PDF · US Letter · 69 pages
Print manual
All 69 pages on a light background that prints on any home printer. Read the plan at home and keep the field pages in the bag.
Each target, start to finish
The Milky Way, aurora, star trails, time-lapse, moon, and deep-sky chapters run in the same order, from the plan to the finished file.
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Plan
When the target is up, where to stand, and what the moon, the season, and the forecast allow. Given for both hemispheres.
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Settings
A field page with the starting settings and what each one is doing, matched to the settings pages on this site.
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Field procedure
The steps in order, from leveling the tripod to the last dark frame, so nothing depends on memory in the dark.
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Processing
What to do with the files: single frames, stacks, trails, time-lapse renders, and color at night.
Read at home, take into the field
Every page prints. The field pages, with settings, procedures, tables, and checklists, also come as a phone edition.
PDF · 1080 × 1920 · 28 pages
Phone field pages
Settings, procedures, reference tables, and checklists in a dark theme, readable at low brightness. Swipe through them in Files, Books, or any PDF app.
PNG · 28 images
Lock-screen pages
Every phone page as a separate image. Save tonight's procedure or checklist to Photos and set it as your lock screen before you head out.
Ten chapters
Foundations first, then one chapter per target, then the reference tables and checklists. That is 64 pages. With the cover, contents, how-to, glossary, and closing, the print manual is 69. Pages marked field are also in the phone edition.
FN Foundations11 pages
- How a night exposure worksFN-01
- Darkness and the moonFN-02
- Light pollutionFN-03
- Focusing in the dark fieldFN-04
- Sharp starsFN-05
- NoiseFN-06
- GearFN-07
- Field craftFN-08
- Plan the nightFN-09
- Reading the frameFN-10
- Airglow and zodiacal lightFN-11
MW Milky Way9 pages
- When the core is upMW-01
- Where to standMW-02
- In the frameMW-09
- Settings fieldMW-03
- Field procedure fieldMW-04
- The arch fieldMW-05
- Processing a single frameMW-06
- Stacking and blendingMW-07
- When the frame is wrongMW-08
AU Aurora8 pages
- What to read before you goAU-01
- Where you can see itAU-02
- When to goAU-03
- Settings by brightness fieldAU-04
- Field procedure fieldAU-05
- Aurora time-lapseAU-06
- Processing auroraAU-07
- When the frame is wrongAU-08
ST Star Trails5 pages
- How trails formST-01
- One exposure or manyST-02
- Settings fieldST-03
- Field procedure fieldST-04
- Processing trailsST-05
TL Night Time-lapse5 pages
- Interval and framesTL-01
- Settings fieldTL-02
- Day into nightTL-03
- Field procedure fieldTL-04
- RenderingTL-05
MO The Moon3 pages
- The moon and the dark windowMO-01
- The moon as a subject fieldMO-02
- Lunar eclipses fieldMO-03
DS Deep Sky7 pages
- What a tracker changesDS-01
- Polar alignment fieldDS-02
- First targetsDS-03
- Where to pointDS-07
- Settings fieldDS-04
- Calibration framesDS-05
- Processing a stackDS-06
PR Processing3 pages
- Order of operationsPR-01
- When to stackPR-02
- ColorPR-03
RF Reference tables9 pages
- NPF exposure table, full frame fieldRF-01
- NPF on APS-C, and the 500 rule fieldRF-02
- Hours of darkness fieldRF-03
- Milky Way core by month fieldRF-04
- Aurora and magnetic latitude fieldRF-05
- Star trail length fieldRF-06
- Time-lapse frames and storage fieldRF-07
- The moon in the frame fieldRF-08
- Stacking and field of view fieldRF-09
CK Checklists4 pages
- Pack list fieldCK-01
- Before you leave fieldCK-02
- On site fieldCK-03
- Before you pack up fieldCK-04
Get the Night Sky Manual
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What's included
Built from the site
Every value matches a page or tool on camerasettings.com.
Works without signal
PDFs and lock-screen images. No app, no account, no connection.
Updates included
Updated editions are sent to the address you bought with. Buy once.
30-day refund, no countdowns
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Questions
Which cameras does it work with?
Any camera with manual control: DSLR or mirrorless from any brand. The pages use generic terms (Manual, Bulb, manual focus) rather than one brand's menu names, and the settings pages on this site explain each term.
How is this different from the Field Guide?
The Field Guide's eight night cards give you starting settings in ten seconds. The Night Sky Manual is the full plan behind them: when each target is up, where to stand, a field procedure, processing, 9 reference tables, and 4 checklists.
How is it different from the free Milky Way cheat sheet?
The free cheat sheet is one page of Milky Way settings. The Manual covers six targets across 69 pages, with planning, field procedures, processing, and reference tables, plus a phone edition of the field pages.
Do I need a star tracker?
No. The Milky Way, aurora, star trails, time-lapse, and moon chapters need a camera, a lens, and a tripod. The deep-sky chapter explains what a tracker changes and when one is worth buying.
Does it work in the Southern Hemisphere?
Yes. Seasons and directions are given for both hemispheres, and every table that is laid out for the north says how to read it in the south.
What exactly do I download?
One ZIP file that expands to a folder with the print manual (PDF, US Letter, 69 pages), the phone field pages (PDF, 1080 × 1920, 28 pages), a folder of 28 page images (PNG), and a short README. On an iPhone, tap the ZIP in Files to expand it.
How do updates work?
When the reference on this site changes, a new edition is emailed free to the address used at purchase. The edition number is printed on the closing page and in the README.
How is payment handled?
Checkout runs on Kit, with card processing by Stripe. Card details never pass through this site. Prices are in US dollars. Apple Pay and Google Pay are available where supported.
What if it is not for me?
Reply to your purchase receipt within 30 days and the purchase is refunded in full. Details are in the terms.
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