Can you shoot astrophotography with a half moon, or do you need a moonless sky?
Asked 3/15/2012
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I’m traveling to a dark-sky area and would like to shoot astrophotography, especially star trails. I’ve read that you need a moonless sky, but I’m not sure whether that means the moon must be below the horizon, or simply not visible in the frame. If the moon will be around half phase, is astrophotography still worthwhile?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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It will actually depend on your humidity! As the air gets more humid there is more water vapor in the air and this helps scatter the bright moon light, brightening the dark black sky.
However, to answer your question, if you wait until the moon is well set you should be fine. You may find it easier to wake up early rather than stay up late.
Dew can be a real problem. You are pointing a piece of glass at the sky as the temperature drops. A homemade cardboard dew shield is quite effective. Just wrap a cylinder around the lens. The height of the cylinder should be about the width of the lens. Of course, if you are shooting wide angle then this could block parts of the image. But if you dew up, well, all the image will be blocked.
Keep the lens pointing down at the ground when you take a break. Once you dew up it is difficult to remove it. A portable hairdryer in the car's lighter can do it, but preventing it is much easier.
A cable release would be awesome.
A practice BEFORE you go to your dark site.
Oh, and wear warm clothing.
Originally by user7310. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7310
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A moon in the sky doesn’t make astrophotography pointless, but it does brighten the sky and can reduce contrast, especially if humidity causes more scattering. For the darkest sky, it’s best to shoot after the moon has set (or before it rises), not merely outside the frame.
With a half moon, you can still get usable results—sometimes better than waiting for a perfect moonless night that never comes. How much it affects your image depends on the subject, field of view, distance from the moon, and sky conditions. A bright moon can also create a background gradient that may be harder to correct in post, especially in wider shots.
For star trails, you’ll generally get darker, cleaner skies once the moon is down. Also watch for dew on the lens as temperatures drop; a simple dew shield can help.
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