20 Best Astrophotography Books (2023 Update)

The astrophotography manual, second edition is for photographers ready to move beyond standard slr cameras and editing software to create beautiful images of nebulas, galaxies, clusters, and the stars. beginning with a brief astronomy primer, this book takes readers through the full astrophotography process, from choosing and using equipment to image capture, calibration, and processing. this combination of technical background and hands-on approach brings the science down to earth, with practical methods to ensure success.this second edition now includes: over 170 pages of new content within 22 new chapters, with 600 full-color illustrations. covers a wide range of hardware, including mobile devices, remote control and new technologies. further insights into leading software, including automation, sequence generator pro and pixinsight ground-breaking practical chapters on hardware and software as well as alternative astrophotography pursuits

Today's photographic equipment allows amateurs to take pictures of the stars that far surpass images taken just a few decades ago by even the largest observatories-and this book will teach you how. – author and world-renowned astrophotographer thierry legault teaches the art and techniques of astrophotography: from simple camera-on-tripod night-scene imaging of constellations, star trails, eclipses, artificial satellites, and polar auroras to more intensive astrophotography using specialized equipment for lunar, planetary, solar, and deep-sky imaging. legault shares advice on equipment and guides you through techniques to capture and process your images to achieve spectacular results. – astrophotography provides the most thorough treatment of the topic available. this large-format, richly illustrated book is intended for all sky enthusiasts-newcomers and veterans alike. – learn how to: select the most useful equipment: cameras, adapters, filters, focal reducers/extenders, field correctors, and guide telescopes set up your camera (digital, video, or ccd) and your lens or telescope for optimal results – plan your observing sessions – mount the camera on your telescope and focus it for razor-sharp images – polar-align your equatorial mount and improve tracking for pin-point star images – make celestial time-lapse videos – calculate the shooting parameters: focal length and ratio, field of view, exposure time, etc. – combine multiples exposures to reveal faint galaxies, nebulae details, elusive planetary structures, and tiny lunar craters adjust contrast, brightness, light curves, and colors – postprocess your images to fix defects such as vignetting, dust shadows, hot pixels, uneven background, and noise – identify problems with your images and improve your results

Finally, a compact, reasonably-priced atlas designed with imaging in mind! seventy full-color charts cover the entire sky, with stars down to 9th magnitude and over 2000 deep-sky objects plotted in their correct size and shape, including many nebulae not found in visually-oriented atlases. 416 emission nebulae and supernova remnants, including the complete sharpless (sh2) and rcw catalogs. 171 reflection nebulae, including the complete van den bergh (vdb) catalog. 146 planetary nebulae, including the complete abell catalog 52 dark nebulae and molecular clouds 792 galaxies (larger than 3 arcminutes) 38 galaxy groups from the abell and hickson catalogs 108 globular clusters (larger than 5 arcminutes) 309 open clusters (larger than 5 arcminutes) the tabular index contains important details on each object, including a description, the best time of year to capture it, and the required field of view. with information on nearly every possible photographic target in the night sky, the astrophotography sky atlas will help you choose your targets and plan your imaging.

Digital slr cameras have made it easier than ever before to photograph the night sky. whether you're a beginner, nature photographer, or serious astronomer, this is the definitive handbook to capturing the heavens. starting with simple projects for beginners such as cameras on tripods, it then moves onto more advanced projects including telescope photography and methods of astronomical research. with 80% revised and updated material, this new edition covers nightscapes, eclipses, using cameras with sky trackers and telescopes, and tools for identifying celestial objects and investigating them scientifically. image processing is discussed in detail, with worked examples from three popular software packages – nebulosity, maxlm dl, and pixinsight. rather than taking a recipe-book approach, covington explains how your equipment works as well as offering advice on many practical considerations, such as choice of set-up and the testing of lenses, making this a comprehensive guide for anyone involved in astrophotography.

