You, The Astrophotographer!
The unexpected and powerful aurora on May 10 turned many people into instant astrophotographers. They discovered some powerful hidden features on their smartphones.
The aurora was faintly visible to the naked eye. Incredible images were made even with short three-second exposures taken with smartphones. Here are some tips on capturing astronomical events with your smartphones.
Learn how to use all the different settings and features of your phone. Pay particular attention to using long exposure times that may be referred to as “Night Mode”. I recommend one of the many online video tutorials for your specific phone. Be sure to include the model such an iPhone 13 mini etc.
Long exposures over two seconds are necessary to reveal faint details in the sky. The image builds up on the camera chip. The human eye cannot build up images like a camera.
Exposures more than two seconds require mounting the phone to a tripod. This allows the image to build up and prevent streaks.
Experiment with different exposure times and “gain” settings to improve the sensitivity of the chip.
Take many shots and please upload your best ones to social media. Everyone deserves to see your efforts. Upload the date, time, your location, and the direction of the object in the sky. You don’t have to post any star or constellation names.
You may wish to “watermark”
your photos with your information. Many people will lift your photo and claim it as their own. Look for watermark apps online. And never claim the work of someone else as your own photo.
Do not post photos where you made corrections such as adjustments to color saturation or contrast. Astrophotos should be unaltered.
Do not create fake astrophotos! We all see the same image. There are far too many fake eclipse photos that contain an apparent “cross” or other unnatural shape. Astronomers know the true appearance of every photographed object. We will call you down if you post a fake astrophoto!
Use these phone tips for aurora, satellites, and the Milky Way. More on that later.
Visit www.catawbasky.org, social media for more information.