Here are the 20 photos of cute cats with exceptionally unique fur patterns. Most of the cats are born with a similar patterns or marking on their fur, but few cats are born with unique markings and appearances. Just take a look at these photos, maybe you will discover something new and want to get similar cats with very unusual patterns.
Here in this gallery, you can find the 20 best photos of unique fur patterns. Scroll below and enjoy yourself. All photos are linked and lead to the sources from which they were taken. Please feel free to explore further works of these photographers on their collections or their personal sites.
#1. This is Sam the concerned cat, he looks like he has eyebrows which makes his face stuck with one expression
Image Source: Imgur
#2. Hamilton the hipster cat
Image Source: Imgur
#3. This kitty’s tail looks like a fox’s tail
Image Source: Imgur
#4. This kitty loves you no matter who you are
Image Source: Imgur
#5. Exclamation mark cat always has a point to make
Image Source: Imgur
#6. This cat is such a classy gentleman
Image Source: Imgur
#7. This kitty’s fur pasterns spell cat
Image Source: Imgur
#8. The masked cat is one of my personal favorites
Image Source: Imgur
#9. Another kitten is stuck in her fur patterns
Image Source: Imgur
#10. That heart is on her nose just to constantly remind you that she loves you everytime you see it
Image Source: Imgur
#11. It looks like a cat logo
Image Source: Imgur
#12. She has a monkey on her back
Image Source: Imgur
#13. Venus is the cat version of Two-face
Image Source: Imgur
#14. Kitler the führerious kitty
Image Source: Imgur
#15. She doesn’t mind the flower on her face
Image Source: Imgur
#16. Masked Kitty to the Rescue!
Image Source: Imgur
#17. All cats love you, you need to know that
Image Source: Imgur
#18. “It’s not a phase, Mom!”
Image Source: Imgur
#19. Two-Face
Image Source: Imgur
#20. Our beautiful Queen Raspberry in a black mask, a purebred Scotch cat, a unique color of a fur coat and her amber eyes
Microsoft is unveiling a few key new features in beta builds of Windows 11 that it released today, though they’re not all in a single release.
Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel may see new “treatments” of the personalized Windows Spotlight imagery, along with an updated Settings menu that zeros in on improving the PC graphics settings, as part of the Windows Insider Preview Build 25281. Microsoft also released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1180 and 22623.1180 to the Beta Channel, which tweaks Widgets and the OneDrive dashboard.
Microsoft separately released an updated version of Notepad, which adds the tabbed user interface, to the Dev Channel.
Recall that Microsoft uses the Beta Channel as a means to test code that it plans to eventually release, while the Dev Channel is labeled as experimental code. Therefore, it’s much more likely that you’ll see those two new improvements roll out to the Windows 11 stable code base eventually, even if you don’t want to test them out yourselves. (The two builds for the Beta Channel determine whether the new features are actually on: 22621 is off, 22623 is on.)
The two improvements here are minimal: Microsoft has added an updated dashboard to the Accounts page within the Settings menu, which will list your available OneDrive storage quota, break it down between Outlook attachments and general storage, and offer an opportunity to add more storage, as well. The second update is also minor, but somewhat startling: The Widgets dashboard doesn’t require you to sign in with a Microsoft account to use it. Normally, Microsoft leans heavily on forcing you to use a Microsoft account — even requiring one to set up Windows 11 Home — so freeing users from an account requirement is unusual.
The updated Settings page in Windows 11, focusing on the user’s OneDrive cloud storage.
Microsoft
Windows 11 Insider Build 25281 is being released for the Dev Channel, with two key features. First up is a new “treatment” of Windows Spotlight, a key personalization feature of the Windows 11 2022 Update that you can see at the top of this page. Spotlight takes one of the often-breathtaking shots of nature photography in Microsoft’s archives and uses it as your home screen. Sometimes, though, you’re left wanting to know more about the image. Microsoft currently adds a small camera icon to your desktop as a link to an explanatory page. The update, however, will add either previews, pop-outs, or a full-screen experience that offers more detail.
Microsoft is also improving the UI within the Settings > Display > Graphics portion of the Windows 11 Settings menu “to help you get to graphics configurations such as ‘GPU preference’ and ‘Auto HDR’ with greater ease,” Microsoft said in a blog post.
The updated Windows 11 Settings menu, focusing on graphics.
