Milky Way Untangled
Beginner stargazing

How to photograph the Milky Way with just your phone

Your phone’s camera sensor is larger, faster, and smarter than anything a dedicated DSLR could offer ten years ago. If you can get yourself under a reasonably dark sky — Bortle 4 or darker — a 2024-or-newer flagship phone will record the Milky Way in a single exposure. No telescope, no star tracker, no laptop in a field at 2 AM. Just the phone, something to prop it against, and about 30 seconds of patience. ...

June 21, 2026 · 7 min · Andreas Ioannou