The cameras that are built in our smartphones are incredible pieces of technology. Today, many people use their smartphone cameras to capture images of the night sky using 'Night' or 'Low Light' settings, or even dedicated apps. These are great for photos of bright things, such as lunar haloes, planetary conjunctions, and bright comets, but eventually, anyone wanting to take astrophotos of constellations, nebulae, and other celestial delights will have to consider a better option. They need to bite the bullet and buy what many people still consider 'a proper camera' - a DSLR, or Digital Single Lens Reflex camera.
The only problem is, then they have to use it...
This feature is going to take you by the hand and lead you gently through the minefield of taking and processing your very first astrophotos. After that, you can start experimenting with settings and composition to make your photos even better.
There's no better time to make a start, as the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards 2023 has just opened for entries. The awards have a special prize for newcomers who have only recently started taking astrophotos - perhaps one of yours could be the one to take home the prize.
But first, let's get started with your first photo!
Setting up your equipment
Getting the right kit is key to getting a good first photo
What will you need to take your first astrophoto with a DSLR? Obviously, the most essential thing is a DSLR, and we're going to assume you already have one of those! The make is irrelevant, they all do the same job, which is to collect light on a sensor chip that is turned into an image. You'll also need a memory card in your camera. This sounds obvious but trust me, you don't want to be standing in the middle of a field in the dark and see the words No Memory Card In Camera’ appear on your screen because you left it at home
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