Microsoft
Finally, Microsoft is releasing a tabbed version of Notepad to the Dev Channel, as well. There aren’t any surprises here; the tabbed layout looks much like a browser or like Windows 11’s new File Explorer. Still, if you’re used to opening multiple text documents at once, this will likely help keep your desktop more neatly organized.
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The Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope is one of the best beginner telescopes (opens in new tab) simply because it’s one of the most unusual. At its core it’s a Newtonian reflector telescope like many others available on the market, but the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 has something different in the shape of its equatorial mount (EQ). While most telescopes at this price come on a basic alt-azimuth mount that moves up and down, left and right, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 moves much more fluidly thanks to having one axis aligned to Polaris, the North Star. Here’s everything you need to know about the unique and impressive Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 – and just why its EQ mount could be worth investing in.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 review: Specifications
Optical design: Newtonian reflector
Aperture: 130 mm
Focal length: /900 mm
Focal ratio: f/6.9
Eyepiece focal length: 10 mm (30x) and 25 mm (75x)
Total kit weight: 12.6 kg
Mount type: German equatorial (EQ2)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: price and release date
The Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 originally went on sale in 2012 and costs $236 / £195 / AU$600. It’s of mid-range size in Sky-Watcher’s line-up of Newtonian reflector telescopes, though its EQ2 is an entry-level model in its vast range of equatorial mounts.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: features and what’s new
The Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 is all about its clever equatorial mount, but there is more to it than that. It’s a Newtonian reflector with 5.1 inch/130 mm aperture, which enables it to collect just enough light to make the sky objects look bright and detailed. In the box are two eyepieces – 25mm for wide-angle views and 10mm for close-ups – as well as a 2x Barlow lens for doubling the magnification. Unlike most smaller budget telescopes that’s something the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 can cope with because of its 900mm tube length.
Although its reasonably long tube makes it heavier than most, it’s actually that equatorial and the counterweight it comes with that piles on the pounds. Although it’s equipped with two axes just like any telescope mount, instead of the simple left/right, up/down design of an alt-azimuth mount – the kind you get with almost all budget telescopes aimed at beginners – the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 has one axis that must be aligned to Polaris, the North Star. Why? Polaris sits directly above the Earth’s northern axis. So aligning it to a Polaris puts the mount’s bearings parallel to Earth’s axis, which means it can move in alignment to how the stars appear to move as Earth rotates. The end result is that it can track objects in the night sky. This is not a motorised telescope, so it won’t automatically follow objects, but a simple nudge is all that’s needed to keep an object in the telescope’s field of view.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: set-up and use
If you have not had experience with an equatorial mount before then setting up the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 will at first appear slightly counterintuitive. However, it’s worth persevering with because of the freedom and fluidity of movement that equatorial mount gives this telescope. After fall, it’s an almost unique proposition at this price point. That’s not to say that setting it up isn’t a bit of a pain. It’s partly down to the weight of both the telescope itself and the equatorial amount, as well as the tripod and the counterweight. Truly, this is not a good choice of telescope if you intend to go hunting for dark skies. Yes, it is possible to deconstruct it, with two rings around the telescope tube easily coming apart. However, setting up the mount requires getting the perfect balance, something that’s best done carefully and infrequently.
What this telescope does have in common with other telescopes in its price point is its manual design. This is not a ‘go to’ telescope in any way; you’ll need to find everything in the night sky yourself and position the telescope accordingly. It comes with a basic finderscope to help with that. What is a bit of a shame is that the Explorer 130 lacks a motor drive because telescopes using equatorial mounts are ideal for astrophotography. For example, attaching a camera to a telescope on a motorised EQ mount is a great way of taking multi-minute exposures of faint objects. The Explorer 130 even comes with fixings on those tube rings specifically for attaching a camera, though the motor drive to make that a live feature costs extra.
(Image credit: Getty)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: performance
Once you’ve got the hang of its equatorial mount the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 is a lot of fun to use. Getting objects back into the field of view once they’ve drifted out of it is easy. However, it does lack a little accuracy. That equatorial mount is, not surprisingly at this price, not of the very best quality. In our tests we did encounter a little bit of droop. It won’t make too much difference to most observers, though we wouldn’t recommend the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 be used for deep sky astrophotography.
