Astrophotography is the art and science of capturing images of astronomical objects and celestial events, using cameras, often with telescopes, to record the light from distant objects.
It's more than just pointing and shooting: It involves specialized techniques like long exposures and image stacking to capture faint details not visible to the naked eye.
It combines artistic vision with scientific purpose: Images can be stunningly beautiful or used for scientific research, like studying stars and galaxies.
Dark skies and proper equipment are crucial: Minimizing light pollution is important, and specialized equipment like telescopes, tracking mounts, and astronomy cameras can be used to improve image quality.