Corona Borealis and Bootes: A Galaxy Captured with Just a Smartphone!
Embarking on a new hobby can be incredibly rewarding, and for one budding astrophotographer, that journey began by simply pointing a smartphone towards the night sky. The result? A breathtaking capture of the Corona Borealis and Bootes constellations, even under challenging Bortle scale 6 conditions with some clouds present.
From Pocket to Cosmos: The Equipment
What's remarkable about this image is the accessible equipment used. No expensive telescopes or specialized cameras were involved. The tools for this celestial endeavor were:
- Samsung Galaxy S24: A powerful modern smartphone, proving its capability in capturing the faint light of distant galaxies.
- A Simple Tripod: Essential for keeping the phone steady during long exposures, minimizing blur and maximizing detail.
The Technical Dive: Capturing and Processing
This is a beginner's effort, but the dedication to the process shines through. The capture phase involved:
- Total Exposure: 30 minutes
- Light Frames: 60
- Darks, Flats, and Biases: 30 of each, crucial for noise reduction and calibration in astrophotography.
The post-processing journey, which took approximately an hour and a half, involved a suite of powerful software:
- Siril 1.4.0 Beta 3: Used for stacking the light frames, aligning them, and performing initial calibration.
- Gimp: A versatile image editor for further adjustments and enhancements.
- Rawtherapee: Another powerful tool for raw image processing.
- Snapseed: Likely used for final touches and smartphone-friendly edits.
The final output is a testament to what can be achieved with patience and a willingness to learn, even with basic equipment.
The Road Ahead
This initial success has clearly fueled a passion for the stars. The astrophotographer plans to upgrade to a dedicated camera and a fast, wide aperture lens (f/2.8) to explore even more of the night sky's wonders. We wish them the very best of luck on this exciting astronomical adventure!
