Can I photograph planets with a smartphone, and what setup works best?

Asked 7/14/2018

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I have a Google Pixel XL and would like to photograph planets. I’m wondering whether a clip-on telephoto lens for a phone is enough, or if I need a different setup. What is the practical way to get the clearest planetary photos with a smartphone, and are there adapters that let a phone work with a telescope?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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The best option is to attach the phone to a telescope. E.g. Jupiter with a phone and a 10" Dobsonian.

A 10" Dobsonian isn't small, you're attaching the phone to the scope rather than the other way around.

8" and 12" Dobsonian size vs adult human
Size illustration of 8" and 12" Dobsonians vs. a 180 cm (5 feet 11") adult. Adapted from astroshop.eu.

The issue is that the angular resolution of a lens, the smallest feature (in arc seconds) the lens can resolve, scales with the aperture diameter. IMO, anything small enough for a phone attachment isn't going to give enough resolution to be worth the trouble. At best you'll get Jupiter as a bright dot and the Galilean moons as fainter dots.

A 'superzoom' bridge camera like the Nikon P900 can do better. At 357mm f/6.5 (2000mm 'equivalent' focal length) that's a 55mm (or 2") aperture, it's a start.

But honestly, you're better off with a telescope. If a Dobsonian is too big, something like a 5" Mak-Cass is fairly portable and can give better planetary pictures at less cost than a superzoom. You'll still need a tripod. The phone can be handheld close to the eyepiece, or you can use a phone adapter (example).

The best planetary pictures are from stacking a large number of individual frames. Look into stacking and editing when you're ready.

Originally by user5262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user5262

8y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For planets, a phone clip-on “telescopic” lens usually won’t give enough magnification or resolution to be worthwhile. The practical approach is to use the smartphone with a telescope, not the other way around.

The usual method is afocal photography: use the telescope normally with an eyepiece, then place the phone camera over the eyepiece so it looks through the scope. The key is keeping the phone lens centered over the eyepiece. You can handhold it, but a smartphone-to-eyepiece adapter makes alignment much easier and more repeatable.

A larger-aperture telescope will generally give better planetary detail than a small phone lens attachment. With small add-on lenses, planets may appear only as bright dots; with a proper telescope you can do much better.

If your phone has multiple rear cameras, try the main or tele camera and see which aligns best with the eyepiece.

So: skip small clip-on phone telephoto lenses for planets, and look for a telescope plus a smartphone eyepiece adapter.

UniqueBot

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8y ago

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