Course Description

The Deep Space Astrophotography Course will educate you about the equipment and accessories you need and will use in your amateur setup. You will also achieve mastery of important astrophotography concepts that often take trial and error to develop.

This course covers all you need to know about deep-space imaging so you can skip the frustrating nights, the equipment issues, and save time sifting through hundreds of tutorials published on YouTube. Your instructors, Antoine and Dalia of Galactic Hunter, will help you master every aspect of astrophotography using a telescope. Take a look at the pictures below, all taken by Antoine and Dalia using the methods from this course!

  • The most complete Deep Space course on the internet

  • Lifetime access with free updates

  • Compatible across platforms (Windows, Mac, Mobile...)

  • 84 videos with commentary, 100+ written lessons and bonus content

  • Downloadable videos for offline learning

  • Cygnus Loop Astrophotography with a telescope
  • M101 the Pinwheel Galaxy
  • Seagull Nebula and Thor's Helmet Nebula astrophotography with a telescope

Course Curriculum

    1. Before We Begin...

    2. Table of Contents

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Welcome to our Deep Sky Astrophotography with a Telescope Course!

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. How We Got Started

    5. What Resources Should You Read?

    6. How to Get Motivated: Astrophotography Apps and Websites

    1. Introduction

    2. Battling Light Pollution: How to Find the Perfect Location

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Weather Wizard: Which Websites and Apps to Use

    4. How to Scout a Dark Sky Site

    5. Target Selection: What Deep Sky Object Should You Image?

    6. Planning Shots with Stellarium

    7. Planning Shots with SkySafari

      FREE PREVIEW

    8. Potential Danger Out In the Field

    9. Test Your Knowledge - Planning

    1. Introduction

    2. Choosing the Right Equipment for Deep Space

    3. How to Power Astrophotography Equipment

    4. How to Properly Setup a Tripod

    5. How to Safely Attach a Mount to the Tripod

    6. How to Attach a Telescope to the Mount

    7. How to Attach a DSLR Camera to a Telescope

    8. How to Attach a Cooled Camera to a Telescope

      FREE PREVIEW

    9. How to Balance Your Rig

    10. How to Plug in the Cables (GEM + DSLR)

    11. How to Plug in the Cables (AM5 + OSC)

    12. Cable Management

    13. Case Study #1: Setting Up an EQ6 Mount and Refractor Telescope

    14. Case Study #2: Setting Up a MyT Mount and Reflector Telescope

    15. Case Study #3 - Setting Up a Strain-Wave Gear Mount and Refractor Telescope

    16. Test Your Knowledge - Equipment

    1. Introduction

    2. How to Download ASCOM

    3. How to Download Various Drivers for your Equipment

    4. How to Download the Platesolver Catalogs

    5. 🟡 SGP: Dashboard Walkthrough and The Basics

    6. 🟡 SGP: Preparing Our Imaging Session

    7. 🟡 SGP: Acquisition Settings

    8. 🟡 SGP: Setting Up Text and Email Notifications

    9. 🟡 SGP: How to Focus Manually

    10. 🟡 SGP: Calibration Frames: Taking Darks and Flats

    11. 🔴 ASIAir: What Is It?

