My journey into astrophotography began in 2020, during a time when I wasn’t very confident with computers. I remember joining online astrophotography communities, full of hope and questions—but instead of encouragement, I was often dismissed. Some even told me I wouldn't be able to do the hobby at all. That criticism gave me a point…

The International Space Station has been my favorite target since I started astrophotography five years ago. Even though my conditions aren't ideal—I live in a light-polluted area surrounded by trees, houses, and streetlights—I've learned to make the most of it. From my backyard, I can only see a small part of the sky, mostly near…

Roy Simanovich, an avid astrophotographer from a heavily light-polluted area (Bortle 9), recently embarked on a solo journey to capture some of the dark nebulae. Let's follow Roy on that unforgettable night... So I was already planning to go to a dark sky location (I live in Bortle 9 area so I do need a…

Houston, Texas, USA Shooting deep-sky targets from a Bortle 9 zone? Most would say it's nearly impossible — but not Clint Shimer. Living next to a brightly lit baseball field in Houston, Texas, Clint contends with intense light pollution every night. With stadium lights glowing late into the evening, only the brightest stars are visible…

In our third feature with longtime ZWO friend Michael Tzukran, we take a deeper dive into his astrophotography journey, technological evolution, and unforgettable nights under the desert sky. Although many new friends have joined the ZWO community over the years, Michael's story continues to inspire. For those meeting him for the first time, let's start…

This time, we spoke with astrophotography enthusiast Cody Bancroft, who shared his personal experience of trial, error, and eventually finding clarity through the right gear. When Cody first started astrophotography, he was using a Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi (ALT-AZ) mount on a William Optics wedge, paired with a 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope. He wasn't able to properly polar…

Astrophotographer Callum Wingrove is based in the suburbs of London under Bortle 7 skies, where he primarily images from home using focal lengths between 135mm and 860mm. Earlier this year, he came across an 8" Meade LX10 SCT that had been sitting unused at a local astronomy society for years. “The scope was 27 years old,…

Journey with ZWO Jon Garguilo, a 41-year-old airline pilot based in Florida, has spent his life surrounded by skies — both above and beyond. His passion for space began in elementary school, when a school astronomy night introduced him to Saturn’s rings through a telescope. That one view left a permanent impression. "Seeing Saturn’s rings…