What it’s good at is being an all-round astronomical telescope. During our tests we were able not only to get high resolution views of Jupiter and its four giant moons, but we could even glimpse the pinkish bands of Jupiter’s atmosphere through the Barlow lens. Crucially, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 has some versatility, with planets and craters of the Moon looking sharp while distant star clusters looked brighter than on many other beginner telescopes of a similar price.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
What the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 lacks is a motor to make it easier to operate. That can be fixed in one fell swoop by instead purchasing a variant called the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130PM, which sells for a slightly higher price, but adds a motor drive system with handset that allows you to track objects in the night sky and add a camera. For another Newtonian reflector telescope with a similar aperture as the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2, but no EQ mount try the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ, which must be moved manually yet has a sleek smartphone mount system that shows you exactly where to point it.
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: verdict
Although it’s a great choice for anyone desperate to get their hands on an equatorial mount without spending big, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 does lack a little precision. Physically it’s not a particularly mobile telescope, but what the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 does have is good quality optics that prove versatile enough to be used for faint deep sky objects as well as solar system objects. It could also be a fantastic first step in astrophotography, though you’ll need to add a motor drive and even then be prepared to rely on wide-angle imaging due to the Explorer 130’s slight lack of accuracy.
TV actress Rishina Kandhari, who is currently seen in the show ‘Na Umar Ki Seema Ho’, gets candid about her interest in wildlife photography and recalls her first wildlife safari to Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and spotting five tigers. She shares: ” My interest in wildlife photography came in immediately after the lockdown got over. When I went on my first wildlife safari in 2020, I had no idea what it was going to be like. But to my surprise it was beautiful, call it beginner’s luck I spotted 5 tigers.”
The actress says that the experience was so good that again she went to Pench Tiger Reserve. She adds about the skill of capturing animals taught to her by a guide. “Wildlife is mesmerizing and one can get lost in its beauty. While capturing a tiger, my guide asked me to click the picture as it won’t wait for us or pose. Luckily in the nick of time, I clicked one shot and I was so happy that the picture came perfectly. I realize that it is very important to enjoy wildlife with your eyes for a blissful experience. Yet I do like taking pictures as I have learnt it professionally. “
Apart from the current fictional drama, she was also seen on ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’, ‘Ye Un Dino Ki Baat Hai’, ‘Tenali Rama’, ‘Gehraiyaan’ and many more.
While sharing her experience of wildlife photography, she talks about a few points to be kept in mind.
“Things to take care of when you visit such parks are first and foremost safety. You should have a perfect guide and a driver who is confident of driving well in the jungle because the paths are uneven. Secondly, whenever you go to these parks you are always sighting in an open jeep, though there are canters that are covered. Also wildlife photographers prefer sighting in an open jeep so that they can capture good pictures,” she adds.
“One should never get down the jeep because it’s a high risk of distracting the animals. You must wear covered clothing, your cap, and your mask to protect yourself from the dust storm and water which is very essential. Avoid talking loudly or you might chase the animals away.”
“Wildlife photography is all about patience, one has to be patient enough to wait for the animals to come out. Sometimes people get dry safaris where they don’t get even a single sighting. One shouldn’t get disheartened as it’s a game of luck. Wildlife photography is like an addiction and trust me there is no rehab for it,” she concludes.
Rishina Kandhari: Wildlife photography is like an addiction
TV actress Rishina Kandhari, who is currently seen in the show ‘Na Umar Ki Seema Ho’, gets candid about her interest in wildlife photography and recalls her first wildlife safari to Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and spotting five tigers.
She shares: ” My interest in wildlife photography came in immediately after the lockdown got over. When I went on my first wildlife safari in 2020, I had no idea what it was going to be like. But to my surprise it was beautiful, call it beginner’s luck I spotted 5 tigers.”
The actress says that the experience was so good that again she went to Pench Tiger Reserve. She adds about the skill of capturing animals taught to her by a guide.
“Wildlife is mesmerizing and one can get lost in its beauty. While capturing a tiger, my guide asked me to click the picture as it won’t wait for us or pose. Luckily in the nick of time, I clicked one shot and I was so happy that the picture came perfectly. I realize that it is very important to enjoy wildlife with your eyes for a blissful experience. Yet I do like taking pictures as I have learnt it professionally. “
Apart from the current fictional drama, she was also seen on ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’, ‘Ye Un Dino Ki Baat Hai’, ‘Tenali Rama’, ‘Gehraiyaan’ and many more.
While sharing her experience of wildlife photography, she talks about a few points to be kept in mind.
