14-year-old student takes amazing pictures of the moon with her cell phone and gives tips | Science

Full moon, little light pollution and a vast, open horizon. Against this backdrop, high school student Helen Belmonte, 14, took out her binoculars and, using only her gadget and cell phone, took stunning photos of the sky on the afternoon of April 16.

The result was so surprising that it caught the attention of her professor, astronomer and coordinator of the Unesp Astronomical Observatory, Rodolfo Lange. According to him, many people with years of experience in astrophotography, or star photography, cannot take pictures of the moon like these. “I was touched,” he said in an interview with IG
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Helen says she got there around 5:45 p.m., when the sun was already setting, on the western horizon. The moon, in turn, rose timidly from the other side, reflecting rays of light in warm and vibrant colors.

At first, the idea was to sit and think about the view, because the young woman, still a novice in astrophotography, did not have a camera and other advanced equipment to take a good picture. But the scenery was so beautiful that she decided to take the risk of endeavors – and in the end, the attempt was worth it.

“I took my telescope, put in a 23mm eyepiece — which magnifies about 30 times — and put my cell phone camera in front of the lens,” says Helen.

“I waited about 15 minutes until I could see the tip of the moon, then took pictures over time. The process took about 45 minutes,” he adds.

Since she started taking pictures of the stars, last year, the young woman says she’s already taken about a hundred pictures of different celestial bodies — including those considered “deep sky objects,” like nebulae and galaxies. She even recently started sharing her astrological records on her Instagram profile. Astronomy by Helen
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However, the young woman’s interest in astronomy is much greater. It all started when she was only 10 years old and in the fifth grade of primary school.

“That year I took my first astronomy lessons – which, although covering very basic concepts, was very interesting. I kept looking for more and more information until, in the ninth grade, when I started to get more in-depth classes. courses and books, and I was introduced to Professor Lange’s course in observational astronomy techniques,” he says.

photography tips

When asked for tips to help those who want to start venturing into astrophotography, Helen was emphatic: “Patience.” According to her, this is the main advantage one should have when trying to take pictures of stars, because the method is basically trial and error. But one thing is for sure: the process is fun. And, of course, very satisfying.

“I think anyone who is patient through their own process can get into a very good level of astrophotography. I really encourage people to do it, if they feel like it, because the sky and the universe are really beautiful and worth recording,” he says.

“I’m sure, in the future, I’d like to study astronomy in college and work with something in the area, but I still don’t know exactly. Well, I still have some time to figure it out,” he adds.

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