Desert Astronomer

26/04/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Brendan Mitchell | Processed by Luke Shepherd Desert Astronomer

M42, the Orion Nebula, is one of the most studied and recognisable regions in the night sky. Located roughly 1,350 light years away, it’s an active stellar nursery where new stars are forming within vast clouds of gas and dust.

At the core of the nebula sits the Trapezium Cluster, a group of young, massive stars whose intense radiation is energising the surrounding gas. The glowing reds trace hydrogen, while the blues and greens reveal oxygen-rich regions shaped by stellar winds and radiation pushing outward through the cloud.

In this widefield view, the surrounding dust becomes just as important as the bright core. Dark lanes of cold material weave through the field, while faint emission and reflection structures extend well beyond the central nebula highlighting the complexity of this region that often gets lost in tighter crops.

Captured using a fast widefield system and mapped in a Foraxx narrowband combination, this image balances the strong core with the surrounding structure, revealing both the intensity and the subtle detail across the Orion complex.

Rokinon 135mm f/2 (Starpoint Lens Carrier)
QHY268M | Sky-Watcher EQ6-R | Starpoint Focus Controller
Antlia 4.5nm Narrowband EDGE Filters
Foraxx Narrowband

Total integration: 8 hrs
SII 300s × 30 | Ha 300s × 36 | OIII 300s × 30

14/04/2026

NGC6188 Fighting Dragons of Ara
It’s wild to see what’s possible now that processing tools have come so far.

Reprocessed the Dragons of Ara from scratch to see what these newer tools could really pull out.

Most people go for the classic blue/gold look, but I’ve been leaning toward a workflow that keeps more of the natural colour variation in the dust. Harder to get right, but it feels more real than just slapping on a preset.

Which do you prefer — this wider spectrum or the classic Hubble look?

Equipment:
Telescope 🔭: Skywatcher 10” CF Newtonian
Corrector: TS-Wynne 68 coma corrector
Camera 📷: QHY268M
Filters: Antlia 4.5nm Narrowband filters
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 hypertuned

08/03/2026

08/03/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Brendan Mitchell | Processed by Luke Shepard Luke Shepherd Astrophotography

M45, the Pleiades, is one of the most recognisable star clusters in the night sky but beneath its brilliant blue stars lies an intricate web of faint interstellar dust.

That electric-blue glow isn’t emission, but reflection. The hot young stars of the cluster illuminate surrounding dust clouds, scattering shorter wavelengths of light and revealing delicate filaments that stretch far beyond the core.

With careful integration, the often-overlooked brown dust surrounding the cluster begins to emerge subtle, textured, and incredibly expansive. It’s a reminder that even familiar objects still hold depth when you take the time to look.

Rokinon 135mm f/2 in a Starpoint Lens carrier
QHY268M, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R, Starpoint Focus Controller
Antilia LRGB pro
LRGB combination

Total integration: 8 hrs
L 300s × 26 | R 300s × 24 | G 300s × 24 | B 300s × 22

08/12/2025

Nearly two years since I last captured photons from my own backyard… and it felt like plugging straight back into the universe ✨🌌

I finally pointed a camera at the sky again—this time running a full OHS palette on the Large Magellanic Cloud 🌌✨ Big shoutout to for keeping the mission alive while my gear’s been on loan… and for tossing me the absolute weapon that is the Rokinon 135mm f/2 to make this shot happen 🚀📸

Data haul for the nebula-hungry:
33× SII (2h 45m) 🔴
30× Ha (2h 30m) ❤️
28× OIII (2h 20m) 💙
All 5-minute subs through a QHY268M cooled to –5°C ❄️📷
Total integration: 7 hours 35 minutes of pure cosmic goodness 🌠

Feels good to be imaging at home again under southern skies 🔭✨

21/06/2024

✨ 🌌 Throwback to almost 2 years ago when I captured the breathtaking Messier 16, also known as the Eagle Nebula and home to the iconic Pillars of Creation. 🌠🔭 I recently revisited this celestial wonder and made significant improvements in my astrophotography skills and equipment. The difference is truly night and day! Swipe to see the progress. Looking forward to more nights under the stars and capturing even more cosmic marvels. 🌌 ✨
Sky-Watcher Australia

Equipment
Mount: NEQ6 Hypertuned by Starpoint Australis
🔭: Skywatcher 10” F4 Quattro CF @ F3.62 with TS-Wynne 68
📷: QHY268M @ Gain 56 Offset 50 HGM
Filters: Antlia 4.5nm SHO and LRGB Pro 36mm filters
Programs: Pixinsight, Photoshop CC and Lightroom

20/04/2024

Hey everyone! 🌟 It’s been a while since I’ve been active in the hobby space, but I’m gearing up for a comeback! 🚀 I recently revisited this image and gave it a fresh edit. Although it’s just LRGB for now, I’m excited to explore more targets soon.

Drop your favorite Southern Hemisphere targets in the comments or DM me! I might even share some data in a random draw. Can’t wait to dive back into astrophotography with you all! 🌌

10/12/2023

Embarked on a celestial journey this weekend and captured the enigmatic beauty of dark nebula NGC1788 in a dance with the cosmos. Endured winds of over 50km/h over a couple of nights, putting the Octans Observatory tent to the ultimate test. 🌌


.hunter

Taken from Bortle 1 Skies
Total: 5hrs

Equipment
Mount: NEQ6 Hypertuned by Astronomy Academy Perth
🔭: Skywatcher 10” F4 Quattro CF with TS-Wynne 68
📷: QHY268M @ Gain 56 Offset 50 HGM
Filters: Antlia 4.5nm SHO and LRGB Pro 36mm filters
Programs: Pixinsight, Photoshop CC and Lightroom

06/12/2023

Some amazing things to come in the future from these legends! Starpoint Australis

Evening Star Gang! Thanks for following us in our next journey with the launch of Starpoint Australis. Brendan has been meaning to jump on here to introduce himself and let you all know about how the rebrand came about and what's to come in the next 12 months. However the universe had other plans for him and he has been given an opportunity to collaborate with one of the best to do an Astro trip for a secret mission. I'm sure after this weekend he may be able to fill in some details but for now I would just like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for jumping ship from the Astronomy Academy page and Welcome to the new folks who may be following us for the first time. Until next time - Jess

17/10/2023

🌌✨ Celestial Photobomb: Comet ZTF meets NGC 300! ✨🌌

A cosmic convergence captured in a frame. NGC 300's elegance complimented by Comet C2020 V2 ZTF unexpected brilliance in the night sky.

This occurrence is a rare capture and was pure coincidence it happened.

Astrophotography's magic at its best! 📷✨