Astrophotography generally requires the use of long focal length ( > 500mm) lenses, long exposures (30 seconds to many minutes), and a mount which can track the motion of stars. While many astrophotographers use specialized cameras, all of these photos were shot using consumer level DSLR's. Any photographer having a good, recent digital camera with a long focal length lens and the willingness to travel to dark skies away from city lights can achieve similar results using a tracking mount.
