Space fans rejoice! Saturday October 12 is International Astronomy Day. And while most of us don’t have a giant telescope in our back gardens, it doesn’t mean you can’t get great snaps of the sky at night. Modern smartphones increasingly come with features especially designed to take stellar astronomy pics. So, all you’ll need to join in is a modernish mobile (make sure it’s charged!) and a tripod.
We’ll provide the tips, tricks and best apps for capturing the night sky.
Plus, don’t miss your chance to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB - read on for all the details and how you can enter!
Check your phone.
So, what phone do you need? It will really help if you have a mobile with a dedicated astrophotography mode. This is a mode you’ll most likely find on your camera app which will help you capture as much light and detail as possible.
This might surprise you, but nighttime is quite dark and stars are quite far away. So, your phone camera is going to need to do a few things that it wouldn’t have to in normal light. Astrophotography modes will do all that for you.
Phones that have this mode include iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24 (not surprising given its name) and Google Pixel 9. On the Pixel, for example, this is included in Night Sight.
Find a dark spot.
One of the biggest challenges to astrophotography is light pollution. So, if you live in a city, it might be worth finding a place away from streetlamps. Apps like Light Pollution Map (available on iOS and Android) can help you find locations near you that give you the best chance of snapping the Milky Way.
Set focus to galaxies far, far away.
Within your settings, make sure to set the focus to as far away as possible. On some phones this will be known as infinity and will help you avoid blurry stars. Just keep playing around with the setting until the moon, stars (or whatever you’re trying to capture) comes into focus.
Adjust exposure.
Some phones might let you adjust settings like ISO, exposure time and aperture. ISO is all about sensitivity to light – so set this to low and reduce noise. On the other hand, you’ll want to increase exposure time to let in more light. Increasing the aperture is another way of doing this too. Lots of astrophotography modes will do this for you anyway. But you can also experiment to see what combo of settings gives you the best results.
Stay very still!
You’ll want to avoid any movement when taking your picture. That’s where the tripod comes in. And even manually pressing the shutter button can make your phone shake, so use your phone’s built-in timer or a remote shutter to take photos without having to touch anything.
The best free apps for stargazing.
Planets
Get everything you need to know about the planets in your pocket. Planets is full of detailed info about the planets, moons and everything else inside and outside of the Solar System. It has 3D models of planets, tracks their positions in the sky and will even let you know when the next meteor shower is happening.
Star Walk 2
Star Walk 2 (free version) is packed with stuff about the night sky. It’s a great place to learn about stars, planets and constellations – so you know everything about what you’re looking at. It also has a time machine that lets you explore the sky at different dates and times in the past.
SkyView Lite
SkyView Lite uses your device's camera and augmented reality to overlay constellations, stars and planets onto your screen in real-time. Its simple interface makes it easy to identify stars, planets and even satellites.
Snapseed
Once you’ve snapped your pics, Snapseed is a powerful photo editing app which will help enhance your astrophotography. It’ll let you adjust brightness and contrast and even throw in some filters and creative effects.
Royal Observatory.
Ok, not an app. But the Royal Observatory at Greenwich’s site has a great page which lists the UK night sky highlights for each month. So, you won’t miss anything major.
Giveaway Time!
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, having the right phone is key to capturing amazing night sky photos. We’re excited to give away a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB, which comes with a dedicated astrophotography mode to help you snap stunning shots of the stars! To enter, comment below with your preferred colour:
- Titanium Black.
- Titanium Grey.
- Titanium Violet.
- Titanium Yellow.
For bonus entries, follow our official accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), leave a comment with your preferred colour on the posts linked below and tag a friend!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/Uh3aVDnaDj9ZMvd5/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/iD_Mobile_UK/status/1839700727553245501
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAiOaACo31s
Entries close on October 15, 2024, at 23:59. The winner will be chosen at random and announced shortly after. Keep an eye on your inbox or DMs for a message from us!
Good luck!