A handbook for skygazers that combines the best in astrophotography with a unique system of beautiful and easy-to-read star charts. designed to make it simple for the reader to find and identify every major natural celestial object visible throughout the year with up-to-the-minute research and clear, accessible text, charts, and cross-references. 410 illustrations. the most comprehensive field guide available to the fabulous mysteries above–a must-have for any enthusiast's day pack or home library–from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. the national audubon society field guide to the night sky provides a concise guided tour of the heavens, from planets in our solar system to the constellations in both the northern and southern hemispheres, stars, galaxies, astronomical bodies, phenomena, comets, and more. featuring a durable vinyl binding, over 700 full-color photographs, sky charts, and constellation charts, as well as detailed descriptive text, this comprehensive, easy-to-use field guide is the perfect companion volume for any stargazer.

Any amateur astronomer who is interested in astrophotography, particularly if just getting started, needs to know what objects are best for imaging in each month of the year. these are not necessarily the same objects that are the most spectacular or intriguing visually. the camera reveals different things and has different requirements. what objects in the sky tonight are large enough, bright enough, and high enough to be photographed? this book reveals, for each month of the year, the choicest celestial treasures within the reach of a commercial ccd camera. helpful hints and advice on framing, exposures, and filters are included. each deep sky object is explained in beautiful detail, so that observers will gain a richer understanding of these astronomical objects. this is not a book that dwells on the technology of ccd, webcam, wet, or other types of astrophotography. neither is it a book about in-depth computer processing of the images (although this topic is included). detailed discussions of these topics can be found in other publications. this book focuses on what northern latitude objects to image at any given time of the year to get the most spectacular results.

The complete guide to landscape astrophotography is the ultimate manual for anyone looking to create spectacular landscape astrophotography images. by explaining the science of landscape astrophotography in clear and straightforward language, it provides insights into phenomena such as the appearance or absence of the milky way, the moon, and constellations. key features include: – distinguished guest gallery of images from renowned nightscape photographers such as babak tafreshi, bryan peterson, alan dyer, brenda tharp, royce bair, wally pacholka, and david kingham – the twenty-five best landscape astrophotography subjects and how to photograph them – astronomy 101 – build your knowledge of night sky objects and their motion: the milky way, moon, aurora borealis/australis, constellations, meteors and comets – information on state-of-the-art planning software and apps designed to enable you to capture and enhance your landscape astrophotography – field guide for creating a detailed plan for your night shoot – description of the best moon phases for specific types of nightscape images, and the best months and times of night to see the milky way – how-to guide for creating stunning time-lapse videos of the night sky, including holy grail transitions from pre-sunset to complete darkness – four detailed case studies on creating landscape astrophotography images of the milky way, full moon, star trails, and constellations

Unlock the mysteries of the night sky with this comprehensive guide to astronomy. the practical astronomer explains and demystifies stargazing and teaches you how to observe and navigate the night sky. learn how to set up your binoculars and telescopes and find out how to spot different celestial bodies, such as stars, planets, nebulae, and galaxies. train your telescope into the sky and learn astrophotography with your smartphone camera or digital camera. hop from one star to another to locate the different constellations or other deep space objects. the book contains sky maps charting all the 88 constellations in both the northern and southern hemisphere, helping you map the star patterns, from ursa major and orion to pavo and aquarius. the practical astronomer also contains monthly star charts that follow the changing positions of stars in the night sky through the year. discover the solar system and know about other objects, such as satellites and space stations, that light up the sky. a reference section at the back of the book provides handy information about every planet and includes information about eclipses. become an accomplished amateur astronomer with this practical guide.

A stunning gift for admirers of astrophotography. from the number one astronomy publisher, this book showcases the most spectacular space photography, taken from locations across the globe. marvel at the wonders of the universe captured by the most talented astrophotographers.