“Things to take care of when you visit such parks are first and foremost safety. You should have a perfect guide and a driver who is confident of driving well in the jungle because the paths are uneven. Secondly, whenever you go to these parks you are always sighting in an open jeep, though there are canters that are covered. Also wildlife photographers prefer sighting in an open jeep so that they can capture good pictures,” she adds.
“One should never get down the jeep because it’s a high risk of distracting the animals. You must wear covered clothing, your cap, and your mask to protect yourself from the dust storm and water which is very essential. Avoid talking loudly or you might chase the animals away.”
“Wildlife photography is all about patience, one has to be patient enough to wait for the animals to come out. Sometimes people get dry safaris where they don’t get even a single sighting. One shouldn’t get disheartened as it’s a game of luck. Wildlife photography is like an addiction and trust me there is no rehab for it,” she concludes.
An out-of-this-world haven, accessible only by boat, the Fondation Carmignac on the picturesque Porquerolles island sits on a 37-acre estate where a farm once stood. Upon setting foot on this Mediterranean island between Marseille and Saint-Tropez, you’ll never want to leave. A village looms ahead, but the temptation to follow the sign reading “Fondation d’art contemporain 0,6 km” is too strong. The ascending road on the left takes you up to this contemporary art space, once the setting for Jean-Luc Godard’s 1965 movie Pierrot le Fou.
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In the 1980s, French architect Henri Vidal turned this quaint farm into a villa, which he had built on a small artificial hill, overlooking the sea. Shortly after, Édouard Carmignac, one of the world’s top art collectors, fell in love with the estate while attending his daughter’s wedding there and made Vidal an offer on the spot, thinking he’d turn the villa into a cultural venue. It took 30 years for Vidal’s daughter to get back to Carmignac.
Carmignac created his namesake family foundation in 2000 to steward his collection, and in 2009, he added the Carmignac Photojournalism Award to the “production of an investigative photo reportage on human rights violations, geostrategic issues in the world,” according to the foundation’s website. (The 2023 edition focuses on electronic waste in Ghana.)
Carmignac acquired the Domaine de la Courtade vineyard in 2013, and the retrofitting of the Villa, under the aegis of the studios Barani and GMAA, began the following year. Because the site is part of a nature reserve, called Natura 2000, erecting any new buildings on the site was out of the question. To create the 16,500 square feet of art galleries needed to transform the villa into a contemporary art space, they had to dig under the existing building.
“I had finished touring with my band, Moriarty, and was already bombing my father with ideas,” said Charles Carmignac, who joined the venture in 2016. “My first contribution was musical, I wrote with bass player Stephan Zimmerli a score for all the actors of the project, designers, architects, artists—in hopes that it would help them work in harmony.”
Open from April to September, Villa Carmignac is now part of the Port-Cros National Park, a state-owned reserve on a nearby island that was extended to include the larger Porquerolles island in 2012. The villa now officially carries the label “Esprit parc national,” an official designation for France’s protected parks—a sign of how committed the Carmignacs are to protecting the island’s natural environment. To help lower the villa’s carbon emissions, their team no longer flies from Paris to Toulon Hyères Airport when heading to the villa, and all visitors are highly encouraged to do the same.
“As a seasoned swimmer—in the summer he practically lives in water,” Charles said of Édouard. “My father is concerned about preserving the seas, which he has seen changing over the past 20 years. My connection to nature is somewhat more spiritual,” said Charles Carmignac.
Before entering the villa, you are greeted by around 20 outdoor art installations that dot the “non-garden,” designed by landscape architect Louis Benech and filled with olive trees and other endemic species of flora. Among them are Jaume Plensa’s The Three Alchemists, Wang Keping’s Lolo, and Ugo Rondinone’s Four Seasons.
“My father is drawn to accessible art, which speaks to everyone, including children, whereas I can easily be seduced by works with a conceptual component, such as Benoît Pype’s Millennium Hourglass, which I purchased from Alice Vidal in 2020. We are complementary in that sense.”
Since 2018, the foundation has commissioned several site-specific installations for the “non-garden,” a feat when taking into account the island’s protected status. “We are talking about a protected park, driving through wild flowerbeds was forbidden,” dealer Claire Gastaud said of getting Nils-Udo’s 2018 sculpture La Couvée (The Clutch) onto the grounds. “We had to find another way. We decided to fly the five monumental Carrare marble eggs in a helicopter.”
