How to get amazing photos of the Geminids meteor shower with your iPhone
The Geminid meteor shower peaks on December 13 and 14 with Nasa indicating that it can produce as many as 120 meteors per hour over this span, so if you have clear skies and can get away from bright city lights, you can see the natural wonder and even capture it with nothing more than your iPhone.
Here’s a quick guide on how to capture great images of the night sky with your iPhone using either the built-in camera app or a third-party camera if you’re willing to download another app. There’s only one tool you need outside of the iPhone itself and that’s either a tripod or any way to keep your iPhone completely steady while taking the photo. I relied on placing my phone in a cup or leaning it against a tree or wall to get great night shots when I didn’t have a tripod, so just be creative.
How to photograph a meteor shower with your iPhone’s camera app
If you have at least an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max for best results, you should turn on ProRAW by going to Settings > Camera > Formats and turning on Apple ProRAW.
- Open the camera app
- Tap the icon at the top center of the camera app
- Select the night mode icon and move it all the way to the right, this will allow your iPhone to capture as much light as possible
- Now select tap on Timer and set it to 3 seconds to avoid picking up the shake by tapping on your screen
- Position your phone for the shot and then tap the shutter button
- Repeat until you manage to frame a meteor
How to photograph a meteor shower with NightCap camera
If you’re willing to invest $2.99 in your astrophotography, the NightCap Camera app takes the guesswork out of capturing photos of a meteor shower with its dedicated meteor mode. NightCap Camera has a variety of other features, but we’re only focused on its meteor-capturing prowess.
- Download NightCap Camera (opens in new tab) from the App Store
- Tap the star icon in the lower left corner to access settings
- Select Meteor mode
- Tap the shutter button
That’s it, the app will now take up to 720 shots per hour and only save the photos it identifies as possibly being a meteor.