A spectacular pictorial history of astronomical exploration, for anyone who has gazed at the sky and wondered what lies beyondfrom the beginning of time, human beings have looked up at the stars and speculated on other worlds. published to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the first moon landing, sun and moon tells the story of that burning human need to comprehend the universe, from neolithic observatories that mark the solstice to the latest space telescopes. it shows, for the first time, how the development of photography and cartography – the means of documenting other worlds – is linked indelibly to the charting of the heavens, from the first image on a glass plate to the hubble space telescope.

A beautiful giftable, coffee-table book, showcasing the most spectacular space photography of its kind, taken from locations across the globe. marvel at the wonders of the universe captured by the most talented astrophotographers. a perfect gift for all interested in exploring the mysteries of our solar system and beyond. be captivated by 140 winning and shortlisted images from the 2020 insight investment astronomy photographer of the year competition, hosted by the royal observatory, greenwich. these awe-inspiring images are submitted in several categories: aurorae, skyscapes, people and space, the sun and moon, planets, comets and asteroids, stars and nebulae, galaxies and a young competitor category. each image is accompanied by caption, photographer, location and technical details. there is also a location map showing the origin of all images and a visual appendix of all images. the judges mandy bailey, astronomy secretary for the royal astronomical society. jon culshaw, comedian, impersonator and regular guest on the sky a night. tom kerss, observatory science communication officer at royal museums greenwich steve marsh, art editor at the bbc sky at night magazine. ed robinson, award-winning photographer, creative director and visual consultant. founder of oneredeye visual communications. rebecca roth, photographer, photo editor and image coordinator and social media specialist at nasa's goddard space flight center. oana sandu, community coordinator for the european southern observatory. alan sparrow, director of fleet street's finest and chair of the uk picture editors guild. melanie vandenbrouck, curator of art (post-1800) at royal museums greenwich.

Allan hall makes learning how to photograph the night sky easy with his new book getting started: budget astrophotography. in this guide, you will learn the fundamentals of astrophotography – what it is, how it's done, and how to do it yourself. getting started: budget astrophotography is divided into these three sections in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the basics of astrophotography. – understanding – the first section of hall's guide focuses on understanding astrophotography. amateur and professional stargazers know that one of the most important things to consider when viewing the heavens is light pollution. light pollution is exactly what it sounds like – too much light in our environments makes it more difficult to get a good look at planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. if you want to get the best view and photo possible, you must find a location that has little light. this makes a huge difference. in addition to finding a good location for viewing and shooting, you will learn about camera basics, including how to mount a camera and focus a lens. beyond that, you will read about various types of telescopes and what they do. – doing – the title of the second segment of this reference guide speaks for itself. once you've learned the fundamentals of location, cameras, and telescopes, it's time to put your knowledge to use. this section discusses how to find targets, as in how to find objects of interest to shoot. from capturing images to camera and exposure settings, you will learn how to make the most of your instruments and location by taking a great shot. this section also discusses making videos, image stacking, and image editing, an important aspect of astrophotography. while it may sound difficult, this reference guide simplifies the processes by providing step-by-step instructions. – building – for the handy home astrophotographer, this section includes information about do-it-yourself projects. from modifying your equipment (for example, improving your focus capabilities, modifying a webcam for astrophotography, and even adapting your laptop screen to function in the dark) to building add-ons, you'll learn how to enhance your experience in your own home. hall provides information about creating glass solar filters for your cameras and even making your own dew heaters. in this book you will learn: the problems associated with astrophotography, and how to overcome them – how to attach virtually any type of camera to a telescope – how to use virtually any type of telescope – how to use a camera without a telescope – how to focus your camera with and without a telescope – type of images you will capture – how to process the images you capture – and much more! getting started: budget astrophotography is a great reference guide for beginners and amateur astrophotographers. if you have an interest in astronomy and want to capture what you've viewed through a telescope, doing so is possible from your own home. hall's comprehensive guide also provides ideas about where to start (as in, what targets are best to photograph), where to find more information about astrophotography, and even a glossary of terms. indulge your hobby and learn how to improve with getting started: budget astrophotography.

