Although seasoned astrophotographers will tell you that for the best photos you must get outside of the city, but a new filter from Hoya will make shooting the sky in urban areas a little bit easier.
The new Starscape filter will reduce glare created by the mercury and sodium vapor lights found in densely populated areas and minimize the green and yellow hues that are created by light pollution. Ultimately this filter seems like it will make it a little easier for city-dwellers to try their hand at shooting the stars without having to plan a trip into the wilderness.
The 1.5 ND filter will be available in 49mm to 82mm and offer a 0.5-stop exposure reduction. The filter is currently listed on Hoya’s website, but there is no word on pricing or availability quite yet.
If you are just getting started with night sky photography there are a ton of resources to help you out. Websites like In-the-sky.org is a good for planning shoots around lunar events and tracking regular moon activities. Websites like Dark Sky Finder will help get you away from light pollution if you are feeling adventurous. But even using a dedicated camera, a nice telephoto lens, and a sturdy tripod can make a huge difference when shooting the night sky.