brh009 Loc: Oklahoma

I use StarWalk2. There is also an app called Solar Walk, which is more concentrated on the Solar System. Both are fun and informative apps!

(edited: sorry for double-post).

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

New moon will be on February 15 there, so if you haven't made firm travel arrangements adjust accordingly. Your window of opportunity will be from Feb 8 to Feb 23, with Feb 15 being the best. The earlier in February, the closer the moon will be closer to being full and bright.

According to the chart found here:

https://petapixel.com/2015/01/06/avoid-star-trails-following-500-rule/

You'll only have a 10 sec exposure with a 35mm lens on your D7000.

You may want to consider renting a D700 or a D3S, and a 14mm F2.8 Rokinon or Samyang which are optically as good as it gets when used wide open, and you'll have less noisy images. The best ISO is the one that captures your stars and constellations - it could be 1600, or higher/lower - you'll have to do some testing prior to your trip. Also shoot this raw, and follow the guidance provided on post processing night sky images - from noise reduction to highlighting the stars and revealing color.

I don't think the 24-70 is a good lens for this application if you are using it on a full frame camera - when used wide open, only the center third of the frame is sharp, and it degrades to pretty poor into the corners. I've got several copies of this lens and they are all pretty much the same. Great lens for just about everything else, though. It should be better on a crop camera, btw.

Focus on something infinity distance away during the daytime, then tape the focus ring in position. You'll be able to shoot without needing to focus at night. Download and become familiar with the Photographer's Ephemeris, PHoto Pils and Stellarium.

You may find this article helpful as a place to start:

https://www.davemorrowphotography.com/welcome

jacklewis014

Thank you - I will check this out

jacklewis014

Than you for the information - I will try both - should be fun

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

There’s many excellent answers on the web just Google

pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA

I have Star walk 2 on my phone. It does what you’re asking about. I assume the are other acceptable apps that would do the same

jacklewis014

Thanks - I shot the Milky Way last year and really want to try more astronomical photography.

jtwind

Don't make too big a deal of it. Just try stuff! I use a tokina firin 20mm f2 lens. Start with focus at infinity or just short. wide open, iso 2500 and 20-25 seconds. Turn off in camera noise reduction and see what you get. Pretty easy to adjust from there, usually playing with ISO. It's fun and getting bogged down with details before you even try is counter productive. I have also used Starry Landscape Tracker with good results. Lets you take multiple short exposures and stack them. But in the beginning keep it simple and experiment.

pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA

A good ebook on the subject is: Nightscapes and Time Lapses, by Alan Dyer. There’s many more of course.

souimette

PhotoPills works for IOS or Android.

jacklewis014

Thanks - I appreciate the info

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

I have heard there is an iPhone app that will show the stars, planets, constellations, etc. visible from your location and the direction in the sky where you can shoot.
Does anyone know what that app is?

Photopills does IMHO the best job of predicting the position of astronomical bodies against the landscape. It superimposes the predicted future location of "sky body" against the scene as seen through the iPhone/iPad back camera. It accurately predicted the location of the astronomical center of the galaxy (Milky way) to within a few minutes if earths rotation time so I could align a foreground object such that the galaxy appeared vertical above a single fuel tank. But it does so much more. It has ND filter exposure calculators, DOF calculator, Hyperfocal calculator and probably other capabilities that I haven't discovered yet.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

I have heard there is an iPhone app that will show the stars, planets, constellations, etc. visible from your location and the direction in the sky where you can shoot.
Does anyone know what that app is?

Photopills does IMHO the best job of predicting the position of astronomical bodies against the landscape. It superimposes the predicted future location of "sky body" against the scene as seen through the iPhone/iPad back camera. It accurately predicted the location of the astronomical center of the galaxy (Milky way) to within a few minutes if earths rotation time so I could align a foreground object such that the galaxy appeared vertical above a single fuel tank. But it does so much more. It has ND filter exposure calculators, DOF calculator, Hyperfocal calculator and probably other capabilities that I haven't discovered yet.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

I have heard there is an iPhone app that will show the stars, planets, constellations, etc. visible from your location and the direction in the sky where you can shoot.
Does anyone know what that app is?

Photopills does IMHO the best job of predicting the position of astronomical bodies against the landscape. It superimposes the predicted future location of "sky body" against the scene as seen through the iPhone/iPad back camera. It accurately predicted the location of the astronomical center of the galaxy (Milky way) to within a few minutes if earths rotation time so I could align a foreground object such that the galaxy appeared vertical above a single fuel tank. But it does so much more. It has ND filter exposure calculators, DOF calculator, Hyperfocal calculator and probably other capabilities that I haven't discovered yet.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

FWIW using an 11 mm f/2.8 setting on a 1.5 crop factor Sony body with my Tokina 11/16 mm. UWA zoom and ISO 3200, my best exposure was 28 sec in duration. At that time interval even with a 16.5 mm full frame equivalent, the star points, when pixel peeped, had a very slight egg shape. Full manual settings Preset (and tape locked) focus setting on the lens, aperture wide open at f/2.8,and shutter limited by 500 rule, all left ISO as the only exposure variable to experiment with . I ended up at ISO 3200, camera on tripod with remote shutter release. Shooting RAW, IBIS turned off as well as long exposure noise reduction set at off. Perhaps with adjustments to fit your equipment and circumstances, you could use my settings as a starting point for your own experimentation (trial and error)