Page 63 - BBC Sky at Night Beginners Guide to Astronomy - 2017 UK

WHAT TO USE

shooting at twilight, check your camera’s fl ash: if a time-delay feature, which is when it waits for With a simple point-and-shoot
it’s automatic it will want to do its thing. If you 10 seconds or so before taking the shot, it’s just as camera you can capture a
can, turn it off, or else you’ll have to cover it up. good as a cable release. Turn on the timer, press stunning night sky
With the fl ash turned off, the camera’s shutter the button, stand back and wait for the shutter
will stay open for longer (in photography this is to open and close.
called a longer exposure) to gather the light it
needs from the dim twilight – perhaps even for THE NEXT LEVEL
several seconds. If you’re holding the camera It really is amazing what you can achieve using
by hand, it will be almost impossible not to just a camera on a tripod, let alone using it with
wobble it a bit during the exposure, and this a telescope. You can introduce your scope into the
can introduce blur to your photos. To process very simply by holding the camera up to
get around this you’ll need a steady its eyepiece, positioning it where your eye would
tripod. If you don’t have a tripod, then normally go. This way, you can get some great
resting a camera on a bean bag works close-up images of the Moon. Again, wobbly
just as well to keep the camera steady hand syndrome is a real threat here. For greater
when taking a shot. stability there are brackets available that will
Another bit of kit called a cable release is hold your camera in place at the eyepiece, and TURN THE
also handy. This allows you to operate the they don’t cost a fortune. PAGE FOR
shutter remotely and take a picture without Now that we’ve whet your appetite, have a
causing any wobble as you press the go at the three beginners’ astrophotography 3 PHOTO
capture button down. If your camera has projects we’ve set out over the page. PROJECTS
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