Durability is a great asset, but not worth much if it’s a poor filter. The Kase Wolverine Neutral Night is thankfully a really good light pollution filter that can reduce the yellow-orange glow from city lights, and it has a variety of square plate and clip-in sizes to suit your needs. Unfortunately, the Neutral Night inadequately filters out LED light, which is becoming more prominent within urban skylines. It’s also a pricey option, with the 100mm filter listed at $175 on Amazon. But if you’re looking for a solidly-built filter, the cost is worth it.

LEE100 ND

© Lee Filters
LEE100 ND filter kit

Graduated neutral-density filters are more associated with daytime landscape photography, but if you’re looking to photograph the night sky and the landscape under it within the same shot, they can be invaluable. Graduated ND filters will block out light on only part of its surface, and allow it to pass through the rest. Landscape photographers use these to lower the exposure of the bright daytime sky while still accurately capturing the ground. Astrophotographers can use ND filters in the opposite fashion, reducing the light coming from a city skyline while getting all the light possible from the night sky. That way you can capture constellations and stars in the same shot as a city skyline (or a natural landscape like mountains and trees).

The Lee100 ND is a great graduated filter that will block out light for part of your frame, without distorting colors. The filter is high-quality and easy to travel with because it’s lightweight and durable. Notably, it’s built of resin rather than glass, which reduces reflectivity but makes it susceptible to water and oil damage. A set of three can get pricey but will give you the option to reduce light by one, two, or three stops. You can find them on Amazon for $257, but unfortunately, their range of sizes is limited.

Thousand Oaks Optical BP82-T Solar Filter

© Thousand Oaks Optical
Thousand Oaks Optical Solar Filter

The sky is literally the limit for astrophotographers looking for a subject, but there’s one object that can be imaged up close and personal — the sun. Many astrophotographers look to capture the night sky and don’t consider shooting the Sun because its light is too overwhelming for any DSLR. However, with a solar filter, you can block out so much of that light that you can capture a detailed photograph of the sun’s surface, including its sunspots and granular texture.

The Thousand Oaks Optical BP82-T uses a black polymer filter to reduce incoming light by several stops and enables you to photograph the sun in the yellow-orange spectrum. The Thousands Oaks Optical filters are reasonably priced, with the 82mm size listed at $63 on Amazon. However, there aren’t a lot of size options, and you want to make sure the filter you select perfectly attaches to your DSLR lens. If it doesn’t, you’ll risk vignetting from the powerful light coming from the sun. Even worse, you could damage your lens or camera. Speaking of damage, keep in mind that the BP82-T’s polymer construction means it’s not water resistant, so make sure to keep it dry.

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