Smartphone cameras have come a long way. Thanks to advances in sensor technology, computational photography, and AI image processing, you can now capture impressive images of the night sky without a DSLR or telescope. While smartphones still have limitations compared to dedicated astronomy cameras, features like Samsung’s Pro Mode and Astrophoto Mode have made astrophotography more accessible than ever.
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Modern flagship smartphones, particularly recent Samsung Galaxy devices, can capture the Milky Way, star trails, constellations, meteor showers, and even some brighter deep-sky objects with the right techniques and accessories. Here’s how to get the most out of your smartphone for astrophotography.
Know Your Camera Settings: Mastering Samsung Pro Mode
Many modern smartphones include a Pro or Manual camera mode that allows you to adjust key exposure settings yourself. Samsung Galaxy devices offer one of the most capable implementations through the Camera app’s Pro and Expert RAW modes.
ISO
ISO controls your camera’s sensitivity to light. Higher ISO settings capture fainter stars but introduce more digital noise.
- Start with ISO 800–1600 for wide-field night sky photography.
- Increase to ISO 3200 only if your phone’s sensor handles noise well.
- Lower ISO settings generally produce cleaner final images when stacking multiple exposures.
Shutter Speed
Long exposures are essential for astrophotography.
- Use exposures between 10 and 30 seconds for stars and the Milky Way.
- Avoid exposures longer than about 20 seconds on a fixed tripod unless using a star tracker, as Earth’s rotation will create star trails.
- Samsung’s Expert RAW Astrophoto mode can automatically capture exposures lasting from 4 minutes up to 10 minutes by stacking many shorter exposures internally.
Focus
Autofocus often struggles in low light.
- Switch to manual focus and set focus to infinity.
- Use a bright star or distant light source to fine-tune focus if your phone allows it.
White Balance
Setting white balance manually prevents your phone from constantly changing colours between exposures.
- A white balance of 3000K–4000K generally produces natural-looking night sky colours.
- Cooler settings can help reduce the orange glow caused by light pollution.
Samsung Astrophoto Mode: The Game Changer
If you own a recent Samsung Galaxy flagship, such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra, or newer devices that support Expert RAW, you have access to one of the most powerful smartphone astrophotography tools available.
Samsung’s Astrophoto Mode uses computational photography to automatically:
- Capture dozens or even hundreds of exposures.
- Align and stack the images internally.
- Reduce noise using AI processing.
- Enhance faint stars and Milky Way detail.
- Generate star trail images automatically.
To use Astrophoto Mode:
- Install or open the Expert RAW app.
- Select Astrophoto mode.
- Place your phone on a sturdy tripod.
- Choose an exposure duration between 4 and 10 minutes.
- Allow the phone to complete the capture and processing sequence.
This mode can produce surprisingly detailed images of:
- The Milky Way
- Constellations
- Meteor showers
- Star trails
- Bright nebula regions, such as Orion
- Lunar landscapes
For many users, Samsung’s Astrophoto mode eliminates the need for manual stacking software altogether.
Utilise Astrophotography Apps
Even if your phone doesn’t have a dedicated astro mode, several apps provide manual controls and astrophotography features.
Android
- DeepSky Camera: Automatically stacks multiple exposures to reduce noise.
- Open Camera: Provides manual exposure controls on many Android devices.
iPhone
- NightCap Camera: Offers long exposure, star trail, and noise reduction modes.
- ProCam: Provides full manual control over exposure settings.
Planning Apps
- Stellarium: Locate celestial objects and plan compositions.
- SkySafari: Excellent for identifying planets and deep-sky targets.
- PhotoPills: Essential for planning Milky Way photography.
Image Stacking for Noise Reduction
Although Samsung Astrophoto mode performs stacking automatically, manual stacking still provides the best results.
Capture Multiple Frames
Take between 10 and 50 images of the same area of sky while keeping your phone completely stationary.
Stack the Images
Stacking software aligns the stars and averages out random noise, revealing faint details that aren’t visible in individual exposures.
Popular options include:
- DeepSky Camera (Android)
- Starry Landscape Stacker (Mac)
- DeepSkyStacker (Windows)
- Sequator (Windows)
Stacking is particularly effective when photographing:
- The Milky Way
- Orion Nebula
- Star fields
- Comets
- Meteor showers
Using a Tripod and Remote Shutter
A stable setup is absolutely essential.
Even tiny vibrations can ruin an astro image, so always use:
- A sturdy smartphone tripod.
- A Bluetooth remote shutter or your phone’s self-timer.
- A mount that securely grips your device.
Popular options include:
- Joby GorillaPod
- Ulanzi smartphone mounts
- Peak Design Mobile Tripod
Overcoming Limitations with Lens Attachments
External lenses can significantly improve smartphone astrophotography.
Wide-Angle Lenses
Perfect for:
- The Milky Way
- Meteor showers
- Aurora photography
Brands such as Moment and Sandmarc offer excellent optical quality.
Telephoto Lenses
While they can’t replace a telescope, telephoto attachments can help photograph:
- The Moon
- Jupiter and its moons
- Orion Nebula
- Large star clusters
Clip-On Filters
Light pollution filters can improve contrast under urban skies by reducing artificial lighting.
Planning Your Shot: Timing and Location
Even the best smartphone cannot overcome poor conditions.
Dark Skies
Get as far away from city lights as possible.
Useful tools include:
- Light Pollution Map
- Dark Site Finder
Moon Phase
Avoid imaging around the full Moon.
The best time for deep-sky photography is:
- Around the new Moon, or
- When the Moon is below the horizon.
Milky Way Season
For observers in Australia, the Milky Way core is visible roughly from March through October, peaking during the winter months.
Post-Processing Your Smartphone Astrophotos
Processing is often where the magic happens.
Adobe Lightroom Mobile
Excellent for:
- Noise reduction
- Dehaze
- Contrast enhancement
- Colour balancing
Snapseed
A powerful free option for:
- Selective adjustments
- Exposure correction
- Contrast enhancement
Desktop Processing
For maximum quality, export your images and process them using:
- DeepSkyStacker
- PixInsight
- Photoshop
- Siril
Special Techniques: Star Trails, Time-Lapses, and the Milky Way
Star Trails
Samsung Astrophoto mode can create star trails automatically, or you can use apps such as NightCap.
Time-Lapse
Capture the movement of:
- The Milky Way
- Clouds
- Aurora
- Meteor showers
Set intervals of around 10–20 seconds for smooth playback.
Milky Way Photography
For the best Milky Way images:
- Use a dark sky location.
- Shoot during winter months.
- Use either Samsung Astrophoto mode or stack multiple manual exposures.
- Include foreground elements for scale and impact.
The exciting thing about smartphone astrophotography in 2026 is that you no longer need thousands of dollars worth of equipment to capture the night sky. Modern phones are essentially carrying a tiny observatory in your pocket, which is both incredible and slightly unfair to the rest of us who spent years learning how to stack calibration frames.
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