Capturing the Night Sky on Camera
Using a Smartphone, Tablet, or other Digital Camera
Platform
Digital camera, with access to settings
Duration
1 to 2 lessons
Resources
Differentiation
Focus on the Matariki cluster and Puanga of the Orion constellation, linking the activity with a celebration of the season and Māori new year.
Assign different stars, or constellations for learners to photograph, research, and report on with the stories across cultures.
Extension
Challenge ākonga to expand their photography to other aspects of nature and other times of day, experimenting with exposure time to investigate impacts on light and motion.
About Activity
This guide is designed to help learners make the most of the powerful digital cameras available on most devices these days, by introducing simple techniques for tweaking the camera settings to help capture their own stunning images of the night sky.
Learners will learn about the exposure time of taking photos before turning up towards the sky, to take their own quality photos of the stars. They will adjust their camera settings to suit their device, experiment with the stability of their camera and timing of their shot, and to share their astronomical results!
Activity Guide
Me pēhea e kitea ai a te kāhui o Matariki me te whetū ko Puanga:
How to find the Matariki cluster and the star Puanga:
