Cosmic Curiosity

My latest video is a comparison of the Proxisky UMi17S and UMi17X, looking at the actual differences between the two mounts. I break down the changes in payload, sensors, homing, connectivity, and usability to help you decide whether the UMi17X is worth it for your astrophotography setup. Have you used either of them, or are you considering one?

Hmm. Look what showed up at my doorstep. Looks like a side by side comparison video is in the making. Stay tuned

My latest video is all about Vaonis Hyperia, the new $100,000 smart observatory from Vaonis. In the video, I sit down with founder and CEO Cyril Dupuy to talk about Vaonis, the Vespera lineup, and the thinking behind Hyperia, and I also had the chance to test a Vaonis Vespera during production. I’m also sharing the full unedited interview for those of you who want the complete conversation.

Have you tried a smart telescope yet, and what do you think about the idea of a fully automated observatory?

Why does a mono camera often outperform a color camera, even with the same exposure time?
In this video, I introduce a simple concept called Full-Spectrum Sensor-Hours to explain how much light a sensor actually captures and why exposure hours alone can be misleading.
If you’ve ever been unsure whether mono is “worth it,” this should help clear things up.

I am kicking off galaxy season with the Leo Triplets

Does guiding actually improve if you use IR or red-pass filters?

After my previous guiding test sparked a lot of discussion, I took your feedback and put the theory to the test by guiding with IR and red-pass filters that block blue and green light.

In this video, I compare real guiding data, RMS values, and talk about how wavelength and atmospheric seeing affect guiding performance.
Curious to hear what setup you’re using!

Last week I visited the safe deposit box for the Danish Astronomical Society where we keep a number of letter sent to the Society by Albert Einstein back in 1920. I always find it so cool to seeing handwritten letters by Einstein himself.

I’ve just released a new PixInsight tutorial all about creating the Hubble Palette (SHO). This beginner-friendly guide walks through how to map SII, H-Alpha, and OIII data into beautiful gold and blue tones using only native PixInsight tools.
Whether you're new to narrowband imaging or want to refine your workflow, this video breaks it down step-by-step.
Let me know what SHO targets you’re working on!

got early access to test a brand-new app for the StellaVita, and I’ve put together a full walkthrough and first impressions.
If you’re using (or considering) the StellaVita, this should give you a clear idea of what to expect.

Ever wished Stellarium showed your real horizon instead of a generic field?
In my latest video, I show how to create a custom landscape from quick polynomial curves to full 360° panoramas so you can plan your observing sessions with realistic horizons.
The best part? You only need your phone to do it!
Link in the comments