Hawthorne Deep Sky Observatory

Hawthorne Deep Sky Observatory Hawthorne Deep Sky Observatory for astrophotography

Captured the spectacular merging galaxies NGC 4038/4039 — better known as the Antennae Galaxies — from under bright city...
04/06/2026

Captured the spectacular merging galaxies NGC 4038/4039 — better known as the Antennae Galaxies — from under bright city moonlight. Even through the glow, the delicate tidal structures from this cosmic collision managed to emerge after hours of integration.

This interacting pair lies around 45 million light-years away, frozen in a slow-motion gravitational dance that will eventually reshape both galaxies entirely. Amazing to think that every faint photon in this image began its journey long before humans existed.

📷 Technical Details:
EDGHD 11" + 0.7x focal reducer
ASI585MC Pro
OAG guiding on EQ6-R mount

Acquisition:
Lum – 264 × 180s exposures

04/06/2026

360-degree view. A bit of fun :)

03/06/2026

I’m genuinely humbled by the incredible response to my Statue of Liberty Nebula image. Thank you to everyone who viewed, liked, commented, asked questions, and shared their thoughts across the astro forums.

It’s wonderful to connect with so many passionate astrophotographers and space enthusiasts from around the world. I really appreciate the encouragement, feedback, and discussions this image sparked.

Clear skies, and thank you again for the support!

Largest and the smallest scopes are batteling the full lit moon in the city tonight! 😅
01/06/2026

Largest and the smallest scopes are batteling the full lit moon in the city tonight! 😅

Last night’s Full Moon didn’t stop the dragons from flying. 🐉✨I captured the famous Fighting Dragons of Ara using the co...
01/06/2026

Last night’s Full Moon didn’t stop the dragons from flying. 🐉✨
I captured the famous Fighting Dragons of Ara using the compact yet impressive ZWO Seestar S30 Pro smart scope, running through the bright lunar glow and relying on the Seestar’s auto-stacked output as the foundation for further processing in PixInsight and Adobe Photoshop.

I created two final versions — one preserving the natural colour profile, and another processed in a dramatic HOO palette to reveal the intricate hydrogen and oxygen structures hidden within this stunning nebular battlefield. Even under a Full Moon, modern smart scopes continue to surprise with what they can pull from the night sky.

Tonight’s Full “Blue Moon” rising over Brisbane 🌕💙Despite the name, the Moon doesn’t actually appear blue. A “Blue Moon”...
31/05/2026

Tonight’s Full “Blue Moon” rising over Brisbane 🌕💙

Despite the name, the Moon doesn’t actually appear blue. A “Blue Moon” is simply the term used for an extra full moon occurring within a season or calendar cycle — making it a relatively rare celestial event.

I grabbed a quick handheld iPhone shot just before sunset, then captured a 1-minute lunar video through the ZWO Seestar S30 pro smart scope and let it auto-process the details. Even with these fast captures, the amount of texture and crater detail visible on the lunar surface is always incredible.

31/05/2026

Mind stretched by discussions on quantum mechanics, dark matter, quasars, the Planck length, possible life on Europa, and the immense rarity of intelligent life in the universe.

One of those evenings that reminds you how small we are — and how extraordinary the cosmos truly is.

Great to also meet fellow Brisbane astrophotographer Paul Backer. 🔭

31/05/2026

From quarks inside protons to galaxies billions of light years away… what an incredible night with Brian Cox in Brisbane. 🌌✨

Mind stretched by discussions on quantum mechanics, dark matter, quasars, the Planck length, possible life on Europa, and the immense rarity of intelligent life in the universe.

One of those evenings that reminds you how small we are — and how extraordinary the cosmos truly is.

Great to also meet fellow Brisbane astrophotographer Paul Backer. 🔭

31/05/2026

An inspiring evening with Brian Cox in Brisbane yesterday, exploring the universe from the smallest scales of quantum mechanics to the largest web-like structures of galaxies across the cosmos. Fascinating discussions on protons and quarks, the mind-bending Planck length, dark matter, quasars, the most distant known galaxies, and the possibility of life beyond Earth on worlds like Europa and Io.

One thought that really stayed with me was the rarity of intelligent life — despite billions of potentially habitable planets, Earth may have won an extraordinarily long cosmic lottery of stability over billions of years.

Also great to meet fellow Brisbane astrophotographer Paul Backer and share the excitement of astronomy and astrophotography with like-minded people.

A night that leaves you both humbled and deeply curious about our place in the universe. 🌌🔭

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