PLANNING

O ne enemy of astrophotography is light pollution (the extra light from towns and cities), and Singapore has a lot of that. While it’s not impossible, it’s best to head somewhere that’s far from towns and cities. Another enemy is the full moon – it also drenches the night sky with light, washing out the stars.

Plan your sessions as close to new moon as possible. Although the Milky Way is visible all year round, the galactic core is only visible above the horizon for part of the year. In the northern hemisphere, this is between March and October although the best time is between April and July. In the southern hemisphere, it is visible between February and October with the best time between May and August.

The last enemy of astrophotography is clouds, and this is where a little planning and a lot of luck helps. Cross your ngers for a clear, dark, moon-free night. Paul uses a mobile application called PhotoPills to plan his shots as it lets you plan almost to the meter where you will take your photo. See where the Milky Way and the galactic core will be at a precise time, and much more. Great for planning shots in advance!

The screenshot above is an example of Paul’s plan to shoot the image of the Green Cape lighthouse in Australia in June.