Astrophotography

Astrophotography in Costa Rica (Carina Nebula)

Astrophotography in Costa Rica (Carina Nebula)

I’ve just returned from a vacation to Costa Rica with the goal of capturing some astrophotography images from the resort. Being so close to the equator, the night sky featured many new southern hemisphere deep-sky targets I had never seen before. Aside from astrophotography (including an impromptu Facebook Live stream from our balcony) my wife…

The Explore Scientific ED140 Apo Refractor

The Explore Scientific ED140 Apo Refractor

I am thrilled to tell you that I recently got my hands on a brand new Explore Scientific ED140 CF APO Triplet Refractor. If you’ve been following AstroBackyard for some time now, you’ll know how I feel about APO refractors in terms of astrophotography performance. The refractor telescope design has many unique advantages when it…

iOptron SkyGuider Pro Review

iOptron SkyGuider Pro Review

The iOptron SkyGuider Pro is a portable EQ mount that offers a reliable solution for astrophotography on the go. The SkyGuider Pro makes shooting long exposure nightscapes without star-trailing possible. On a stationary tripod mount, star trailing begins to show in exposures longer than 25 seconds. Depending on your camera’s focal length, the stars could…

The ultimate astrophotography target for your DSLR and telescope

The ultimate astrophotography target for your DSLR and telescope

It’s very exciting to know that the night sky is full of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters to observe and photograph. The great Andromeda Galaxy, the glimmering Pleiades, and the vibrant red California Nebula are all jaw-dropping astrophotography targets. These are some of the easiest astrophotography targets in the night sky and be captured at almost…

Winter deep sky astrophotography

Winter deep sky astrophotography

November is an exciting month for backyard astrophotographers as we transition into a new season of fantastic winter deep-sky targets. These constellations contain some of the best nebulae and star clusters the sky has to offer. The colder temperatures mean less noise in your images, which is great news for DSLR camera owners. The image…

Summer in the AstroBackyard

Summer in the AstroBackyard

This is one summer that I will never forget.  The addition of my new telescope, the growth of AstroBackyard and the explosion of my YouTube channel has given me an astronomical boost in motivation and passion for astrophotography.  This has not come without hard work, it has been extremely busy in terms of both astrophotography…