Astrophotography series for you with Nicki Nesas

Hello fellow stargazers! Today we continue our astrophotography series with Nicki Nesas. Enjoy reading!

Hi Nicki, how did you get into astrophotography?

My name is Nicki, and I've been involved with astronomy since the blood moon event in July 2018. The entire universe has always fascinated me, but that evening sparked everything that followed. After my fascination became known, my neighbor quickly lent me a used beginner's telescope, a 60/700 refractor. When I saw the moon up close for the first time, I knew there had to be more to see. So, after a long search, I decided to buy my first "real" telescope at the end of 2018.

I also received advice from my now-colleagues at the Paderborn Observatory, where I promptly joined the club. The result was a Bresser Newtonian 150/750 with an Exos 1 mount without tracking or GoTo, which had been recommended to me several times as a good all-rounder. At the time, however, I wasn't really aware that I might want to do astrophotography someday. Gradually, terms like long exposure, autoguiding, etc., came into play. Moreover, despite various aids like apps and star atlases, I had real problems finding an object. In June 2019, I finally switched to a Skywatcher GoTo mount, specifically the EQM 35 GoTo Pro Syncscan.

Throughout the year, I expanded my accessories in all directions. I also spent several evenings tinkering, for example, building a solar filter, which I've since used to photograph sunspots and, last year, my first partial solar eclipse. I had considerable difficulty with precise polar alignment at first, but I've gotten quite good at that now too. Up until then, my favorite object had always been the moon. I didn't have much experience with using a camera on a telescope. Thanks to a lot of help and my personal mentor, I was able to take my first steps, not just photographing the moon. M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, was my first real test in 2019—not perfect, but I was bursting with pride to have finally managed my first deep-sky photo. Then, at the end of the year, I got my favorite and dream shot: Orion with its M42 Orion Nebula, a long-cherished wish. Again, bursting with pride...

Since then, I've learned a lot and tested a lot. I've expanded my equipment with a PST Coronado and a Mak 127/1500, and I use an ASI 120 for guiding. Unfortunately, I lack the necessary time and usually the weather to delve into it more intensively. For the images, I use a Canon EOS 1000da, and on the computer, I'm currently still working with APT, but I'm in the process of learning NINA. Further tests are still pending due to lack of weather... I've switched to an app for image processing. My pictures aren't always the best or have long exposures, as I have to pay attention to the limited visibility. But I'm happy with everything I can achieve with the technology.