Astrophotography · Central New York · 43°N

OBSERVING
THE
SKIES

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01 — About

Behind
the lens.

I'm Nick, an amateur astrophotographer based in Central New York. my Astrophotography journey began a few years ago with the Lunar eclipse that passed through CNY. I bought a small manual Celestron telescope for the eclipse. I've singe upgraded and continued as a hobby.

Most of my work is shot from my backyard under Bortle 4 skies, along with the local Syracuse Astronomical Society. I occasionally get to darker skies when I can, with many trips planned in the future as I learn and grow.

I’m taking my time to learn the processing workflow, using PixInsight and Photoshop to shape a workflow that keeps improving over time.

02 — Equipment

The rigs.

01

Primary · High Resolution

Celestron
EdgeHD 9.25"

2350mm f/10 · SCT · CGEM II

  • ZWO ASI2600MC DUO - DSO
  • ZWO ASI678MC - Planetary
  • ASIAIR Plus control · ZWO EAF autofocus
  • Primary DSO detail & planetary workhorse
IN BUILD
02

Secondary · Widefield

Askar FRA400
+ ZWO AM5

400mm f/5.6 · Quintuplet Apo

  • ZWO ASI533MC · OAG guided with ASI120MM Mini
  • ZWO AM5 harmonic drive mount · ZWO EAF
  • Mid-range widefield
In PLANNING
03

Smart Scope · travel

ZWO
Seestar S50

250mm f/5 · All-in-one

  • App-controlled, fully automated stacking
  • Go to for quick driveway and backyard sessions
Active
04

Smart Scope · Travel

ZWO
Seestar S30 Pro

160mm tele / 3.4mm wide · Dual-cam

  • Travel & grab-and-go instrument
  • TC10 wedge for EQ tracking mode
  • Wide camera doubles as aurora / timelapse rig
Active

03 — Gallery

Latest images.

Full gallery
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04 — Field Notes

Recent sessions.

All sessions
14 Apr
2025
Coming Soon
This will be where I post on recent sessions of note. Including details, setup, location with the results.
PartialAM5 BuildASI533MC
2h 31m integration

05 — Dark Sky Sites

Where I shoot.

01

Backyard — Canastota, NY

Oneida · Madison County · 43.07°N

Home base. Primary location to setup the SeeStars in the driveway or backyard. Clear view of the Northern sky.

Bortle 4 Permanent setup
02

Darling Hill Observatory (DHO)

Tully, NY · ~45 min from home

Rural site on a 7‑acre hilltop in Vesper, south of Syracuse. Reliable dark skies with open observing pads, power, and a clear roll‑off roof setup. Good horizons and a quiet location for visual work and imaging. Home of the Syracuse Astronomical Society

Bortle 4 ~45 min
03

Goblin Valley, UT

Emery County, Utah · Upcoming TBD

Bortle 1. One of the darkest measured skies on Earth. Planned for a 6-night solo imaging run during a new moon window. This is a trip I’m working toward in the future.

Bortle 1 Oct 2026
?

Future Observatory

TBD

Exploratory. Scouting parcels that fit my needs to grow and expand my hobby.

Someday soon....