When asked about astrophotography essentials, the first items that come to mind are things like imaging cameras, telescopes or camera lenses, and a tracking mount or sturdy tripod. Those items are required, but here is a list of 10 essential items you should have but didn’t know you needed.
1: Insect repellent
There is nothing like the onslaught of little whiney, bloodthirsty mozzies to make you want to pack up and go home. Even when imaging in my backyard, I never venture outside without a good hefty layer of Deet (diethyltoluamide - the active ingredient to prevent mosquito bites). I have found mozzies to be more prominent during polar alignment.
There must be something about twisting those nobs that gets them into a frenzy. Ok, ok, so it most likely has something to do with it being dusk as mozzies are known to be more active in the morning or evening. But let's roll with the fact that they are astro-hating parasites. If you don’t protect yourself from that first bite, you will soon be covered in big itchy bumps.
Scratching for the rest of the night and probably infected with some kind of zombie virus. Not the cool type of zombie, like Liv from iZombie but the bad type from I AM LEGEND. Mozzies are the worst, so insect repellent is my number one must-have!
2: Barlow lens
Barlow lenses are an inexpensive way to completely transform your telescope. For readers who are new to astronomy - a Barlow lens is a tube that contains lenses that will increase the magnification of your telescope. Using a 2 X Barlow on a telescope with a focal length of 750mm will give you a focal length of 1500mm.
Buying a new telescope that has a 1500mm focal length can cost an arm and a leg, are large and often heavy. Barlow lenses are the perfect accessory to have on hand, allowing you to go from wide field in the evening to planetary killer in the early dawn hours. For the reflector owners, a Barlow lens can also be used to help get precise collimation. Read the Barlowed Laser technique article for more information.
3: Red-light headlamp or red-light torch
The third items on my list go hand in hand and are self-explanatory. There’s a time and place for fumbling around in the dark and during an astro session is not one of them. I don’t have a permanent setup, so I am often polar aligning and organising cables in the dark.
Trying to figure out which cable is USB-C or USB-A and what cable goes where. Using a red-light torch helps you to see without causing your eyes to lose their dark adaptation. Did you know it takes 30 mins for your eyes to adapt to the dark!
Additionally, stray white light can enter telescopes, destroying the current exposure. White light is often banned from star parties and other group astro nights for this very reason. Headlamps are great because they free up your hands for a stubby or flask with your poison of choice.
4: Spare batteries
Before I began my astrophotography journey, I was a landscape, portrait and wedding photographer. The most important lesson I’ve learnt along the way is to always have a backup. Back-up storage, a backup camera and backup power to name a few. It's important to always have a spare camera battery.
As well as spare batteries for your headlamps, your star adventurer, or other portable tracking mounts. Even your intervalometer, which is a device used to trigger a camera to take a set number of images with a set amount of exposure time. Bring spare batteries for EVERYTHING!
5: A compass
The next couple of items will resemble something straight out of a Scout's handbook. But often in remote areas, there is no phone service and some apps may not work. It can be hard to get a reading of where the south is (or north if you’re up in the northern hemisphere). Plonking your tracking mount down in the relative direction of either celestial pole is going to save you a lot of time and hassle during polar alignment.
6: A bubble level
A well-levelled mount is key to perfectly round stars. While most tracking mounts have a built-in level bubble. They are not 100 percent accurate. Using a third-party bubble level will ensure that your mount is level on all sides.
7: A digital calliper
A digital calliper is a tool used to measure small distances down to a fraction of a millimetre. Perfect for measuring that all-important back focus. They are extremely easy to use and relatively affordable. I picked one up from Bunnings for $20.00 AUD.
8: A screwdriver/allen/hex key multi-tool
You probably already have one of these laying around the house, but I would recommend buying one for your astrokit. In case you accidentally leave it at home when out in the field.
As a Newtonian owner, I used a screwdriver almost every session when I collimate. But there are many other screws and bolts that need tightening and they are not always the same size! A multitool is small and compact and saves having to carry around a toolbox full of different screwdrivers and allen keys.
9: Hand towels
The night can get damp and wet. I use a hand towel to cover my laptop to protect it from moisture and to minimise light spillage. If I have been away from my set-up for some time during the night and need to go back to check on things, I often return to find my seat covered in dew.
So, to avoid a wet bottom, I cover my chair with a hand towel too. After waking in the morning after a night-long session, sometimes my telescope is dripping wet from dew, so I like to wipe everything over before starting calibration frames.
10: Microfibre cloths
Lastly, if you use filters, either attached to the camera or a filter draw. You may find with the constant handling, that they often get fingerprints and dust on them. As do the glass elements and mirrors on telescopes.
Using any random piece of fabric is not recommended as some can be coarse which may cause scratches. It is recommended to use a microfibre cloth in a circular motion to remove any nasties that may impact your images from these surfaces.
Okay so this list is not a comprehensive, all inclusive list of everything you will need! There are other items that find their way into your astrokit such as a white shirt, spare cables, zip ties and hockey straps, these items are things I never realised I would need starting out and hopefully will help you too!
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