Astrophotography
Whether you’re an astrophotography expert or beginner, our guides and galleries will inspire and help you get the most out of imaging the night sky.
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Mars disappears behind the Moon this week. Find out how to photograph it with our step-by-step guide
How to photograph planet Mercury and capture real detail on its surface
Masterclass: 10 ways to improve your imaging
Join our online spring Masterclass with award-winning planetary imager Martin Lewis at 7pm on 13 June 2024.
Save 20% when you buy all three as a series booking
The Moon will spoil this year's Geminid meteor shower, but needn't spoil your meteor photos. Here's how to do it
What's new?
Achieve fine focus with your DSLR camera by building this DIY microfocuser for your lens
Photograph the Moon with your smartphone camera
Tips and tricks to help you succeed in lunar astrophotography using a smartphone.
6 ways to enjoy to enjoy a full Moon or supermoon
How to make the most of and enjoy a full Moon or supermoon.
A guide to the Moon's Plato Crater
Facts about Plato Crater and images of this fascinating lunar feature.
How to photograph comets and stars while keeping your image crisp and blur-free
Astrophotography guides
Follow our astrophotography guides for in-depth tutorials on photographing the night sky, plus image processing advice to help fine-tune your astro images.
Photograph a full Moon as it rises and capture one of nature's greatest spectacles. Here's how to do it
Skyscape photography: tips for capturing a stunning night sky
We'll show you how to blend two images from the same location to create a skyscape astrophoto, using a well-timed SpaceX launch as our foreground subject.
Want to photograph a bright comet? Tips and equipment you need to capture a spectacular image
Top tips for photographing a comet, and how to capture comet images with scientific value.
Comets
Facts about and images of comets, the rocky, icy celestial bodies that orbit the Sun and can sometimes briefly be seen with the naked eye in the night sky above Earth
Eclipses
Beautiful images of lunar and solar eclipses.
Gallery | Solar eclipses
What is a solar eclipse and how do you view one safely? Find out about the celestial mechanics behind these spectacular astronomical events.
Gallery | Lunar eclipses
What is a lunar eclipse and why do they happen? Discover the science of lunar eclipses and view amazing pictures of the rusty-red 'blood Moon'.
Galaxies
There are many types of galaxy, from spiral galaxies to ellipticals, dwarfs and strange-looking irregular galaxies. These are images of some of the most beautiful galaxies in the Universe, captured by astrophotographers on planet Earth.
Gallery | Leo Triplet
The three galaxies that make up the Leo Triplet, M66, M65 and NGC 3628, are engaged in a gravitational tug of war, making this a fascinating deep-sky spectacle.
Gallery | Bode's Galaxy and Cigar Galaxy
Images of M81 and M82, the pair of interacting galaxies known as Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy, including facts and the history of their discovery.
Gallery | Sunflower Galaxy
Facts about and images of M63, also known as the Sunflower Galaxy.
The Moon
Beautiful images of the Moon, including images of lunar craters, clair obscur effects, lunar maria and astrophotos showing the terminator creeping across the Moon's jagged surface.
Gallery | Harvest Moon
What is a Harvest Moon, and and are they really worth the hype?
Gallery | Full Moon
Some will tell you a full Moon is the worst time to observe our lunar neighbour, but there's still plenty to see when the Moon is fully illuminated.
Gallery | Planes in front of the Sun and Moon
A gallery of images of planes passing in front of the solar or lunar disc.
Nebulae
Beautiful images of glowing cosmic clouds known as nebulae. These regions of space are filled with gas and dust, out of which new stars will be born. These are some of the most well-known, captured by astrophotographers from around the globe.
Gallery | Eagle Nebula
Images of the Eagle Nebula and its famous feature the Pillars of Creation.
Gallery | Ring Nebula
Facts and images about the Ring Nebula, M57, a planetary nebula found 2,000 lightyears away in Lyra.
Gallery | Tadpole Nebula
Images of the Tadpole Nebula, IC 410, and facts about this star-forming region.
Planets
Beautiful images of the planets of our Solar System and their moons, captured by amateur and professional astrophotographers from around the world.
Gallery | Jupiter's Galilean moons
Facts about and images of Jupiter's four largest satellites, the Galilean moons.
Gallery | Transit of Mercury
Facts about Mercury transits, including when they occur and photos of the most recent events.
Gallery | Jupiter's Great Red Spot
Facts about Jupiter's Great Red Spot and images of the centuries-old cyclone.
Skyscapes
Astro images showing the beautiful astronomical phenomena that can be seen in Earth's night sky, including stars, conjunctions, star trails and the aurora.
Stars
Pictures of stars, including starscapes, star trails, bright stars in the sky, photos of constellations and images of the starry band of the Millky Way stretching across the night sky.
Gallery | Omega Centauri globular cluster
Facts about the Omega Centauri globular cluster, one of the oldest objects in the Universe.
Gallery | Cassiopeia
A guide to the constellation Cassiopeia, and how to see some of its best stars.
Gallery | The Pleiades
A guide to M45, also known as the Pleiades, and images of the famous open star cluster.
The Sun
Images of the Sun, Earth's host star at the centre of the Solar System, including sunspots, solar flares, solar prominences and solar eclipses.
Two more strong flares erupted from the Sun this week, as seen by NASA's orbiting solar observatory
More solar flares have been recorded by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Gallery | The Sun
A guide to our host star the Sun, and pictures of the solar disc captured by astrophotographers.
Gallery | Solar prominences
Facts about solar prominences and images of eruptions.