Summer Stargazing: How to Take Photos of the Night Sky By Jack Fusco //RHONE

There’s nothing quite like a night sky full of stars in the summer and no one appreciates that more than renowned astrophotographer, Jack Fusco. We wanted the inside scoop on how to capture the night sky so he broke things down for us so we can begin to capture or simply admire all that the night sky has to offer this summer. Let’s jump into it.

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Find Dark Skies — Whether you’re heading out to take photos or just get an amazing view of the stars, the first thing you need to do is escape light pollution! If you already have an area in mind, start by searching “area name light pollution map.” The results should look something like this:

Areas that are colored in green, blue or black will be your best bet for a great view of the night sky.

Plan Around the Moon Phase — Now that you’ve got a location picked out, it’s important to plan your trip for the best possible stargazing conditions. You’ll want to visit on or as close to the new moon phase as possible. Even in the darkest locations, a full moon is bright enough to wash out much of the night sky. If you can’t visit right on the new moon, you can also check the rise and set times. If the moon rises late enough, you still might have plenty…