Astro Nick

Astro Nick Following a childhood dream, I’m an amateur astrophotographer taking deep space images in Phoenixville Pennsylvania, mostly from my sidewalk.

Join me as we explore the beauty of our universe!

09/02/2026

The Butterfly Nebula explained. All that captured from my sidewalk… how cool is that?

09/01/2026

A supernova’s shockwave… still ripping through space and captured with my telescope.

The Soul Nebula, First Attempt. This was a more challenging target for me. I went into it not realizing just how much in...
08/29/2026

The Soul Nebula, First Attempt.

This was a more challenging target for me. I went into it not realizing just how much integration time (exposure time) I would need to really bring out the details in this nebula. I captured this nebula during the week of August 22nd–28th while battling the full moon and the frequent storms that seem to have been hanging around lately.

Despite the challenges, I’m really happy with how this first attempt turned out. There’s definitely more detail hiding in there, so I’ll be adding this one back to the list for a rematch next year. Until then, I’m calling this one a win.

The Soul Nebula, also known as IC 1848, is a massive star-forming region located about 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. It spans roughly 100 light-years and is filled with clouds of gas and dust where new stars are being born.

The core of our Milky Way Galaxy, visible during the late spring and summer months, lives a dense, chaotic region packed...
08/28/2026

The core of our Milky Way Galaxy, visible during the late spring and summer months, lives a dense, chaotic region packed with billions of stars, glowing clouds of gas, and at the center, a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A.

These photos are only 20 second exposures, and the core the visible to the naked eye.

08/27/2026

My telescope is synced with the Earth’s rotation… from my sidewalk outside the house. Talk about out of this world.

08/25/2026

Sometimes astrophotography isn’t about having the perfect location, it’s about making the most of the sky you have right in front of you.

08/23/2026

Recently took a trip to Cherry Springs area of Potter County, Pennsylvania. The night sky did not disappoint!

Right now, deep-space observing is in what’s known as “galaxy season.” This is the time of year when most of the galaxie...
04/27/2026

Right now, deep-space observing is in what’s known as “galaxy season.” This is the time of year when most of the galaxies in our night sky are visible. They are extremely challenging targets (they’re millions upon millions of light-years away and require a lot of time to capture).

That’s why I’ve switched back to the Moon for my last few viewing sessions. Here are some close-ups of the Moon’s surface I captured 4/26. I used my planetary camera and a Barlow lens to zoom in!

Nebula season returns in the next few weeks, so deep space targets will be back in the mix soon. Stay tuned

First time in over a year capturing the Moon, and it felt like starting fresh. I paired my 130 STL Celestron with my Sky...
04/24/2026

First time in over a year capturing the Moon, and it felt like starting fresh. I paired my 130 STL Celestron with my SkyWatcher mount and put the ASIAIR into the mix… and wow, everything just clicked. Smooth setup, clean tracking, and the video data came in beautifully.

There’s something special about returning to a target you know so well and seeing it with new gear. Being my first target in the hobby, it will always have a special place with me.

Definitely won’t be waiting another year for this again.

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Phoenixville, PA

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