An imposing skull-like sculpture by Spanish artist Miquel Barceló has been guarding the villa’s entrance since 2018; its title, Alycastre, refers to a mythological creature known for haunting Porquerolles and its inhabitants. Past the gift shop are lockers for visitors’ shoes, as the rest of the trip continues barefoot.
“It was my father’s idea,” Charles explained. “He takes off his shoes every chance he gets. It brings a kind of silence and peace to the galleries. The point was to make people feel more at ease before the art on display, relaxed, almost as if they were at home.”
Ciclotrama 50 (wind), 2018, by Brazilian artist Janaina Mello Landini paves the way to the underground spaces. This site-specific artwork in blue mooring rope blossoms into 4,000 nylon threads with 4,000 nails, graceful branches that lead to Bruce Nauman’s 2005 fountain sculpture depicting an imaginary sea of a hundred suspended fish.
The luminosity of the underground galleries is all the more exceptional, as it draws both from artificial and natural light. The most impressive installation, at the center of this cross-shaped lower level, turns out to be the “aquatic ceiling” which waters down the impact of the Mediterranean sun and covers the white walls below with wavy shadows.
Further along is Ed Ruscha’s billboard-size Sea of Desire, which lent its name to the inaugural exhibition in 2018. The vast painting on metal conveys a feeling of freedom—what better place than these secluded woods on a remote island to unleash our deepest desires? The work is often a backdrop to the foundation’s summer activities, like movie nights on Thursdays and yoga classes on Saturday mornings.
Since its opening five years ago, the Villa Carmignac established a residency and a prize of its own to commission artists and designers to create additional fixtures for the space, including Agents M (interior furniture), Samy Rio (outdoor benches), Benoît Maire (cinema seats for movie night), and Edgar Jayet (an open-air lounge). “The challenge was to intervene as discreetly as possible in this gorgeous garden,” said Jayet, whose six ladder-shaped chairs totally blend into the landscape as a symbol of “frugality.” (The most recent winners are Madeleine Oltra and Angelo de Taisne, who will unveil their project later this year.)
The Villa Carmignac may be closed for the season, but it is far from sleeping. From January 28 to June 25, Les Franciscaines, a former convent that was recently converted into a cultural center in Deauville, Normandy, will present “Esprit Pop es-tu là ?” (Pop Spirit Are You There?), an exhibition drawing in part from the foundation’s collection.
Next spring patients at the Sainte-Anne Hospital will receive a trunk filled with art. This “suitcase-museum” is a portable extension of the show “La mer imaginaire” (The Imaginary Sea), which took place in 2021. Inside are photographs of that display and a white sheet on which to project a film by Jean Painlevé. A new residency for writers should be launched soon, and possibly even partnerships with local hotels to allow visitors to stay overnight.
When the Villa Carmignac reopens on April 29, it will do so with an exhibition by French art historian Jean-Marie Gallais, the curator of the Pinault Collection. The show is conceived as “an island within the island,” with around 80 works by artists like Peter Doig, Ali Cherri, Agnieszka Kurant, and Harold Ancart. The artworks are all united by the notion that creativity is an apt method to explore our most interior thoughts and inner worlds. Gallais named the upcoming display after Charles Carmignac’s initial score for the island: “L’île intérieure” (The Inner Island), bringing the concept full circle.
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This beginners guide to astrophotography will show you everything you need to know to start photographing the night sky, from which camera and lenses to use, finding the best locations, and which celestial objects to look for.
While astrophotography can be one of the most rewarding styles of photography, it’s also one of the hardest, and most frustrating and time consuming. You definitely need to do your research before you head out into the field, so we’ve put together this guide on everything you’ll need to know to get you started and get the results you’re hoping for.
In this guide we are going to cover what to look for in a camera, which lenses suit astrophotography best, what settings to use to get epic results, as well as other must-have accessories. We’ll also offer tips on finding a good location and recommend good targets for beginners to look for in the night sky, plus handy apps and software to use to be able to find them. You may also want to check out the best astronomy books to learn more about the cosmos.
My first attempt at astrophotography was, in short, a complete disaster. After speaking to other photographers, it turns out that a bad astro shoot is a bit of a rite of passage. So, don’t get disheartened if it doesn’t quite work out the way you want at first. On my shoot I’d left the quick release plate on a different camera at home, which rendered my tripod completely useless, and I had to balance the camera on a blanket on the ground. We also didn’t scout our exact composition beforehand, so we got lost on a golf course and ran into a herd of cows in the dark, and, as it was a coastal location, I ended up with half the beach in my shoes.
