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You can take a picture with your phone through a telescope. You will need an adapter to attach your phone to the eyepiece of the telescope. You can use this resource to take amazing pictures of the night sky, faraway planets, stars, or even distant galaxies.
Taking photos with a telescope is not challenging, as the adapter provides a secure connection that can hold the phone firmly in place.
This lets you focus on taking the perfect shot without worrying about your phone slipping or falling.
With a little practice and patience, anyone can learn how to take pictures with their phone through a telescope.
You don’t need any special equipment or technical knowledge—all you need is your phone, a smartphone adapter, the telescope, and some time to get familiar with the process.
In this article, we’ll explain the requirements for taking a picture with your phone through a telescope and the steps for setting it up and operating it.
Can you take pictures with a telescope?
You can take pictures with a telescope. Thanks to the advances in modern technology, it’s now possible to attach your phone or camera to a telescope and use it to take photos of the night sky.
Here are ways to take pictures with a telescope:
Using a smartphone adapter
A smartphone adapter is an equipment that allows you to attach your phone to a telescope. It is specially designed to securely hold your phone in place and ensure it doesn’t move or slip during use.
When using a smartphone adapter, you need to tap into the manual settings of your phone camera. This allows you to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. It helps you capture the perfect picture without overexposing or underexposing it.
Using a camera adapter
A camera adapter is essentially the same as a smartphone adapter but is designed to fit a DSLR camera or other digital camera models. A camera adapter includes an extension tube and a T-ring that connects your camera lens to the telescope.
The T-ring is a threaded ring with a camera-specific mount that fits into the back of your camera. It must match your camera to allow you to attach the tube to the camera’s lens mount securely.
After attaching the tube to the camera, you can insert the end of the tube into the telescope’s focus tube. It’s important to ensure the tube is in the right place and securely attached to your camera and the telescope.
The tube can accommodate various eyepieces, which allows you to manually adjust your camera settings. This helps you capture clearer and more detailed photos of the night sky or other objects.
Read also: Best telescopes with phone adapters
Requirements for taking pictures with your phone through a telescope
Taking a picture with your phone through a telescope requires the right equipment and knowledge of the procedure.
Here are some essential requirements you need to understand before attempting this:
Stable surface for the telescope
You need to place your telescope on a stable surface to get the best view and image quality. Ensure that the surface is strong enough to support the telescope’s and your phone’s full weight, or you may end up spoiling your picture.
A stable surface reduces vibration, which is important in taking clear pictures. The better the surface, the sharper and brighter your image will be.
You should also ensure the surface is level and free of any obstructions. Even the slightest tilt or obstruction can cause blurriness in your image. You can use a bubble level to check for any tilts in the surface.
Tripod or mount for the telescope
A tripod or mount is the equipment you use to support the telescope and keep it in place while you observe or take pictures. It helps you keep the image steady, especially when taking photos through a telescope.
Make sure to use a tripod or mount with enough weight and stability to support the telescope’s full weight. This prevents the equipment from tipping over and helps you take clearer pictures.
We recommend the Celestron CG-4 German Equatorial Mount and Tripod for its precision and stability. It features ball bearings in both axes of the mount, which ensures smooth tracking and helps reduce vibrations.
For more stability and fewer vibrations from your tripod, get the Astromania Anti-Vibration Suppression Pads Telescope Mount for only $11 each and place them under the tripod’s legs.
Light source
Light pollution is one of the most common problems when taking pictures with a telescope. It could be difficult to take clear photos if you don’t have access to dark skies or live in an area with unfavorable light conditions.
To reduce the effect of light pollution, set up your telescope away from any bright lights. Even the slightest glare can affect your image quality, so turn off lights or find a spot with minimal light pollution.
You can also light ‘paint’ your foreground objects using a portable light source such as a flashlight or spotlight. Light painting helps highlight the features of the night sky, making it easier for you to take amazing pictures.
A simple spotlight such as the EMART Photography LED is an excellent choice for light painting.
It produces bright, natural-looking light and helps you get the best quality images possible with your smartphone.
Remote shutter release or self-timer
A remote shutter release or self-timer refers to the cable or device you use to snap the shutter on your phone. It ensures no movement from you when taking a picture, which helps reduce any shake or blurriness in the image.
