Planning an Imaging Session

Different objects are up at different times of year and night. The observing calendar and each object's page can help you plan what is well placed.

A bright Moon washes out faint targets; plan deep-sky imaging near new Moon. Clear, steady air ('good seeing') matters most for planetary work.

Light pollution is the biggest obstacle for deep-sky imaging. Darker sites dramatically improve results — the same reason professional observatories are built in remote places.