A supermoon will rise over the horizon on Monday night.<\/p>\n
Supermoons occur when a full moon rises during its closest point in its orbit to the Earth. They look huge, bright\u2026 and very photogenic.<\/p>\n
So where do you start if you want to begin snapping the night sky<\/strong>?<\/p>\n Welsh<\/strong> astrophotographer Dafydd Wynn Morgans has been photographing the universe for years, making the most of the dark skies above the Cambrian mountains.<\/p>\n It’s an area known for its astrotourism, with stargazers heading to the area’s “astrotrail” – nine Dark Sky Discovery Sites where it’s possible to see deep into space because of the lack of light pollution.<\/p>\n “I feel a little bit honoured and privileged to be able to go out at night,” says Dayfdd, talking to Sky News from a picturesque campsite outside Llanddewi Brefi village.<\/p>\n He was out photographing all night, taking advantage of the clear sky but he’s still upbeat: “It is quite emotional sometimes when I sit back and think how lucky I am.”<\/p>\n So here are some top tips on how to start taking photographs of the night sky.<\/p>\n Get to know your local area’s darkest spots<\/strong><\/p>\n “Seek out somewhere where you live which has minimal light pollution,” says Dafydd.<\/p>\n “Somebody once said, ‘Only in the darkness can you see the stars’ and it’s true. If there’s bright lights everywhere, you won’t see the stars, the planets, the galaxies.”<\/p>\n Plan ahead as to where you’re going to spend the night – make sure it is safe and you’re allowed to be there, and let someone know where you’re going.<\/p>\n He also recommends taking a flask of coffee to keep yourself awake.<\/p>\n “You need to plan,” Dafydd says. “It’s not like going down to the shop to buy a pint of milk.”<\/p>\n If you’re somewhere remote where people might not expect to see a person wandering around, it’s a good idea to let residents know you’ll be there.<\/p>\n “I go knocking on any doors during the day to tell people that in the middle of the night, someone might appear on a hill opposite their property.<\/p>\n “I’ve learned – my first ever mistake was going somewhere with a group of us with red head torches and the police turning up.”<\/p>\n A local resident had spotted the red lights, used to help preserve the eyes’ night adaptation, and thought there was a rave happening on top of the hill.<\/p>\n Give stargazing a go first<\/strong><\/p>\n “Get to understand what you can see in the night sky. What are you looking at?” he says.<\/p>\n This will help you understand where to look in the sky, the speed at which things move and the kind of celestial events you’re most interested in.<\/p>\n There are lots of stargazing apps you can use to understand what you’re looking at – although make sure your screen brightness is down so you can still see in the dark!<\/p>\n If you’re stargazing, Dafydd says to bring some nice, warm clothing and a blanket to lie on instead of craning your head back to look.<\/p>\n “If you’re lying down, you’ve got a cinematic seat under the cosmos.”<\/p>\n Try using your phone to snap some pictures<\/strong><\/p>\n Although a fancy camera will give you more options, Dafydd says you can start with your phone and still get great results without having to spend lots of money.<\/p>\n “A lot of the smartphones these days have camera technology in them that can allow you to take wonderful photographs of stars, the Milky Way, the aurora borealis<\/strong> and the moon,” he says.<\/p>\n Put your camera or phone on a tripod to make sure it stays still. If you move or shake the camera during this time, you’ll get a blurry shot.<\/p>\n Play around with increasing your exposure and ISO – both are usually available in smartphones’ pro mode. Doing that will let more light in, which will make it possible to see what is in the sky.<\/p>\n “If you really get into it, you can decide then to invest some money on a good camera, a good lens, a good tripod, a remote control and a head torch as well,” says Dafydd.<\/p>\n “And then all of a sudden, you’ve opened yourself into a new galaxy of experiences.”<\/p>\n Just remember to check you’ve got everything before you head off into the night, he warns.<\/p>\n “Once, I travelled three hours and I had forgotten to put the memory cards in the camera\u2026”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A supermoon will rise over the horizon on Monday night. 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