Capture the Night Sky
Astrophotography Tips, Guides, and Gear Reviews to Take Amazing Images With Your Telescope.
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September 2026 Night Sky: What to See
September is a month when you start to notice the change in observing season. The nights are getting longer, darkness arrives a little earlier, and we still have plenty of…
Seestar S50 Pro Review: The Most Capable Smart Telescope Yet
I have spent a lot of time testing the different Seestar models, and the S50 Pro feels like the first one aimed just as much at experienced astrophotographers as at…
How To Photograph A Lunar Eclipse
Last updated: August 21, 2026. If you find this helpful and buy through my links, I may receive a small commission. A total lunar eclipse is a celestial event that…
Black Hole Star: JWST Discovers a Strange New Cosmic Object
When I photograph a tiny red object in the night sky, it is usually an emission nebula glowing in hydrogen-alpha light. When the James Webb Space Telescope finds a tiny…
How to Photograph the Wolf’s Cave Nebula (VdB 152)
At first glance, this looks like an empty patch of sky. There is no bright red nebula jumping off the screen and no familiar galaxy waiting in the middle of…
How to Photograph a Solar Eclipse
Originally published March 1, 2024. Last updated August 9, 2026. Photographing a solar eclipse can be a life-changing experience. You may only get a few chances in your lifetime to…
Do You Really Need Five-Minute Exposures Anymore?
In this article, I’ll discuss why modern astrophotography cameras and processing have changed what the best astrophotography exposure time should be, and when a 5-minute exposure still makes sense. My…
6 Astronomy Events You Don’t Want to Miss in August 2026
August is always one of my favorite months for astronomy. The Milky Way is still on display, the warm nights make it easy to stay outside for hours, and some…
I Tried Telescope Live: Processing Data From a $73,000 Telescope
Disclosure: This article accompanies a video produced in paid collaboration with Telescope Live. If you subscribe through one of them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to…
Askar SQA130 Review: Is This the Ultimate Backyard Astrograph?
Last updated: June 29, 2026. If you find this helpful and buy through my links, I may receive a small commission. The Askar SQA130 is the largest telescope in Askar’s…
I Captured The Same Nebula with a DSLR, Astro Camera, & Smart Telescope
Recently, I captured the same deep-sky object using three very different camera systems. A full-frame mirrorless DSLR-style astrophotography setup. A dedicated astronomy camera rig with autoguiding. And a smart telescope…
ToupTek StellaVita Review: Better Than Ever, But Not Perfect
The ToupTek StellaVita is a control box that can run an entire astrophotography setup from your phone or tablet. It supports a wide range of cameras and accessories, so…
Enhance Your Astro Images
Learn how to process your astrophotography images from start to finish.
This beginner-friendly guide will walk you through the entire process of editing the photos you worked so hard to collect.
Stop searching for answers all over the web and find everything you need in one place.
Astrophotography Equipment
About AstroBackyard
AstroBackyard exists to help beginner astrophotographers learn and thrive. Trevor Jones and Ashley Northcotte are the husband and wife team behind AstroBackyard.