When we think of astrophotography, we think of dark skies and vast landscapes. However, in the modern world, with a growing population and modernization, dark skies are vanishing quicker than one can imagine. If somebody wants to visit dark skies nowadays, they will have to travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles. And this may not be feasible for everyone. Even if someone could travel that far, it may not be possible more than a few times a year.
Most of us living in cities under Bortle 8-9 skies miss the wonder and the grandeur of the sky. It is also commonly believed that astrophotography is not possible in a city. Well, if you think that, you are wrong, at least partially. Indeed, light and air pollution in cities take away a lot of opportunities from us, but it is still possible to create several images from light-polluted city skies.
Here are five types of astrophotography you can try from the city.
1. Solar Photography
Sun is one of those objects that are not affected by light pollution. From a city or other urban settings, solar photography is a great option. Here are some options you can try from your rooftop, backyard, or a busy street:
Cityscape with the sun during sunrise or sunset
White-light solar photography (imaging the solar disk with a white-light filter attached to your telephoto lens)
Narrowband solar photography (imaging the solar disk with a Hydrogen Alpha or CaK or other solar narrowband filters attached to your telescope or telephoto lens)
the Long or short projects with the sun as the main subject (for example, photographing solar analemma for a year or tracking a sunspot region over a couple of weeks etc.)
Telephoto lenses can capture sunspots during sunrise and sunset
Equipment required: Most of the solar photography options can be done with a DSLR or mirrorless camera attached to a telephoto lens (or a wide-field lens for cityscapes). A tripod is important for this purpose. For white-light photography, you will require a white-light filter. For narrowband imaging, you will need a dedicated solar telescope or a narrowband filter system attached to your lens or telescope.
A white-light image of the solar disk revealing multiple sunspot regions
2. Lunar Photography
We all love the moon, don’t we? It is probably the most photographed object among astrophotographers (or those who don’t know about astrophotography). City light pollution does dial down the moon a little bit, but it is not something major. You can capture the moon from anywhere and everywhere if the moon is there in the sky.
You can try the following options for photographing the moon from light-polluted areas:
Cityscape during moonrise and moonset
Image of the lunar disk with a telephoto lens during most of the phases of the moon
Interesting projects with the moon (for example, lunar analemma, complete lunar phase, supermoons)
Details of the lunar disk captured with a 600 mm telephoto lens
Equipment required: You will only need a DSLR or mirrorless camera attached to a telephoto lens to capture the moon. You can also try nighttime cityscape with the moon with a wide lens. A tripod, again, is essential for this purpose.
Blue moon of 2023 rising beside a distant mobile tower
3. Constellation, Star Trails and other wide-field photography
Wide-field astrophotography is not easy in urban settings. The results are in no way comparable with that of the dark skies. However, some constellations are visible from even the most light-polluted skies. Constellations like the Orion, Ursa Major, Sagittarius etc. are mostly visible. The stars of these constellations are bright and most of them are visible with the naked eyes. Remember that a camera’s longer exposure will capture more stars than your naked eye.
Since very few stars are visible from light-polluted areas, star trails may not look as good as a bortle 1 sky. However, add to it an interesting monument or building of your city. This will produce an image which you won’t be able to get from dark sky regions. For star trail photography, however, it is best to choose a lower vantage point from your foreground. This will help you to point your camera up, covering more sky towards the zenith. The zenith is the least light-polluted region of the sky and is bound to show more stars in your image.
Star trail captured from a light-polluted location. Fewer stars are visible near the horizon
Other wide-field astrophotography involving bright planets like Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mars is also possible from a city. For this, you might require a clearer view of the horizon.
Check mobile planetarium apps or websites like Stellarium to identify and get more details about the constellations and planets.
Equipment required: Wide-field images of constellations, star trails etc. can be done even with your mobile phone. You can also use a camera attached to a wide-field lens.
Venus is bright enough to be photographed easily even during twilight
4. Special Celestial Events
Celestial events are probably one of the most interesting things to photograph. You will come across events like solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, conjunctions, occultations etc. Most of these events which include the sun, the moon or bright planets or stars, can be easily photographed from city skies.
A conjunction of crescent moon and Venus
Equipment required: You will need a camera with a telephoto or a wide-field lens, depending on the subject and nature of the special celestial events. For solar eclipse imaging, you will require a solar filter. Do not forget to add a tripod to this list.
The moment when Venus reappears after an occultation
5. Transits
Often, some of the satellites, including the International Space Station, Chinese Space Station, or the Hubble Telescope, transit the sun or the moon. These are not majorly affected by light pollution and can be easily photographed from urban regions. All you need to do is follow the Transit Finder website to find out when the transit is going to take place. A specific transit is only visible from a small radius. You will often need to travel 5-10 kilometers to photograph the transit. The transit finder website will give you the exact date, time, and location for these transits. At times, you will get lucky and will be able to capture planes transiting the sun or the moon.
Equipment required: A telephoto lens with a camera is required to capture the transits. For solar transits, a solar filter is essential. Since transits happen only over a second (or less), an external trigger for your camera is extremely helpful.
A flight transiting the moon
Bonus: Deep sky photography
Although it may sound weird, deep sky photography is also possible from the most light-polluted areas. However, it is not something which is beginner-friendly. The task of capturing faint lights coming from distant galaxies, nebulae or star clusters, is not easy. But if you manage to learn the process, the images are extremely rewarding and are bound to surprise your friends (they may not even believe you!).
Equipment required: To add to the steep learning curve of deep sky imaging, you will also require specialized equipment to capture these. An astro-modded camera or a dedicated astro-camera attached to a telescope or a lens, and all of them on top of an equatorial mount is required. And the most important element of doing it from urban skies is to have a narrowband filter. Depending on what camera you are using, whether it is a monochrome or colour camera, you will either require a set of narrowband filters (Hydrogen Alpha, Sulphur and Oxygen) or a dual, triple or quad narrowband filter.
Heart nebula captured from Bortle 9 sky with a dedicated astro-camera, a small telescope and a dual narrowband filter. Image Credit: Basudeb Chakrabarti
If you are someone living in a city and love the sky, you can try astrophotography from your home. All you need is a little bit of patience and lots of love. Clear skies!
