Tips, Guides & Planning
Practical advice for astrophotographers — from planning your first Milky Way shoot to advanced techniques.
2026 Lyrids Meteor Shower: How to Plan and Photograph It
The 2026 Lyrids peak April 22 with a favorable crescent moon window. Here's how to plan your location, timing, and camera settings to photograph one of the oldest meteor showers in the sky.
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Scout Now, Shoot Later: Location Planning Before Milky Way Season
The photographers who get great Milky Way shots plan in two phases. Here's how to use Milky Way Planner to find your windows, and what to do with that information before you ever show up at night.
6 min read
New: Dark Sky Location Maps, Light Pollution Overlay, and Galactic Core Arc
Milky Way Planner now shows light pollution data directly on every map, 400+ dark sky locations with individual planning pages, and a galactic core arc showing exactly where the Milky Way will appear in the sky.
5 min read
Milky Way Season 2026: When to Shoot, Where to Plan, and the One Night You Can't Miss
Plan your 2026 Milky Way photography season with new moon dates, visibility by latitude, meteor shower overlaps, and the one August night you can't miss.
8 min read
Milky Way Planning with Interactive Maps, Calendars, and Light Pollution Data
Milky Way Planner has a new design, interactive maps, and a 2026 visibility calendar for 31 locations worldwide. Light pollution overlays and dark sky parks coming soon.
4 min read
How to Plan Perfect Circular Star Trails: Location, Timing, and Technique
Master circular star trail photography with proper planning, location scouting, and timing strategies for dramatic concentric circles around Polaris.
7 min read
We Fixed the Milky Way Calendar — February Wasn't Lying, Our Math Was
The annual Milky Way calendar was showing zero visibility for winter months. We fixed it; February and January now show accurate galactic core visibility ratings.
2 min read
Planning Milky Way Shots 2 Years Ahead: Iceland Case Study
How detailed advance planning turned a 2022 idea into perfect 2024 shots at Iceland's Vestrahorn. Real timeline, tools, and lessons learned.
6 min read
Milky Way Photography in Spring: Planning Guide for Peak Season
Spring marks the return of galactic core season. Here's how to plan your best Milky Way sessions as the core rises higher each night.
7 min read
Solo Astrophotography Safety: Emergency Planning for Remote Night Shoots
I do most of my astrophotography alone. There's something about being out there by yourself at 2am, no one to coordinate with, no compromises on when to leave or where to set up. But shooting solo in remote locations means you're on your own if something goes wrong. I learned this the hard way on a trip to Reflection Canyon when I ran out of water a mile from my vehicle. Real emergency planning starts months before you leave, not the day before.
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