Astrophotography on a Phone:

You’ll need:

1.        A phone with Night mode / Pro mode   (most iPhones 12+, Pixels, Samsung Galaxy)

2.       A small tripod or bean bag 

3.       A dark location (away from streetlights)

4.       Clear sky + as little moon as possible

5.       Know where you are looking (Use an app to help)

Free Apps; Starwalk 2, PhotoPills or Stellarium to find the Milky Way

💡 Tip: If you can see   the Milky Way with your eyes, your phone can capture it.

What phones does this work best on?

iPhone 12+,  Google Pixel (Astro   Mode is 🔥), Samsung Galaxy S/Ultra   series

 iPhone

·           Open   Camera → Night mode

·           Mount   on a tripod → Night mode auto-extends to 10–30s 

·           Tap   to focus on the sky

·           Set   exposure to MAX if available

How long before star trails appear on iPhone?

Single long exposure (Pro / manual apps)

• 10–15 seconds → Stars stay mostly sharp

• 15–20 seconds → Slight trailing may start (especially near the edges)

• 20–30+ seconds → Visible star trails

This depends on:

• Your focal length (ultra-wide trails sooner)

• Where you’re pointing (near the celestial equator trails faster)

• How picky you are about sharp stars 😉

Why Night Mode often avoids trails

iPhone Night Mode doesn’t take one long exposure.

Instead it:

• Takes many short exposures

• Aligns and stacks them

• Corrects for Earth’s rotation

So even though it says “30s”, you usually don’t get star trails in Night Mode.

Android (Pixel / Samsung)

·           Use   Night Sight / Astro mode

·           Keep   the phone perfectly still

·           Some   phones automatically stack images over 3–5 minutes

Pro   / Manual Mode (best if available)

Set:

·           ISO: 800–1600

·           Shutter: 10–20 seconds

·           Focus: Manual → ∞ (infinity)

·           White   balance: 3500–4000K

Stability is everything,  Tripod + 2–5s up to 13 seconds timer, Or use voice control /   Bluetooth shutter

Even tiny movement =   blurry stars

 Composition makes a good photograph.

Try to include something other than just the sky that can add context:  Trees,  Mountain,  Buildings, a tent or person (with a dim light)

Editing: This is where the magic happens and takes practice. Use:

In phone editing,   Snapseed App,  Lightroom Mobile (free) App, Astroedit (£2.99) to remove stars   and edit the Milky Way.

• Lower highlights

• Increase   contrast & clarity

• Slight   dehaze

• Reduce   noise

• Adjust   white balance until stars look natural

• Avoid   overdoing it—grainy neon skies says “beginner”.

Extra tips

✨ Shoot in RAW if your  phone allows
✨ Turn off HDR
✨ Clean your lens

Aurora :

Use Night or Pro mode with the phone on a   tripod, setting a 5–13 second exposure, ISO around 400–800, focus to  infinity, and white balance near 3500–4000K if your phone allows.                                                    Use the main lens with no zoom,   turn off HDR and flash, and lower the exposure if the aurora becomes brighter or is moving to keep its shape and colourful