I used to think a full moon was the best time for deep sky photos

I was out at the Cherry Springs dark sky park in Pennsylvania last fall, trying to get the Andromeda galaxy. The moon was huge and bright, and I figured more light was good. My first 30 minute stack came out totally washed out, just a gray blob. A guy camping next to me saw my screen and said, 'You're fighting the skyglow, man. New moon or bust for that stuff.' I switched to a brighter target, the Pleiades, and salvaged the night. Has anyone else had a plan totally wrecked by moonlight and what did you shoot instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper2546d ago

Full moons are great for lunar surface details though.

nancyd855d ago

The shadows really make the craters stand out.