Search Results for: light pollution

Reduce Light Pollution with Better Outdoor Lighting

Reduce Light Pollution with Better Outdoor Lighting

Have you ever walked around your neighborhood at night and noticed the amount of wasted, and oftentimes unnecessary, artificial light? I think we have all noticed the poorly designed outdoor lighting in our neighborhoods that contributes to light pollution.  According to the International Dark-sky Association (IDA), light pollution is increasing at two times the rate…

Light Pollution is Ruining Our Night Sky

Light Pollution is Ruining Our Night Sky

Have you ever looked at a brightly lit building or street light in your neighborhood and thought it was excessive? You know, light shining in all directions or perhaps in your bedroom window, rather than only lighting up the intended area. That is light pollution.  Light pollution is misdirected excess/obtrusive outdoor artificial light in a…

10 Light Pollution Filters for Astrophotography in the City

10 Light Pollution Filters for Astrophotography in the City

If you shoot your astrophotography images with a color camera in the city, there is a good chance that light pollution filters can make your life a little easier. How? By ignoring specific wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum associated with artificial light sources such as a street lamp. The best way to test…

Deep Sky Astrophotography in Light Pollution
| |

Deep Sky Astrophotography in Light Pollution

If you’ve been following AstroBackyard on YouTube, you’ll know that I regularly shoot DSLR astrophotography images under the heavily light-polluted skies at home. My night sky is classified as Bortle Class 8 in terms of sky quality, a white zone on the light pollution map. This certainly makes things more difficult in terms of collecting data…

Light Pollution Filters for Astrophotography
|

Light Pollution Filters for Astrophotography

One of the most common questions I receive each day is which light pollution filter I recommend for astrophotography in the city. There have never been so many choices available, with each one offering their own advantages and disadvantages. Couple that with the fact that these astrophotography filters can be expensive, and you’ve got some…

What is Astronomical Twilight?

What is Astronomical Twilight?

Twilight refers to the period of time when the sun is below the horizon where scattered sunlight illuminates the atmosphere. The lower the sunlight is below the horizon, the darker the twilight will be. Astronomical twilight is the darkest of the three twilight phases.  It is also the last phase of twilight during sunset and…

Astrophotography Setup Spotlight

Astrophotography Setup Spotlight

In this section of the website, I will feature an astrophotography setup with a complete breakdown of each component.  These equipment profiles will include all items needed for deep-sky astrophotography including the tracking mount, imaging telescope, camera, and filters.  You’ll be able to see the exact camera settings I use, and any additional accessories needed…

Astrophotography from a Light Polluted Backyard

Astrophotography from a Light Polluted Backyard

Backyard Astrophotography Summer would not be complete without spending a night enjoying the dazzling beauty that is the constellation Sagittarius. The “teapot” asterism just clears my fence to the south of my backyard in central St. Catharines. From my latitude, August is my last chance to image the many star clusters and nebulae that populate…

How to Use a Telescope

How to Use a Telescope

You have completed the research and purchased your first telescope and now you’re wondering how to use this new piece of astronomy equipment. You’re ready to look at the moon and planets up close for the first time, and can’t wait to show your friends and family the Rings of Saturn. As a beginner, you…

Astrophotography Image Processing Tutorial
| | |

Astrophotography Image Processing Tutorial

In this beginner-friendly image processing tutorial, we will use Adobe Photoshop to take an astrophotography image from its raw state to a finished master file for sharing. The post-processing stage of astrophotography is an exciting experience because it is when you finally get to enjoy the deep-sky object you have captured, up-close. This is a…