Thankfully, the shot turned out well despite all of that, but it’s often the small things you tend to not think about which end up having a big impact, so it’s best to plan for all scenarios if you want a successful shoot. With that in mind, let’s dive in and run through our top tips for astrophotography.
Choosing the right camera
Pentax K-1 Mark II is a pretty impressive camera for astrophotography and has a Night Vision mode. (Image credit: James Artaius)
When it comes to choosing equipment for astrophotography, generally speaking, the lens is usually more important than the camera. The main factors to consider in a camera when it comes to doing astrophotography is its ISO sensitivity, sensor size, and megapixels. The camera’s size and weight should also be something to consider if you’re going to be hiking to certain locations.
ISO can be a tricky one here, as you need to be able to crank the ISO up high enough so your shots aren’t completely dark. However, setting it too high can result in too much noise that will ruin your shot. Finding a camera that has a good ISO sensitivity and performs well in low light situations is a big advantage for astrophotography – take a look at our guide on the best astrophotography camerasfor some top recommendations.
Full frame cameras are preferable for astrophotography as they have the bigger sensor and a higher megapixel camera will give better quality, more detailed images, but they are obviously at the pricier end of the spectrum. If you want to take a lot of shots and stack them to create more detailed images, choosing a camera that has “interval shooting” will save you a lot of time and stress when you’re shooting.
Lenses
If you have the cash, the the Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G Lens is great for astrophotography. (Image credit: Sony)
Lens choice is an important one for astrophotography, and you really do get what you pay for here. What lens you choose Your really does depend on what kind of astrophotography you want to do, because that will determine which focal length you should go for. If you want to do deep sky photography of nebulas, galaxies, planets, etc., then a longer focal length is better for that, but for milky way shots with a bit of foreground, you want as wide as possible. Sadly, there isn’t a lens out there that can do both well.
Aperture is also important when choosing a lens, as you want as wide an aperture as possible (aka a lower f number). Prime lenses with a fixed focal length are usually preferable for astrophotography because they have wider apertures than zoom lenses, and you can get more detailed shots with them. For wide prime lenses, Sony’s 20mm f/1.8 (opens in new tab) is a very popular lens for astro, or if you have the budget for it, the Sony 14mm f/1.8 (opens in new tab) is also fantastic. For longer lenses, anything above 200mm will perform well – you can also attach them to a telescope if you have one. Sigma and other third parties also do some great lenses for astrophotography if you don’t have the budget for native lenses.
Camera settings
(Image credit: James Artaius)
It’s all well and good having a great camera, but it won’t be of much use if you don’t know which settings to use for astrophotography. There is a certain degree of trial and error involved here depending on what you want to capture, plus the light levels in your chosen location will also have an effect. You’ll want your shutter speed to be long enough to let as much light in as possible, but not too long where everything starts to trail (unless star trails are what you’re going for).
How do you figure out where the sweet spot is, you ask? By using the 500 rule: you divide 500 by the focal length of the lens you’re using, and that will give you the amount of time you can have your shutter open for before everything starts to trail. So, if you’re using a 20mm lens, 500 divided by 20 is 25, so your shutter speed can be up to 25 seconds.
For aperture, you generally want it as low as it can go to let as much light into the lens as possible – this is why prime lenses are better for astrophotography as they generally have lower apertures. With ISO, it largely depends on your camera’s capabilities and the ambient light levels – somewhere around 1,600 is usually a good place to start, then you can adjust it as necessary by taking a few test shots.
Locations and how to find them
Map of the USA showing where to find dark sites so you can find the best location for astrophotography. (Image credit: Dark Site Finder)
While you may be thinking that the location for astrophotography is, well… the sky, there’s a little more to it than that. Particularly if you want some sort of landscape or vista in your shot as well as the starry sky, you’re going to need to pick your location wisely. You want to select somewhere where there’s as little light pollution as possible – think national parks and big natural spaces, far away from towns and cities.
To get an idea on good dark sky locations in your area, check out this light pollution map (opens in new tab) and dark site finder (opens in new tab) before you plan your trip so you can make sure your shot isn’t ruined by excessive light.
In terms of finding a composition in your location, try going there before it gets dark to work out a composition you like, then once its dark you’re already in the right place. You can also check out Google Maps (opens in new tab) to scout a location before you go to give you a general idea of where you want to be.
