Celestar Manual
Celestial Photography
54
With your camera attached to the telescope, you are ready for prime focus photography. Start with an easy
object like the Moon. Here's how to do it:
1.
Load your camera with film that has a moderate-to-fast speed (i.e., ISO rating). Faster films are more
desirable when the Moon is a crescent. When the Moon is near full, and at its brightest, slower films
are more desirable. Here are some film recommendations:
•
T-Max 100
•
T-Max 400
•
Any 100 to 400 ISO color slide film
•
Fuji Super HG 400
•
Ektar 25 or 100
2.
Center the Moon in the field of your Celestar telescope.
3.
Focus the telescope by turning the focus knob until the image is sharp.
4.
Set the shutter speed to the appropriate setting (see table 8-1).
5.
Trip the shutter using a cable release.
6.
Advance the film and repeat the process.
Lunar Phase ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400
Crescent
1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15
Quarter
1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125
Full
1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250
Table 8-1
Above is a listing of recommended exposure times when photographing the Moon at the prime focus
of your Celestar telescope.
The exposure times listed in table 8-1 should be used as a starting point. Always make exposures that are
longer and shorter than the recommended time. Also, take a few photos at each shutter speed. This will
ensure that you will get a good photo.
If using black and white film, try a yellow filter to reduce the light intensity and to increase contrast.
Keep accurate records of your exposures. This information is useful if you want to repeat your results or if
you want to submit some of your photos to various astronomy magazines for possible publication!
This technique is also used for photographing the Sun with the proper Celestron solar filter.
PIGGYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY
The easiest way to enter the realm of deep-sky, long exposure astrophotography is via the piggyback
method. Piggyback photography is done with a camera and its normal lens riding on top of the telescope.
Through piggyback photography you can capture entire constellations and record large scale nebulae that
are too big for prime focus photography. Because you are photographing with a low power lens and
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