In the art of astrophotography, astronomer and popular astronomy columnist ian morison provides the essential foundations of how to produce beautiful astronomical images. every type of astroimaging is covered, from images of the moon and planets, to the constellations, star clusters and nebulae within our milky way galaxy and the faint light of distant galaxies. he achieves this through a series of worked examples and short project walk-throughs, detailing the equipment needed – starting with just a dslr (digital single lens reflex) camera and tripod, and increasing in complexity as the book progresses – followed by the way to best capture the images and then how, step by step, these may be processed and enhanced to provide results that can rival those seen in astronomical magazines and books. whether you are just getting into astrophotography or are already deeply involved, morison's advice will help you capture and create enticing astronomical images.

At first glance, the challenge of astrophotography may appear daunting. but not only are spectacular results possible, they are easy to learn with the step-by-step instructions provided in stephan seip's digital astrophotography: a guide to capturing the cosmos. today, amateurs can produce images that only twenty years ago a large professional observatory would have been proud of; and this book shows you how. learn how to: set up your camera for optimum results focus your camera for razor-sharp images take beautiful night shots with a simple compact digital camera, a tripod, and a telescope use a dslr camera to shoot the sun, moon, stars, star clusters, and nebulae through your telescope get brilliant images of planets with a webcam capture remote galaxies with a charge-coupled device (ccd) camera just like a pro also included are lessons on the processing that is done in the "studio" after your shoot, including how to: shoot raw format images and improve them with calibration frames take short exposures of faint deep-sky objects and combine them into a longer exposure perform brightness, contrast, and color correction make corrections to correct for vignetting and uneven field illumination process your images for stunning results equipment requirements for astrophotography range from nothing but a simple camera and tripod to a multi-thousand dollar computer controlled telescope equipped with a ccd auto-guider and separate guide-scope. researching the best equipment for your needs is a task in itself. seip helps you to sort out which cameras are best for the various celestial objects, what to look for when buying a camera, and what accessories you really need. the rewards of this fascinating hobby, as the author says, "grants you unforgettable hours under the night sky; it allows you to produce aesthetically rewarding and lasting results. astrophotography is a love-match between physics, photography, art, and digital image processing. it is exciting!"

With this extraordinary handbook, you, too, can frame the stars and have them hanging on your livingroom walls. astrophotography for the amateur provides a complete guide to taking pictures of stars, galaxies, the moon, the sun, comets, meteors and eclipses, using equipment and materials readily available to the hobbyist. based on suggestions from readers of the first edition, the new edition has been completely updated and expanded to include new chapters on computer image processing and ccd imaging; expanded advice on choosing cameras and telescopes; completely updated information about films; a much larger bibliography; and hundreds of new photographs (in color and black and white) demonstrating the latest equipment and techniques. astrophotography for the amateur has become the standard handbook for all amateur astronomers. this new edition provides an ideal introduction for beginners and a complete handbook for advanced amateurs. it will also appeal to photography enthusiasts who will discover how to take spectacular images with only modest equipment. covington received his ph.d. at yale university. he is the author of several books, including syntactic theory in the high middle ages (cambridge, 1984). he is a senior member of the ieee and is the associate director of the artificial intelligence center at the university of georgia.