You can use a self-timer, a feature available on most smartphones. Self-timers delay capturing an image after you press the shutter button so that you can avoid any movement when taking a photo.
A remote shutter is more effective as it lets you take a picture from a distance whenever you want. You don’t miss out on any important shots, and your photos turn out much clearer.
We recommend the Bluetooth 5.0 Remote Shutter for iPhone & Android Camera. This remote shutter supports multiple devices, so you can use it with all your gadgets.
How to take pictures with your smartphone through a telescope
Now that you have all the necessary equipment, you’re ready to take spectacular photographs through your telescope.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to take pictures with your smartphone through a telescope:
1. Use a tripod or mount for your telescope
A tripod or mount will help you keep your telescope steady when viewing the night sky. It also prevents shaking when you take pictures with your phone through the telescope.
We recommend using the Celestron 82050 TrailSeeker Tripod if you use a small telescope. It has adjustable legs, so you can easily adjust its height and stability. It also has a 3-way pan head that allows you to view the night sky in any direction.
The Celestron CG-4 German Equatorial Mount and Tripod is ideal for much heavier and larger telescopes. It has a sturdy steel tripod and adjustable aluminum legs, which make it very stable.
2. Ensure a stable surface for the telescope
Once your tripod or mount is set up, make sure that the surface it’s standing on is stable and won’t move around. If the surface is unstable, it will cause blurriness in your images.
It’s best to set up your telescope outdoors on a flat surface. If you’re indoors, use a table or desk that won’t wobble when you touch it.
The Astromania Anti-Vibration Suppression Pads Telescope Mount ensures that your telescope is stable and secure. It’s made of heavy-duty rubber that prevents the tripod from sinking into soft surfaces.
The pads also absorb any vibrations from passing cars or other objects, so your images won’t have any blurriness.
3. Choose the right adapter
Phone adapters differ depending on the type of telescope you have and your phone model. You should know your phone’s and telescope’s specifications to find the adapter that will work best for you.
Using a smartphone adapter with a telescope will help you avoid any misalignment. It gives you more control when making adjustments to achieve the best image quality.
If you hold your phone directly against the eyepiece and try to take a picture, it’s likely to produce blurry results. You also risk damaging your phone or the eyepiece in case the phone slips from your hands or gets too close to the telescope.
The right adapter will also help you get a proper focus and reduce any vignetting caused by the telescope’s eyepiece. It should securely hold your phone to the telescope so it won’t move around or slip out.
If you don’t know the exact adapter you need, we recommend the Celestron NexYZ DX Kit.
This universal phone adapter has a wireless Bluetooth shutter release remote, so you can take a picture from a distance. It can fit any eyepiece ranging from 35 mm to 60 mm and iOs and android phones.
You may also like: Smartphone Telescope Adapter: 10 Models Compared
4. Attach the phone to the adapter
Once you have the right adapter, attach your phone to the adapter. Most adapters come with instructions, so make sure to read them before attaching your phone.
5. Secure the phone to the adapter
Secure your phone to the adapter by tightening the screws. Make sure the phone is firmly attached to avoid any misalignment or vignetting.
You can also use a smartphone case or clamp to secure the phone. This will ensure your phone is firmly held in place and won’t slip out when you take a picture.
The Celestron NexYZ DX Kit features a strong metal spring and threaded twist lock that will securely hold your phone in place.
After securely attaching your phone to the adapter, mount it to your telescope’s eyepiece. Ensure the adapter is firmly locked into the eyepiece to avoid misalignment.
6. Align the telescope and phone camera
Taking a picture through your telescope requires your smartphone’s camera to be exactly aligned with the telescope’s eyepiece. Use the adapter’s adjustable knobs to adjust the tilt and roll of your phone until you get the perfect alignment.
You can also use a collimation cap to ensure your smartphone and telescope are perfectly aligned. The Orion Quick-Collimation Cap, 1.25″ will help you get the best possible image quality.
7. Adjust the eyepiece position
When taking pictures with your phone, your telescope’s eyepiece is the most important factor. Adjust the eyepiece position until you get a clear view.
