Astro Photography 

Time-Lapse Videos of the Night Sky

updated: 2026-03-01


The night sky offers a breathtaking show, with stars dancing endlessly through space. If you want to capture its grandeur, time-lapse photography offers you the opportunity to transform fleeting moments into a captivating visual story.

Among the many subjects, the Milky Way presents a particular challenge - it requires patience and creativity.

A time-lapse of the Milky Way combines precisely these factors and requires thorough preparation to reveal the celestial beauty of the galaxy as it swings across the night sky.

Capture the night sky like a pro

Follow these 7 crucial steps to bring the stars to life in your photos.

1. Choose the perfect location and time

Use apps such as Light Pollution Map to find a suitable spot and plan your shoot where you can find dark skies far away from city lights.

Monitor weather conditions and check the moon phases to ensure clear nights and the best conditions.

2. Prepare your equipment

Take a DSLR or DSLM, a wide-angle lens, a sturdy tripod, an interval timer (if your camera does not have a built-in interval timer), a headlamp, snacks, water, and a folding chair. Test everything in advance to avoid technical glitches on site.

3. Battery Power

As you will be shooting for an extended period of time, the battery can be an issue. To overcome the issue, it’s wise to use some sort of external battery source. I recommend an external USB-C powerbank with a 20.000mAh (~ 74Wh) capacity and a compatible battery adapter for your camera.

4. Set up your camera and adjust the settings

Place your camera on a stable tripod and switch to manual mode. Shoot in RAW format to maintain maximum quality and flexibility during post-processing.

Aperture: Select an aperture between f/2.8 and f/4 

ISO: start with ISO 1600 up to ISO 3200; adjust the value as needed to balance the exposure. 

Focus: Set the focus manually to infinity to achieve optimum sharpness. Use Live View or the display to precisely adjust the focus. (this is the most difficult part!)

Stabilization: Turn of any kind of stabilization, as your camera is mounted on a stable tripod anyway

5. Set-up the Interval Timer of your Camera

Exposure time: 20–30 seconds are recommended to create light trails, or a shorter time if you want to keep the stars as points.

Pauses: Leave a 25–35 second pause between shots so that the camera can process each image without missing any frames.

Use the interval timer to trigger the camera at regular intervals. 

6. Start time-lapse

Start the time lapse recording in your camera.

7. Post-Processing

 Once you have all the images, combine and process them using special software:


Adopted from: Your guide to impressive Milky Way time-lapse photography: 5 essential steps (German), Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Created with the Personal Edition of HelpNDoc: Maximize Your Productivity with HelpNDoc's CHM Help File Creation Features