Capture the milky way galaxy

Take plenty of photos to ensure a great final result

You’ll need: ✔ DSLR camera ✔ A dark-sky site ✔ Wide-angle lens ✔ Tripod ✔ A cable release ✔ Photo-processing software

1 Position your camera

Pointing it towards your chosen area of sky, turn your camera onto its side to give a portrait image. Focus sharply on either a bright star or a distant light on the horizon.

2 Alter the exposure time

Press the cable release to take your first image. If your target isn’t clear, try increasing the ISO or exposure time until it looks more obvious.

3 Shoot a series

When you have some images you are happy with, take a series of overlapping photos panning upwards to turn into a mosaic later when you are processing your images.

4 Alter the contrast

Use processing software to increase the contrast and improve the appearance of your images, but don’t go too far and make them garish or unrealistic.