NocturnalLedge

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NocturnalLedge

Astrophotography tutorials from a Bortle 5 backyard in Middle Tennessee. Real gear, real mistakes, real results. The goal isn’t hype or perfection.

Teaching the full path from first light to finished image — because nobody should have to piece it together from a dozen sources. I’m Nate, the photographer behind NocturnalLedge. NocturnalLedge is a long-term astrophotography project centered on capturing the night sky as it actually is—not just the final image, but everything it takes to get there. I focus on planetary imaging, deep-sky targets, and the decisions that shape each result: equipment choices, weather, seeing, processing tradeoffs, and patience. This page documents real sessions under real skies. Some nights succeed, some don’t—but every one teaches something worth sharing. It’s clarity, craftsmanship, and steady progress. If you’re curious about astrophotography, refining your workflow, or simply enjoy seeing what’s possible from the backyard with discipline and time, you’re in the right place.

09/30/2026

Have you ever seen Neptune, our farthest planet, 2.7 billion miles away? Sorry Pluto 🤷🏻‍♂️

I photographed it from my backyard in Tennessee days after its closest approach to Earth. 🔵 🪐

Back out on 9/29 for round two. Seeing wasn't as steady as the night before, but I still came away with two gas giants.

Neptune was the real challenge. That little blue dot was dancing all over the screen in the turbulence. It took some patience to steady it up, but that blue disk is about as much as an 8" scope can pull out of the most distant planet in our solar system.

Saturn 🪐 keeps getting better, with the rings, the shadow across the globe, and subtle banding on the disk.

More clear nights are hopefully coming next week, and I'm going to keep pushing Saturn to see how much more detail I can squeeze out of it.

📷 Gear:
Celestron EdgeHD 8"
ZWO ASI678MC
EQ6-R Pro
Captured in SharpCap

Have you ever tried to find Neptune? Most people have never seen it with their own eyes. 👇

09/29/2026

The clouds finally broke!! 🪐

Middle Tennessee weather has kept me grounded for months, but last night the sky cleared and the seeing was rock steady. First target back was Saturn.

This is just a quick still from SharpCap's live stack, straight off the scope. I was rusty and ran the gain too high, so it's a little grainy, but seeing those rings on the screen after this long was worth it.

📷 Gear:
Celestron EdgeHD 8"
ZWO ASI678MC
EQ6-R Pro
Captured in SharpCap

Who else finally got a clear night? Drop your latest capture below 👇

08/28/2026

The clouds broke for a short bit and I was able to snag a couple photos of the eclipse. Not my best work since I just used my phone. I kept all my gear inside due to the weather.

08/28/2026

What a frustrating year to be an astrophotographer!! Tonight’s eclipse is eclipsed by none other than the clouds which haven’t left all year!! 😂😂 Maybe I’ll catch a glimpse between the clouds.

07/18/2026

This is getting ridiculous…. 🌧️ 🚫🔭

07/14/2026

Still no end in sight… 🌧️

07/08/2026

One day I’ll have the telescope out again 🌧️ ☔️ ⛈️

07/02/2026

The photo on the left is the first thing I ever pointed a telescope at. The one on the right is the same galaxy, one year later.

M51 was my first deep-sky target back in April 2025, and I had no clue what I was doing. Soft focus and not nearly enough data. Calibration frames, what in the world is that!?!?

Twelve months later I gave the same galaxy 31 hours of exposure and everything I'd learned along the way. Same EdgeHD 8, same ASI294MC. The gear never changed. I did.

That's the part of this hobby I love. You don't buy your way to a better shot. You earn it, one clear night at a time.

If you're just starting out and your early photos look rough, don't quit. That's where every one of us began.

What was your first deep-sky target?

06/30/2026

Finally able to complete a full multi-night capture this year due to the weather!! M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. 31 hours and 42 minutes of total exposure, shot from the backyard.

🔭 Celestron EdgeHD 8 + 0.7x reducer
⚙️ SkyWatcher EQ6-R Pro
📷 ZWO ASI294MC Pro
🎯 Celestron off-axis guider + ZWO ASI174MM Mini
🎞️ Optolong L-Pro + L-eXtreme filters
🤖 ZWO ASIAIR Plus + ZWO EAF
⏱️ 31h 42m (broadband + Ha)
🖥️ Processed in PixInsight

06/03/2026

The weather around here has not been kind to telescope owners lately, but the skies finally broke open, and I was back out collecting more integration time on M51.

The Whirlpool Galaxy was the very first target I ever imaged when I started out, so this one feels personal. I can’t wait to compare where I was then to where I am now.

This is shaping up to be a serious dataset. I’ve been collecting across April, May, and now June, blending broadband and Hα for a multi-night combination that I think is going to be something special. Stay tuned, because there are still two more good nights projected this week.

Address

Nashville, TN

Website

https://www.youtube.com/@NocturnalLedge, https://www.NocturnalLedge.com/, https://www.instagram.com/NocturnalLedge, http

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