      FREE PREVIEW

    12. 🔴 ASIAir: Initializing and Connecting the Equipment

    13. 🔴 ASIAir: How to Polar Align

    14. 🔴 ASIAir: How to Focus and Use an Electronic Focuser

    15. 🔴 ASIAir: How to Focus the Guide Camera on the OAG

    16. 🔴 ASIAir: Calibration Frames: Taking Darks and Flats

    17. 🔴 ASIAir Plus Full Walkthrough

    18. 🔵 NINA: Dashboard Navigation

    19. 🔵 NINA: How to Connect to Equipment

    20. 🔵 NINA: Sequencer Tutorial

    21. 🔵 NINA: Calibration Frames

    22. 🔵 NINA: Useful Settings

    23. 🔵 NINA: Useful Plugins

    24. Test Your Knowledge - Software

    1. Introduction

    2. Choosing the Right DSLR/Mirrorless Camera

    3. Camera Accessories: Make Your Life a Little Easier

    4. Menu Walkthrough and Important Features to Activate

    5. Main Menu Settings (ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture)

    6. Summary of DSLR/Mirrorless Camera Settings

    7. How to Switch to Manual or Automatic Focus

    8. How to Switch to BULB Mode

    9. How to Use an Intervalometer

    10. How to Attach a Clip-On Filter to a DSLR Camera

    11. How to Clean a DSLR/Mirrorless Camera Sensor

    12. Astro-Mods: Should You Get Your Camera Modified?

    13. Test Your Knowledge - DSLR/Mirrorless Camera

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Introduction

    2. One-Shot Color Cameras

    3. Monochrome Cameras

    4. The Anatomy of a Cooled Camera

    5. Cropped Sensor vs. Full-Frame Sensor

    6. What is the Benefit of Cooling?

    7. What is Gain?

    8. What is Binning?

    9. How to Mount the OAG on the Camera

    10. How to Clean your Astronomy Camera Sensor Window

    11. Test Your Knowledge - Astronomy Cameras

About this course

  • $199.00
  • 135 lessons
  • 6.5 hours of video content

Jump Into Deep Sky Astrophotography

The course has been designed to be very easy to follow, with a structure based on the learning experience. That means no annoying music, no filler talk, and no unnecessary montage. Go through each lesson in order, or jump from section to section, the choice is yours!

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Master Proper Planning

Before you start buying gear or imaging, we prepare you with useful planning tips that make all the difference! Learn about the impact of light pollution, how to find a good location for astrophotography, know which sites and apps we recommend for checking the weather, and how visualize your night using planetarium software. We also share resources to help you stay motivated!

Equipment Selection and Setting Up

Astrophotography gear can be both costly and overwhelming to choose from. Are you unsure about which telescope is right? Wondering how much to invest in a reliable mount? Debating between a color or monochrome camera for your astrophotography setup? Let us eliminate the confusion and guide you in building the perfect astrophotography rig tailored to your budget. Plus, we'll show you how to set up your new equipment once it arrives!

Master Software

ASCOM, PHD2, ASIAir, SGP, NINA... No matter the software you use, we have got you covered! Learn what you should download on your computer before imaging at night, what drivers are and which ones to install, and how to use a sequencer in SGP, NINA, or the ZWO ASIAir. Discover how to use additional software like the QHY Polemaster, Stellarium, SkySafari, or ASTAP.
Software tutorials for astrophotography

Master your DSLR/Mirrorless Camera

If you're a complete beginner in astrophotography, you'll likely start with either a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. With the right techniques, it is perfectly possible for you to capture impressive astrophotography images! In this module, you'll discover which cameras are best for astrophotography, which accessories are worth the investment, and the best settings to use depending on your target.

Master Cooled Astronomy Cameras

Mastering your DSLR camera is a great start, but if you're committed to astrophotography for the long haul, you'll eventually want to dive into cooled, astronomy-dedicated cameras as well! Whether you choose a color or monochrome camera, this module will teach you everything you need to know, including things like gain, binning and cooling, to take your images to the next level!
Software tutorials for astrophotography

Master your Telescope

This module aims to teach you not only which telescope is best for deep space astrophotography but also how to become fully comfortable with your chosen instrument. By the end, you'll be confident in using it for any target, easily connect any camera or accessory, and understand terms like focal ratio, aperture, field flattener, and more.
Learn how to use a telescope for astrophotography

Master your Mount

The mount is the most important part of the astrophotography rig, and it can also be the most difficult to master. This is why we have a chapter dedicated to motorized mounts and how to use them! We'll cover both German Equatorial mounts and Strain-Wave Gear mounts. We'll also go over polar aligning using different techniques, and auto-guiding.
How to use a mount for Mount MAstrophotography

Master your Filters

Filters can be used with any camera and are essential for blocking light pollution, capturing targets in specific wavelengths, or both! While adding filters to your astrophotography setup may seem intimidating if you are a beginner, we're here to guide you every step of the way. We will give you all the knowledge you need to choose and use the right filters to enhance your astrophotography pictures!
How to use filters for astrophotography

Master Shooting the Night Sky

By this point, you should be fully comfortable with your astrophotography rig and ready to start capturing images! This module includes several case studies, showcasing how to photograph deep sky objects using various setups and from different locations, like a city backyard or a site away from light pollution in the desert. We've also included additional lessons to further enhance your astrophotography skills, like how to take all types of calibration frames.
Astrophotography tutorials

Master Data Processing

No astrophotography course would be complete without a chapter on image processing! In this module, you'll learn multiple techniques for stacking your files, along with detailed workflow examples for different deep sky targets. By following these examples, you'll be able to replicate the process and achieve the best possible results from your data. Let us help you bring your astrophotography images to life through powerful post-processing techniques!
Astrophotography processing tutorials

End Quizzes

At the end of each chapter, you'll find a short quiz designed to help reinforce what you've just learned and check if you've retained the key information. These quizzes are optional, but they offer a fun way to wrap up each chapter and challenge yourself to achieve a high score!
Astrophotography course end quizzes

Get the Deep Sky Photography Course Now

Access our Deep Space Astrophotography with a telescope course and start learning immediately!

