- Last updated on May 11, 2024
I love, love, love the night sky.
I remember when I saw the Big Dipper for the first time when I was a little girl, and ever since then I’ve been hooked. I now have a favorite constellation (Orion) and multiple astronomy apps on my iPhone. I’ve also learned how to take some pretty night sky photos with nothing but my iPhone, like those below.
Read on for instructions along with tips and tricks for capturing beautiful photos of the night sky on your iPhone. Then grab your phone, head outside, and unleash your inner astrophotographer!
How to take night sky photos using your iPhone:
Note: I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, so this guide is based on my phone’s abilities/settings. However, the key here is using night mode, which is available on some older models (as well as the new iPhone 15, obviously).
1. Open your iPhone’s camera app. Scroll over to portrait mode, and ensure it’s set at 1x zoom. If you are outside and it’s dark, night mode should automatically turn on. The icon looks like a crescent moon with lines coming out of it, and it should be yellow if it is on.
2. Tap the upward-facing arrow at the top of your screen. This will open up settings at the bottom of your screen.
3. Click the night mode icon and move the slider to adjust the exposure time. If you are not using a tripod, the maximum exposure time will be 10 seconds. If you are using a tripod, it will be 30 seconds. The setting you choose will be saved for your next night mode shot.
- If you are photographing the Northern Lights- experiment a bit with the exposure time. I have found that a maximum exposure time of 30 seconds is best for faint auroras. If the lights are strong and rapidly moving, I like using a 3-second exposure time, and if they are bright but fairly steady I like the 10-second exposure time.
- If you are photographing the stars/milky way- I suggest using the maximum exposure time available. In my experience, a 30 second exposure with a tripod is best for these kinds of pictures.
4. Take your photo! If you are not using a tripod, hold your phone extremely still for the entire duration of the shot. The steadier you hold your camera, the sharper the picture will turn out. If you start to move, crosshairs will appear to help guide you in holding your phone still. If you use a tripod, just wait and see how your photo turns out!
General Tips/Notes:
- I am lucky enough to live in a place with very little light pollution, but I have found that limiting any and all lights around you while taking pictures helps them turn out better. For instance, I’ve noticed that the garden lights we had in the yard actually messed with the quality of the photos I was taking.
- I prefer portrait mode for nighttime photos (especially ones of the Northern Lights), but I have also taken some using iPhone’s normal photo mode. Depending on your model, one may work better than the other.
- While it is not necessary, I find that using a tripod is extremely helpful in getting the best quality pictures possible. I use this tripod from Amazon, which works well and is easily portable. The longer exposure time makes for a much sharper, more detailed image of the stars. There is a very noticeable difference in my opinion- just look at the image below!
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
BZE Selfie Stick,Long Extendable Selfie Stick Tripod,Phone Tripod with Wireless Remote Shutter,Group... |
$34.99
$21.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-07-06 at 09:44 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Northern Lights Photos
As I mentioned in the instructions above, I use different exposure times depending on the aurora strength and movement. Additionally, I sometimes lower the exposure- aka the (+/-) setting, not to be confused with night mode/exposure time.
I adjust the exposure setting depending on a bunch of factors- the strength of the aurora, the light of the moon, amount of light pollution, etc. Too much light can wash your picture out, but too little isn’t good either. I’d recommend playing around with it, but starting with either no adjustment or lowering the exposure to -0.3. Then adjust from there.
For reference, here are some photos I took and the settings I used for each:
ABOVE: Rapidly moving auroras visible to the naked eye= 3-second exposure time with exposure set to -0.3.
ABOVE: Rapidly moving and strong auroras visible to the naked eye= 3-second exposure time. No adjustment to exposure.
ABOVE: Strong auroras, but not necessarily moving rapidly= 10-second exposure time. Exposure not adjusted.
ABOVE: Very, very faint auroras that are not visible to the naked eye= 30-second exposure time (with tripod) and exposure set to -0.7 since the moon was very bright this night.
Apps I use for stargazing:
As I mentioned earlier, I use some night sky apps, not specifically for photography but for stargazing and seeing when I might be able to see the northern lights where I live.
Here are the apps I use:
1) Night Sky: I’ve had Night Sky for over a decade and I still love it. Just hold your iPhone up to the sky and this app will help you identify stars, planets, constellations, and satellites. Their free version is really great, but there’s also an option to upgrade to Night Sky+.
2) My Aurora Forecast & Alerts: This app provides the current KP index, how likely you are to see the Northern Lights at your location, a map showing how strong the aurora is around the world, and multiple aurora forecasts (next hour, next several hours, next few weeks). There are also a bunch of other features like solar wind statistics, sun imagery, and access to live aurora webcams around the globe. This app is super user/beginner-friendly, while still being informative. Plus, there are no in-app purchases required for any of these functions!
You can read more about night sky apps and sites I love here.
Happy stargazing! Pin the image below to come back to this post later.
