Skip to main content

Starry, Starry Night

In this episode, Starry, Starry Night . . .


Welcome back to On the Fly! This week, we're exploring the basics of astrophotography. Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what's really out there? I’ve discovered a way to explore distant galaxies–without a telescope–or leaving my backyard.


Consider this: each night, when the skies are clear, a breathtaking display unfolds above us—a cosmic dance of light and color. When you step outside, you notice the moon and perhaps a few stars. However, you can open a gateway to the universe with a camera, some adjustments, and a tripod.


Suddenly, faint whispers of light transform into vibrant galaxies, swirling nebulae, and star clusters that shimmer like diamonds scattered across black velvet. That fuzzy patch you thought was just a smudge becomes the Andromeda Galaxy, our closest galactic neighbor, an astonishing 2.5 million light-years away. You're capturing light that has traveled millions of years to reach your camera sensor. How amazing is that?


The best part? You don't need expensive equipment to get started. Even a basic DSLR camera (or your Smartphone) and a tripod can reveal wonders you'd never see with the naked eye.


Let me be honest—I have a secret advantage here in Southern California. While others bundle up in layers of winter gear to catch a glimpse of the stars, I'm in my backyard with a light jacket, enjoying the crisp, clear nights with temperatures in the high 40s. That's practically balmy weather for winter stargazing!


Ok, I get it–you can’t avoid light pollution; this poses a challenge, especially if you live in a city. Find a darker spot a bit further from town, or use a dark sky app to discover the best viewing areas near you. For me, it’s as simple as going out when my neighbors are tucked in for the night. I turn off all the lights in the house and enjoy a dark sky window from my backyard.


One word of caution, though. When you're ready to take your astrophotography to the next level, you'll discover some incredible tutorials online. Start by watching instructional videos created by astrophotography experts. Be prepared to be amazed–and possibly a little intimidated. The images they proudly showcase are often the result of years of experience and advanced equipment—telescopes and specialized cameras—and usually involve intricate post-processing using multiple software applications.


Don't be discouraged!


Now, let’s start by switching your camera to manual mode. Make these adjustments indoors; fumbling around in the dark can be frustrating. A wide-angle lens is ideal as it captures more of the sky–focus on infinity. Set the ISO between 800 and 1600; this will make your camera more sensitive to light, and use an aperture of f/4 (f/2.8 if possible). Limit exposures to no more than 10 to 15 seconds for the best results. Your camera can capture more than you ever imagined. Exceeding 15 seconds may produce star tracers, which could be your intention. Don’t hesitate to experiment!



I'm excited to share the photos in this blog post, which are my first attempts with my DSLM camera! After processing them in iPhoto, I felt an incredible rush of excitement. When Lori saw the pictures, she exclaimed, “It looks like that in our backyard?”


Start simple, experiment, and enjoy the journey of discovery. Tonight, before the moon gets too bright, grab your camera, put it on a tripod, and try a 10-second exposure pointed at the brightest star you can see. You might be surprised!


Imagine capturing the Big Dipper, the Orion Nebula—a stellar nursery where new stars are born—or the Pleiades, a cluster of sparkling young stars that looks like a dipper. Scan the sky with your phone's app, SkyView, free from the app store. You may be able to capture planets within the same frame. If lucky, you might catch a meteor (a falling star) streaking across the sky–fleeting moments of cosmic magic.


Astrophotography is a journey of discovery that lets you explore the universe. It is a humbling and awe-inspiring experience, allowing you to witness the breathtaking beauty of the night sky and—dare I say—add a touch of magic to your life.


I’m Patrick Ball, reminding you to stay curious, ask questions, and explore on this starry night.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

Night Before Christmas

I n this episode, Night Before Christmas . . .  (In the spirit of Edgar Albert Guest) I’ve wrestled with the tangled lights the way I always do— With just enough patience left to see the project through. I climb the ladder carefully; the years have taught me how. To take my time with every step and keep a steady brow. We hang the faded ornaments I’ve known since I was small, the chipped, the cracked, the tilted ones—I love them best of all. Santa’s lost a bit of paint, the stars’ leaning right, but oh, it casts a holy glow across the room tonight. The kitchen hums with activity, with laughter, and with cheer, as voices drift like echoes from a long-forgotten year. The floor is strewn with paper scraps, the clock is ticking slow, As Christmas finds its own sweet pace and sets our house aglow. The hallway grows a little still; the lights are dimmed, and low, Small shoes are lined in messy pairs to wait for morning’s snow. The fire's warm, the room is full, the world is deep and wide,...
2 comments
Read more

Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way

🎩   In this special episode. How to Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way It’s 2026! Yes— this is the year! A different kind of start—you feel it right here? No lists! No demands! No fix-all-your-flaws! No “New You by Tuesday!” No rules! No laws! Those resolutions? Bah! Dusty and dry! We’ve tried fixing everything —so let’s ask why. Why rush and correct and improve and compare, When noticing quietly gets you right there ? So here’s a new project—no charts, no clocks, No boxes to check in your mental inbox. It’s bigger than busy and smaller than grand, It’s called Un-Working —now give me your hand! Un-Working’s not quitting or hiding away, It’s setting things down that shout “Hurry! Hey!” The hustle! The bustle! The faster-than-fast! The gotta-win-now or you’re stuck in the past! That’s the work of Un-Working— plop! —set it free! The titles! The labels! The “Look-At-Me!” The crown that kept sliding and pinching your head— You never looked comfy . . . let’s try this instead: Pick up a tel...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Thought Experiment–Revisited

In this episode. The Thought Experiment–Revisited The Boy on a Light Beam In 1895, a sixteen-year-old boy did something we rarely allow ourselves to do anymore. He stared into space and let his mind wander. No phone. No notes. No “Optimization Hacks” for his morning routine. Just a question: What would happen if I chased a beam of light—and actually caught it? That boy was Albert Einstein . And that single act of curiosity—a Gedankenexperiment , a thought experiment—eventually cracked open Newton’s tidy universe and rearranged our understanding of time itself. Not bad for an afternoon of daydreaming. Imagine if Einstein had been “productive” instead. He would have logged the light-beam idea into a Notion database, tagged it #CareerGrowth, and then promptly ignored it to attend a forty-five-minute “Sync” about the color of the departmental logo. He’d have a high Efficiency Score—and we’d still be stuck in a Newtonian universe , wondering why the Wi-Fi is slow. In a post I wrote back in...
2 comments
Read more

Boy on a Beam

In this special bonus episode, Boy on a Beam. In a world long ago, when the days moved quite slow, Before buzzes and beeps and the fast things we know, A boy sat quite still on a very fine day, Just staring at nothing . . . and thinking away. No tablets! No gadgets! No screens shining bright! No earbuds stuck in from morning till night. No lists, no charts, and no chores to be done. He just sat there thinking—that's quiet-time fun! His name was Young Albert. He sat in his chair, Thinking of things that weren’t really there. “Suppose,” said Young Albert, with eyes open wide, “I ran super fast with my arms by my side! Suppose I ran faster than anyone knew, And caught up to sunshine that zoomed past me—too! If I hopped on its back for a light-speedy ride, What secrets would I find tucked away deep inside?” “Would stars look like sprinkles, all shiny and small? Would UP feel like sideways? Would BIG feel like Tall?” He giggled and wondered and thought, and he dreamed, Till his head fel...
Post a Comment
Read more