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Reviews

Jimmy Ragsdale

5 star rating

“Don't know how to start, stuck in the middle, been doing this for along time and want some new ideas! This is the spot to be. ”

“Don't know how to start, stuck in the middle, been doing this for along time and want some new ideas! This is the spot to be. ”

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Jeff Halter

5 star rating

“It has been quite a learning curve for me because it really is hard to teach old dogs new tricks. I started in 1982 and set my scope aside in 2001. I started again in 2020 and things have really changed. This was just the thing I needed to get bac...”

→Read More

“It has been quite a learning curve for me because it really is hard to teach old dogs new tricks. I started in 1982 and set my scope aside in 2001. I started again in 2020 and things have really changed. This was just the thing I needed to get back on track.”

→Read Less

Harish Krishnakumar

5 star rating

“Great content, taught by knowledgable teachers :)”

“Great content, taught by knowledgable teachers :)”

→Read Less

Instructor Bio

Learn from mentors who truly care

Antoine Grelin is a French-American astrophotographer and is one-half of Galactic Hunter. Along with his wife Dalia, Galactic Hunter offers astrophotography tutorials, guides, gear reviews, and complete courses for all levels of skill and equipment. Galactic Hunter images have been featured in NASA publications, Astronomy Magazine, BBC, and PBS Television, and have been recognized with awards from APOD, AAPOD2, and Flickr Explore.

Antoine Grelin

Instructor

Instructor Bio

Learn from mentors who truly care

Dalia Grelin is an American amateur astronomer and the second half of Galactic Hunter. She has a BSBA in Marketing and had a career in digital marketing. She assists with marketing, filming videos, and creating astrophotography content. As a supportive wife and assistant to Antoine, Dalia also has expertise in astrophotography knowledge from years of working on Galactic Hunter.

Dalia Grelin

Instructor

Awards & Features

Our astrophotography has been featured in the following and many more:

  • AAPOD 2 Logo
  • PetaPixel France
  • NASA Logo
  • BBC Sky At Night magazine
  • PBS Outdoor Nevada astrophotography
  • Universo Magico Logo
  • ZWO Logo
  • QHYCCD logo
  • Space Junk podcast logo
  • Sadr Region astrophotography with a telescope
  • The Pleiades astrophotography with a telescope
  • The Witch Head Nebula astrophotography

FAQ

  • Do I need a telescope (or gear) to use the course?

    Not necessarily. The early chapters of the course will assume you do not yet own any equipment, and give you tips on what to look for when purchasing a telescope, mount, and more. We encourage following along before making an expensive purchase that might later be regretted.

  • Who is this course designed for? Beginners or experienced astrophotographers?

    Both! The course will teach beginners everything about deep-space imaging with simple, easy-to-follow lessons. On top of that, the course also contains in-depth lessons that cover advanced topics, perfect for experienced astrophotographers looking to become even better in the hobby.

  • How long will I have access to the course material?

    Courses that are purchased individually give you lifetime access with no expiry date. Bundles on the other hand, which include all courses at a low price, have a small yearly renewal fee. More info on that can be found on the bundle pages.

  • Can I still benefit from this course if I live in a light-polluted area?

    Absolutely! One of the main chapters of this course is all about filters, which can be used to block most of the light pollution to still give you incredible pictures of nebulae.

  • What kind of support is available if I have questions during the course?

    We receive a lot of emails and messages on social media each day from people seeking help with astrophotography. We do our best to reply to everyone, but it is not always possible. We prioritize emails from both Galactic Course members and Patreon.

  • Can I access the course on mobile devices?

    Yes, you can access the course on any device, which include computers, tablets, and smartphones.

  • Will I receive a certificate upon completing the course?

    Yes! Once you complete the course, you will be able to retrieve a beautiful certificate proving that you have learned deep sky astrophotography with Galactic Hunter.

  • Can I access the course offline?

    The course lessons are hosted on an online platform, but you will have the option to download the videos and watch them at any time, even when offline!

Upgrade to the Ultimate Bundle!

Why get one when you can get ALL?

The Deep Space Imaging course is part of the Galactic Course Ultimate Bundle, which also includes our courses on Milky Way photography, Star trails, Time-lapses, Remote Imaging, all our processing guides, and several perks!

The Ultimate Bundle has a small annual renewal fee, but includes so much more and regular updates! Try it and feel free to cancel at any time if you do not like it!

We strongly suggest getting the Ultimate Bundle to unlock all our learning content and get the very best out of your investment.


  • Galactic Course - Ultimate Bundle

    The Ultimate Bundle of the Galactic Course includes not only all the course lessons, but also all our processing guides! This is the best investment for the price and the largest of our bundles.

    $349.00 first payment, $75.00 / year onwards

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