There is a reason I’m up at 2:30 on a Sunday morning. No, it’s not just to feed the cats. For me, it’s about finding the darkest spot I can to get a shot of the full moon with my new Pixel 10 Pro. When I saw the clear, bright sky this past Sunday, I knew it was the perfect opportunity.

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with shooting the moon on my Pixel phones. Sometimes, I get results like the photos you see here, absolutely stunning with amazing detail. Other times, I end up with a blinding, blown-out white circle. It’s a bit of a gamble, but when you hit it, the results are incredible. I’ll admit I used Pixelmator to clean up the image slightly, but the detail you see is what the Pixel captured straight out of the camera.

So, how can you improve your chances of getting a great moon shot? Here’s a simple guide based on the astrophotography settings I use.

Getting the Shot: A Practical Guide

When it comes to moon photography, a little planning goes a long way. The key is to stabilize your phone. If you’re serious about capturing the moon or any kind of astrophotography, a tripod and a smartphone mount are your best friends. They eliminate the shake that can ruin a long-exposure shot.

Here are the steps to follow on your Pixel:

1. Open the Camera App and swipe over to Night Sight mode.
2. Once in Night Sight, tap on the settings gear in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
3. From the options that pop up, select Astrophotography. This mode is designed to capture incredible detail in low light.
4. Once you hit the shutter button, a timer will start counting down. This is where that tripod comes in handy. Keep your phone perfectly still as the Pixel works its magic, taking multiple long-exposure shots and stacking them to create one detailed image.

It can be a long wait, sometimes up to several minutes, but it’s worth it. The phone does all the heavy lifting. It blends the exposures to bring out the craters and textures on the moon’s surface. This is done without overexposing the bright light.

I’d love to hear about your experience. Have you had any luck capturing the moon with your Pixel phone? What tips and tricks have you discovered?