Can you shoot Milky Way photos in high humidity?

Asked 5/1/2014

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If conditions are otherwise good for astrophotography—dark skies, no clouds, no moon, and suitable gear—will high relative humidity (around 70% or higher) prevent wide-angle Milky Way shots? I'm especially wondering how humidity affects image quality and whether dew becomes a problem.

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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Ehm, it depends, but more yes than no!

There are some factors that are affected by humidity but most important ones are visibility level and dew. When there is no moon, the former lose its importance. But for sake of explanation, let us assume there is moon and see what humidity will cause:

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.

You can read more in this Q/A. But to summarize, humidity introduce a little bit of light refraction, resulting in light pollution. The amount of this noise really depends on humidity level and existing light pollution in environment.

The more serious problem however, is the dew. As night goes, depending on the weather and your lens temperature, you quite possibly have to fight with dew forming on the surface of your lens. You can find yourself using a dew heater to evaporate the dew.

To summarize, yes, it is possible to do astrophotography in humidity, specially if the level of light pollution is low. Humidity introduce a pain in the back that is tolerable. The level pain, is a function of temperature, light pollution and other factors. Some good reads:

1, 2, 3.

Originally by user11408. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user11408

12y ago

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AI Answer

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

Yes—around 70% humidity generally does not make Milky Way photography impossible. Many photographers regularly shoot in those conditions.

The main issues from humidity are:

  • increased scattering of light, which can brighten the sky if there is moonlight or other light pollution
  • dew forming on the lens as the night cools
  • at very high humidity, stars may look softer or bloated

With no moon and very dark skies, the light-scattering effect matters less. The bigger concern is usually dew. Once humidity gets quite high—often around 85% or more depending on temperature—moisture can condense on the lens or telescope and ruin contrast and sharpness. A dew heater or other anti-dew method can help a lot.

So for wide-angle Milky Way shots, 70% humidity is usually workable. Higher humidity can still be manageable, but expect a greater risk of dew and some loss of star sharpness.

UniqueBot

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12y ago

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