Other accessories
(Image credit: Future)
As I found out the hard way, a tripod is pretty necessary for a successful astrophotography shoot. As the shutter needs to be open for anywhere up to 25/30 seconds, it’s simply impossible to use it handheld, and even my blanket-on-the-ground method involved a certain amount of problems. As the camera needs to be as still as possible, a sturdy tripod is your best bet, or one that has a weight hook on the central column so you can hang your camera bag on it to weigh the tripod down.
Having a remote shutter release also makes life a lot easier when shooting the night sky, as you eliminate the risk of moving the camera slightly when pressing the shutter button on the body. These are very affordable and easy to keep in your camera bag, although you can just use the timer on your camera if you don’t have one. Once you get a bit more advanced you could also invest in a star tracker, particularly if you want to take a lot of shots to stack them, as it will be able to track and follow the stars as they move without you having to readjust your composition.
Targets in the sky
Now that you’ve got your gear and your location sorted, you can start finding things in the sky to photograph. If you’re wanting to shoot wide angle, shooting the milky way can be a great way to hone your astro skills. For longer focal lengths you could try the Orion Nebula, Andromeda galaxy, or even just the moon and other planets.
This aspect of astrophotography is what takes planning, as you need to know when a certain object is going to be visible in the sky, and at what time of night (or even what time of year). There are a ton of great smartphone apps out there that are good for this, such as Stellarium (opens in new tab) (free), The Photographer’s Ephemeris (opens in new tab) (sign up for free), and PhotoPills (opens in new tab) ($10.99, but jam-packed full of handy features) to name a few.
(Image credit: James Artaius)
Once you find an object you want to shoot, these apps can show you where exactly it’s going to be over the course of the night, so you can plan your composition accordingly to get it in the right place in your image. Milky Way season is usually somewhere between late February to late September (weather you’re in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere), so make sure you check how high in the sky it’s going to be in your chosen location.
In general, you want to make sure you’re shooting on a clear night, at either a new moon or when the moon isn’t visible in the sky as that will create more light – unless the thing you want to shoot is the moon! So be sure keep tabs on the upcoming phases of the moon so you can get that perfect picture.
A radical playground in 1960s Amsterdam is revealed in a series of previously unseen images by German photographer Ursula Schulz-Dornburg. Here, she picks out her favourite shots.
Located on an island that was only accessible by rowing boat, Jongensland was one of several “junk playgrounds” established after the second world war.
The aim was to foster independent thinking among young boys, by giving them a place that that they could make their own, with little or no adult supervision.
Schulz-Dornburg’s images – now published for the first time in the book Huts, Temples, Castles – show the creativity that resulted from giving children this level of autonomy.
The photos, captured in 1969, reveal how the children turned discarded materials into elaborate self-build structures, in a practice known as “junkology”.
Here, Schulz-Dornburg reveals the thinking behind some of her favourite shots:
“This photo gives you a sense that Jongensland was more than just an environment that allowed children to naturally develop their minds. It was also a free space for young boys to wander, experiment and even wreck without controlled supervision, so they had to learn to take charge of their behaviour,” she said.
“At times there could be conflicts and injuries, but it taught the children how to pick themselves up and learn from their actions.”
“Seeing the impressive structures that these young children made by hand highlights the striking difference in our culture today, where technology plays a big part,” she said.
“I like how this image highlights the social dynamics among the children. The boy courteously maintains his external relationship with his peers but is also curious about their private lives,” she explained.
“It perhaps speaks of the way children navigate each other during the post-war period.”
“Here we see how the children had to work together to construct their space in Jongensland,” she said.
“It is heartwarming to see the form of the structure slowly coming together, with the children bouncing ideas off each other for the next steps in their construction.”
“The creation of Jongensland brought a universal change towards the understanding that children can achieve anything when given undivided freedom and opportunity to make and create,” she said.
Bear Smart Durango invites the public to a Calendar Release Party, celebrating the release of its 2023 “Happenings” calendar from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the office of San Juan Citizens Alliance, 1309 East Third Ave. No. 5.
Complimentary wine will be provided, courtesy of Star Liquors. Anne-Marie Ferretti Mee will give a slideshow talk about her wildlife photography at 6 p.m. The calendar will be available for purchase at this event.
The 2023 “Happenings” calendar is intended to provide the approximate timing of happenings in nature in the greater Durango area. Some examples include: seasonal wildlife habitat closures, when deer shed their antlers, when yearling black bears leave their mothers, peak elk road crossing season and hunting dates so residents know to wear blaze orange while recreating.
