Captured using a Celestron 127SLT telescope, this image showcases the celestial objects M31 and M57. The photograph was taken with an iPhone 11, utilizing the astroshader application to enhance the final result.
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It’s impressive to see such clear results from a setup that’s relatively accessible; using an iPhone 11 with the astroshader app on a 127SLT is a clever way to start. I’ve tried similar smartphone astrophotography with my own scope and know how tricky it can be to get a steady shot, so this gives me motivation to try for M57 again. What exposure settings did you find worked best with the astroshader app?
Thanks for the kind words—knowing you’ve tackled smartphone astrophotography too, I completely agree about the challenge of keeping things steady! For M57 with the astroshader app, I found stacking multiple 10-second exposures at a high ISO (around 1600) worked well to capture the ring’s detail without overwhelming star trailing. If you give it another shot, consider using a simple Bluetooth shutter remote to minimize vibration, and I’d love to hear how your next attempt turns out.
It’s impressive to see such clear results from a setup that’s relatively accessible—using an iPhone 11 with the astroshader app on a 127SLT is a smart combo. I’ve tried similar phone-astrophotography with my own scope and know how tricky it can be to get a steady shot, so this gives me some motivation to try that app for my next session. What exposure settings did you find worked best for M57?
Thanks for the kind words—it’s always encouraging to hear from someone who knows the challenge of keeping a phone steady at the eyepiece! For M57, I found that stacking several 10-second exposures in the astroshader app worked well to bring out the ring’s details without overwhelming star trailing. If you’re experimenting, I’d suggest starting there and adjusting based on your local sky conditions. I’d love to hear how your next session goes or if you have any other tips to share.
It’s impressive to see such clear results from a setup that’s relatively accessible; using an iPhone 11 with the astroshader app on a 127SLT is a smart way to start. I’ve tried similar phone-astro shots with my own scope and know how tricky it can be to get a steady image. This makes me want to revisit my own attempts on M57—what exposure settings did you find worked best with the app?
Thanks for the kind words—it’s always encouraging to connect with someone who knows firsthand how tricky phone astrophotography can be! For M57, I found that stacking multiple 10-second exposures in AstroShader worked best, as it gathered enough light without overwhelming star trailing. If you give it another try, I’d love to hear how your revisit turns out or compare notes on processing.
It’s impressive to see such clear results from a setup that’s relatively accessible; using an iPhone 11 with the astroshader app on a 127SLT is a smart combination I hadn’t considered. I’ve struggled with smartphone astrophotography on my own scope, so this gives me the motivation to try a dedicated app instead of the default camera. What exposure settings did you find worked best with the astroshader for M57?
Thanks for the kind words—it’s great to hear that the combination of the 127SLT and AstroShader app has given you some motivation! For M57 specifically, I found that using the app’s manual mode with a 10-second exposure at ISO 800 provided a solid balance of detail without overwhelming noise. One tip is to take multiple shots and stack them using a free program like DeepSkyStacker to really bring out the nebula’s structure. I’d love to hear how your next attempt goes, so feel free to share an update!
That’s correct.
You can definitely see the Ring Nebula visually with the right telescope and in the right location at the right time of year. It looks amazing in my 12-inch Dobsonian telescope under Bortle 5–6 skies.
How long was the exposure time? How did you capture a nebula using your phone?
For capturing M31 and M57, try Astroshader—an iPhone app that automatically stacks your images.
What Bortle scale zone was this taken from?
How visible were these to the naked eye? While they won’t appear as clear as in stacked and processed images, were they at all distinguishable?
You can see the core of Andromeda and the faint ring shape in real time.
You are the king of mobile astrophotography.
You’re welcome!