This step determines the image’s clarity and sharpness. Even the slightest misalignment will cause blurriness or vignetting in your images.
8. Center object in the field of view
Your telescope’s field of view can be limited due to the size of your eyepiece. Centering the object you’re trying to photograph will help you get a clear and sharp image.
Use the telescope’s manual controls to center the object in your field of view. This will ensure the object is in focus and your image quality is at its best.
9. Adjust focus using an eyepiece
Once you have the perfect alignment, adjust the focus using the eyepiece. Start by setting the focus to infinity and then slowly adjust it until you get a sharp image.
If you don’t have a collimation cap, you can use the eyepiece to fine-tune your focus. Experiment with different settings until you get the best results.
You can also use a Barlow lens to increase the magnification of your images. This will help you capture even more detail in your photos.
Our first choice telescope with a Barlow lens is the Gskyer Telescope, Refracting Telescope for Kids and Beginners. It features a 3x Barlow lens that will give you greater magnification and easier focusing.
10. Adjust focus using the phone camera
A smartphone camera isn’t as powerful as a DSLR camera, so you may need to adjust the focus manually. It’s best to use the camera’s autofocus feature, but if that doesn’t work, you can manually adjust the focus.
Tap on the object you’re trying to photograph and then adjust the focus until you get a clear image. You can also use the camera’s zoom and pan functions to get an even closer view of the night sky objects.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 has excellent autofocus and image stabilization features that make it perfect for astrophotography.
However, you can still get great results with other smartphones, provided you know how to adjust the focus and other camera settings.
11. Use a light source for autofocus
If your phone’s autofocus isn’t working or doesn’t seem to be focusing correctly, you can use a light source to help it focus. Simply point a flashlight or other light source at the object you’re trying to photograph, and your phone should be able to focus automatically.
This trick can work with any phone. However, you may need to experiment with different light sources until you find one that works for your phone.
The NEEWER Dimmable is an excellent option if you’re looking for a light source to help your phone focus better.
This light source has color filters that you can use to adjust the color of your images to get the best possible results. You can also adjust the brightness to get the perfect exposure for your photos.
12. Enable image stabilization on the phone camera
Image stabilization refers to how steady your phone’s camera is when taking pictures. Enabling image stabilization reduces the amount of blurriness in your photos and helps you get sharper images.
Most phone cameras have an image stabilization feature that you can enable in the settings menu. Using a stable telescope mount or tripod and phone adapter for astrophotography further improves the stability of your phone’s camera.
This feature is especially important when taking long exposure photos, such as deep sky objects. You can also use the phone’s burst mode to take multiple exposures of the same scene and then combine them into one image.
13. Use remote shutter release or self-timer
A remote shutter release or self-timer can help you get the best possible results when taking phone astrophotography pictures. Using a self-timer gives you more time to adjust the phone’s position and settings before the shutter is triggered.
Set your phone’s camera self-timer to a few seconds or even minutes before taking a photo. This will give you enough time to make adjustments before the phone takes the photo.
Using a remote shutter release allows you to take photos without touching your phone. It helps you avoid vibrations from touching the phone that can cause blurriness in your images.
The Xenvo Shutterbug is an excellent option if you’re looking for a remote shutter release. It is compatible with most smartphone models and has a range of up to 30 feet.
14. Take multiple exposures
Smartphone astrophotography requires that you take multiple exposures of the same scene. You can combine them into one image to get the best possible results.
Use your phone’s camera to take multiple exposures of different lengths and then use software like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to combine them. This will allow you to get the best possible details in your photos and bring out the colors of deep sky objects.
Takeaway: Enjoy the wonders of the night sky with smartphone astrophotography
Smartphone astrophotography is a great way to explore deep sky objects and capture stunning images of them.
With the right techniques and equipment, you can photograph deep sky objects with just your smartphone camera, telescope, and a smartphone telescope adapter.
You can use a light source to help the phone focus and enable image stabilization to reduce blurriness in your photos. You can also use a remote shutter release or self-timer for longer exposures and take multiple exposures to get the best possible results.
So grab your smartphone and telescope adapter and have fun with your telescope.
