How to plan an astrophotography session? - Complete guide

Learn how to prepare your deep sky astrophotography nights: weather, light pollution, target choice and settings.

Anticipation: the key to success

In astrophotography, every minute counts. A successful session starts long before taking out the gear. The goal of planning is to maximize useful acquisition time while avoiding surprises.

The 3 pillars of good preparation

Astro Weather

Monitor not only clouds, but also seeing (turbulence) and humidity.

Visibility Window

Check what time your target passes the meridian and avoid shooting below 30° altitude.

Lunar Influence

Adapt your targets and filters according to the moon phase. Narrowband is your ally during full moon.

Using a dedicated tool

Tools like the SSI Session Planner automate these complex calculations for you, by cross-referencing your sensor data with the astronomical ephemerides of thousands of objects.