Calendars may be purchased online at bearsmartdurango.org, Maria’s Bookshop and Backcountry Experience. Bear Smart Durango is asking for the general public’s assistance in making this calendar even better in future years by submitting observations, comments and suggestions on when happenings in nature occur in their area by emailing [email protected].
An image taken by an Austrian comet hunter reveals a disconnection in a stunning green comet’s tail that may have been caused by turbulent space weather.
Seasoned astrophotographer Michael Jäger took this image of the Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) on Tuesday (Jan. 17) after driving 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Austria to Bavaria in Germany to get a clear view of the night sky. Jäger shared the image on Twitter (opens in new tab), along with more photos video of the comet.
“The journey was not in vain,” Jäger told Space.com in an email. He added that when it comes to capturing images of comets, an astrophotographer can waste no time as these icy balls change rapidly when they reach the warmer regions in the inner solar system.
Related: Amazing photos of gorgeously green Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) More: How to view and photograph comets
This particular image reveals what astronomers call a disconnection event, essentially a weakening in the comet’s signature tail, which makes it look as if the tail was breaking off.
According to SpaceWeather.com (opens in new tab), this disruption in the tail is likely caused by turbulent space weather, namely the stronger-than-usual solar wind that has been released during a recent coronal mass ejection (CME). CMEs are bursts of highly energetic particles from the sun’s upper atmosphere, the corona, that travel across the solar system, interfering with the atmospheres of planets and other bodies.
“A piece of Comet ZTF’s tail has been pinched off and is being carried away by the solar wind,” SpaceWeather.com wrote. “CMEs hitting comets can cause magnetic reconnection in comet tails, sometimes ripping them off entirely.”
Read more: Green comet a rare ‘messenger from the outer reaches of solar system’
A comet’s tail is made of vaporized material and dust released by the icy body as it heats up closer to the sun. While the comet itself is usually no more than a few miles wide, the tail can stretch for hundreds of thousands of miles across the inner solar system, providing the unusual celestial spectacle that gets astronomers and astrophotographers buzzing.
SpaceWeather.com (opens in new tab) added that multiple CMEs have swept past Comet ZTF this month as its visit to our region of the solar system coincides with a surge in the activity on the sun’s surface. Currently, there are eight numbered sunspots traversing the sun’s Earth-facing disk, according to the U.K. space weather forecaster Met Office (opens in new tab), so more CMEs can occur as the comet comes closer to us. Sunspots are darker, cooler regions visible on the surface of the sun that feature twisted and dense magnetic fields, which give rise to solar flares and CMEs.
A NASA image showing the path of comet C/2022 E3 ZTF across the January sky for the Northern Hemisphere. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
C/2022 E3 (ZTF), which was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) at the Palomar Observatory in California in March 2022, is making its first close approach to Earth in about 50,000 years. The comet will soon become visible to the naked eye, experts say, and will reach its closest distance to Earth on Feb.1, zooming past our planet at about one quarter the sun-Earth distance.
Jäger, who has photographed more than 1,100 comets since he took up astrophotography four decades ago, is certain to take more awe-inspiring images, which you can find on his Twitter account (opens in new tab). He admitted that weather in this part of the year is not ideal for this rare celestial encounter, however.
“The weather in Central Europe is very bad and I have to travel a lot to see the comet,” Jäger wrote.
If you want to get your own breathtaking photos of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), be sure to see our guides on the best telescopes and best binoculars that can help you get a closer look. And don’t miss our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography to get the best comet photos you can.
Editor’s Note:If you get a good photo of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and would like to share them with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
Follow Tereza Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova (opens in new tab). Follow uson Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).
OM Digital Solutions will be releasing an M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO lens according to details within a slew of new camera firmware updates the company has announced.
OM Digital announced firmware updates for the OM System OM-5 and Olympus E-M1X, E-M1 Mark III, E-M1 Mark II and E-M5 Mark III cameras. Among the performance enhancements detailed within the firmware updates is compatibility with a 90mm f/3.5 IS PRO Macro lens.
This lens is not yet officially within OM Digital’s lens range, suggesting it could be announced within the next few weeks.
The official description in the firmware updates for the four cameras states: “AF operation when a M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO lens is attached has been optimized.”
The new 90mm F3.5 Macro lens compatibility is the only addition within the new camera firmware updates. OM Digital has made no announcements about the new lens.