At first glance, the challenge of astrophotography may appear daunting. but not only are spectacular results possible, they are easy to learn with the step-by-step instructions provided in stephan seip's digital astrophotography: a guide to capturing the cosmos. today, amateurs can produce images that only twenty years ago a large professional observatory would have been proud of; and this book shows you how. learn how to: set up your camera for optimum results focus your camera for razor-sharp images take beautiful night shots with a simple compact digital camera, a tripod, and a telescope use a dslr camera to shoot the sun, moon, stars, star clusters, and nebulae through your telescope get brilliant images of planets with a webcam capture remote galaxies with a charge-coupled device (ccd) camera just like a pro also included are lessons on the processing that is done in the "studio" after your shoot, including how to: shoot raw format images and improve them with calibration frames take short exposures of faint deep-sky objects and combine them into a longer exposure perform brightness, contrast, and color correction make corrections to correct for vignetting and uneven field illumination process your images for stunning results equipment requirements for astrophotography range from nothing but a simple camera and tripod to a multi-thousand dollar computer controlled telescope equipped with a ccd auto-guider and separate guide-scope. researching the best equipment for your needs is a task in itself. seip helps you to sort out which cameras are best for the various celestial objects, what to look for when buying a camera, and what accessories you really need. the rewards of this fascinating hobby, as the author says, "grants you unforgettable hours under the night sky; it allows you to produce aesthetically rewarding and lasting results. astrophotography is a love-match between physics, photography, art, and digital image processing. it is exciting!"

Photography: night sky will give you the tips and techniques you need to take stunning photographs in the dark. you'll learn how to overcome the unique issues that confront nighttime photographers and capture images of which you'll be proud. co-author jennifer wu, an elite canon "explorer of light" professional photographer, has become renowned for her ability to capture nighttime phenomena, from quarter-phase moon rises to shooting stars to the ephemeral milky way. this new guide reveals her methods and concentrates on photographing four principal subjects: stars as points of light, star trails, the moon, and twilight. these subjects share common photo techniques and considerations, but each also requires a distinct approach. once captured, your digital images must be fi nished on the computer; coauthor and author of the bestselling photography: outdoors, james martin, delves into the settings and procedures that elevate an image from mundane to striking. this clear and practical guide will help photographers of all levels portray the stunning spectacle of the night sky, preserving those special memories and moments from a life outdoors.

Why use the traditional approach to study the stars when you can turn computers, handheld devices, and telescopes into out-of-this-world stargazing tools? whether you're a first timer or an advanced hobbyist, you'll find astronomy hacks both useful and fun. from upgrading your optical finder to photographing stars, this book is the perfect cosmic companion.this handy field guide covers the basics of observing, and what you need to know about tweaking, tuning, adjusting, and tricking out a 'scope. expect priceless tips and tools for using a dobsonian telescope, the large-aperture telescope you can inexpensively build in your garage. get advice on protocols involved with using electronics including in dark places without ruining the party.astronomy hacks begins the space exploration by getting you set up with the right equipment for observing and admiring the stars in an urban setting. along for the trip are first rate tips for making most of observations. the hacks show you how to: dark-adapt your notebook computer choose the best binocular clean your eyepieces and lenses safely upgrade your optical finder photograph the stars with basic equipment the o'reilly hacks series has reclaimed the term "hacking" to mean innovating, unearthing, and creating shortcuts, gizmos, and gears. with these hacks, you don't dream it-you do it–and astronomy hacks brings space dreams to life. the book is essential for anyone who wants to get the most out of an evening under the stars and have memorable celestial adventures.

With over 150,000 copies sold since its first publication, this is one of the most popular astronomy books of all time. this unique guidebook to the night sky shows you how to observe a host of celestial wonders. its distinct format of object-by-object spreads illustrates how deep-sky objects and planets actually look through a small telescope, while its large pages and spiral binding allow for use outside. along with updated star names and astronomical information, this new edition provides links to a dedicated webpage with up-to-date tables and images, and an improved planets chapter. the many dobsonian-friendly images and small telescope views have been revised to account for changes in modern telescope technology, such as larger field of view eyepieces. with dedicated chapters on northern and southern hemisphere objects, it's never been easier to explore the night sky, wherever you are.

The astrophotography planner, second edition, will help you make the most of every clear night to optimize your astrophotography. it features charts and maps for 87 of the best areas of the night sky for those in the northern hemisphere. the charts provide details for each area regarding how many imaging hours you can expect for a given date, as well as where it will be positioned in the sky. the maps help you decide how to frame each object. three years of daily information about the moon is included.