In the first part of my Astrophotography "How to" I mainly disguised observing during the warmer months of the year. This time I will talk about the cold months of the year. With the right cold weather gear Astrophotography can be done through out the year.
A good warn coat is the number one peace of gear you will need. Spend hours in the cold dark is uncomfortable and in some cases deadly. Hand warmers or a good set of gloves. Fingers will be the first to be affected by the cold air and frostbite can set in quick. A head cover, I use a knitted toboggan with ear covers along with a face mask. Other cold gear that may be needed, insulated coveralls or snowmobile suite. Dress in layers,I start off with a base layer, long sleeve shirt then long underwear. then shirt and pants then my jacket. Water proof boots and warm socks. If the temp gets to lower I also ware insulated coveralls.
What can we see?
The winter months have some of the clearest skies in the southeast and a sky full of wonder. The photo above was shot February 2014, notice the constellation of Orion. Orion is one of the most photographed constellations in the winter sky.
Also a number of Meteor showers can be seen,. The Geminid shower in December is the largest meteor shower of the year. In early January the Quadrantid shower is a good start to the New Year.
The Andromeda Galaxy(M31) can also be photographed with relatively easy in the winter. Andromeda can be found near the constellation of Cassiopeia and in the eastern sky in early winter. The photo above was taken with a 75-300mm kit lens
Other sites in the sky are Pleiades constellation(Seven sisters). This photo was taken as Comet Lovejoy passed by in January 2015
Another anomaly in the clear night sky are Iridium flares. An Iridium flares is a type of satellite flare made when the solar panels of an Iridium communication satellite reflect sunlight directly onto the surface of the Earth. This tends to happen just a couple hours after sunset or just before sun rise.
Even if their isn't a major astrological event happening a nightscape can be of just the foreground and the sky.
Star trails are more easily captured in the winter months due to the clear nights with very little to no cloud cover. I will start my start trails with finding the North start(Polaris) and compose to where it is either in the center or to the top left and right corners. This is only a personal preference. Sometimes pointing the lens strait up trough a leafless tree is a dramatic approach. After I have my shot composed and my exposure is set I will use a intravolometer to shoot the number of frames I need. Then I will sit in my truck till its done.
Gear
Gear for the winter months is the same as I covered in part 1. With the exception of hand warmers. Hand warmers can be strapped to the lens of your camera to keep it warm and prevent frost on any of its elements. A remote is handy due to wearing thick glove that make pressing the shutter button difficult. Batteries need to be kept in a warm place, the cold will drain batteries quickly even if they are not installed in the camera. A battery grip for my Sony A7R so that I can shoot longer with fewer battery
change overs.
Sunsets in the cold months offer a vibrant filled sky. even if your outing is short a good sunset is a bad thing to waste.
In closing, get out and experience the night sky year round. If the Milky way season has passed their are still a lot of things in the sky to see. From planets in or solar system to meteors that were formed millions of years ago, get out and explore the night sky.
If you need any help on Nightscapes or chat about it, leave me a comment.
