The Beauty of Astrophotography Lies in the Fusion of Art and Science

Two years after winning #44/2023, Robert Eder, a sound engineer from Vienna, Austria, has once again claimed victory with #27/2025 ASIWEEK, returning to share his astrophotography journey. Combining technical skill with artistic vision, Robert first picked up astrophotography as a teenager using a 115mm Newtonian and film photography, and later returned in 2016 with a Sky-Watcher 8″ Newtonian and a DSLR. Today, he balances imaging and visual observation, often running two setups simultaneously — one dedicated to cameras and one for the eyepiece.

Reflecting on his recent work, Robert shared: “This spring I was finally able to get back into imaging after surgery. After only four sessions, I was honored with two NASA APODs, two IOTD on AstroBin, two publications in Sterne und Weltraum magazine, and Image of the Week on ZWO. These recognitions motivate me to keep going.” “One area that has evolved is my processing. I still use Astro Pixel Processor for stacking most of the time, but then I move into PixInsight for the next steps: SPCC for color correction, various tools for background extraction, and of course the Xterminator suite. The GHS stretch in particular has been a game-changer — it lets me recover much more of the faint signal, and I now rely on it for all my stretching. When noise becomes an issue, NoiseXterminator handles it beautifully. After that, I finish everything in Affinity Photo. This combination has really taken my images to the next level. “

Gear and Setup

Robert currently operates a mix of versatile rigs:
2× Sky-Watcher Explorer 130/650 PDS on an EQ6-R Pro dual rig. (OSC + dual-band simultaneously, very handy during the short summer nights).
Sky-Watcher Explorer 200/1000 for visual, planetary, and smaller objects.
Sky-Watcher EQ5-N for visual observation (and imaging when there is no wind).
ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro, ZWO ASI533MC-Pro, ZWO ASI120MC-S, ZWO ASI120MM-Mini, Optolong dual-band filters.
Omegon MiniTrack LX3 for wide fields with a Canon 600Da and various Canon lenses.
He also shared plans for upgrades: “I’m planning to add a mono camera (ASI2600MM-Pro) soon and replace my trusty old EQ5 with an AM5N.”

Planetary and Deep-Sky Imaging

Robert enjoys both planetary and deep-sky astrophotography. He notes: “Planetary is all about seeing, focusing, a fast camera, and waiting for the right moment. You have to be patient — sometimes the seeing can go from bad to excellent in just a few seconds. Of course, you also need a large aperture and a long focal length. ” He plans to get an 18” Dobsonian next year, which will completely transform his planetary and visual experience.

For deep-sky imaging, he emphasizes patience and long integration times: “Deep-sky imaging is all about a reliable mount, good guiding, and as much integration time as possible. Everything takes much longer: acquisition, processing, and the learning curve. But I love both equally, and from time to time I even do some spectroscopy.”

Astrophotography has profoundly shaped Robert’s life. He says: “What I enjoy most about astrophotography is the combination of art and science. On the one hand, it allows me to capture the incredible beauty of the universe in a creative way, and on the other hand, it constantly challenges me to learn and improve my technical skills. Every clear night feels like an opportunity to explore and connect with something far bigger than myself.
Astrophotography has definitely changed me. It has taught me patience, perseverance, and has given me a deep sense of wonder and appreciation for the cosmos. And beyond the images themselves, I simply love being outside under the stars. I’m not into remote imaging — for me, I need to be there in person, directly connected to the night sky .”

Setbacks are something I know very well — not only from the technical side of astrophotography, but also from life itself. After my surgery, I had to take a long forced break and couldn’t do any imaging for months. That was a hard time for me, because this hobby is such an important part of my life.

When I was finally able to start again, I came back with even more passion and motivation. Every clear night feels like a gift, and every successful image reminds me of why I love this hobby so much. What keeps me motivated is the reward that comes after the struggle: that moment when the final image appears on the screen and I realize I’ve captured something that has traveled across the universe for millions of years.

ZWO’s Impact

Robert credits his ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro as a major influence: “It was a huge step forward from using a DSLR — almost no noise thanks to cooling, no amp glow, and the large dynamic range really improved my images. It elevated my astrophotography to a new level.”