Amateur Astronomer
I began my astronomical journey in 2022 when I purchased my first telescope, driven simply by the desire to observe stars and the moon up close. What started as casual observation quickly evolved into a passion for astrophotography—capturing these celestial wonders to share with others. This hobby has become an ongoing adventure that continues to challenge and inspire me.
By day, my professional background is in Biomedical Informatics, a field that shares astronomy’s appreciation for data, patterns, and discovery.
Why am I doing this?
I created Space City Astronomy to document my progress, setbacks, and discoveries in this fascinating hobby. Writing about my experiences helps me track my growth and, importantly, embrace the failures that are inevitable when learning something new.
When I first started, I found plenty of resources for advanced astronomers but struggled to find beginner-friendly guidance that acknowledged the learning curve. Living under Bortle 9 skies (among the most light-polluted conditions), I faced additional challenges that many tutorials didn’t address.
I believe it’s okay to be a beginner. It’s okay to fail. And it’s valuable to share those experiences with others who might be at the start of their own journey.
My Early Steps
My astronomy equipment began with a simple Newtonian reflector telescope. At the time, I knew little about the differences between reflectors and refractors—I just knew this telescope could reveal stars that were otherwise invisible from my light-polluted backyard. Seeing these distant points of light clearly for the first time was a revelation I wanted to share.
Finding My Way
Initially, identifying targets in the night sky was a significant challenge. The light pollution in my area makes naked-eye astronomy nearly impossible, so I relied on smartphone apps to locate stars. From individual stars, I gradually progressed to observing star clusters and the moon.
As my interest in astrophotography grew, so did my collection of equipment—each addition coming after many attempts and lessons learned. Today, I’m comfortable seeking out specific targets and continuing to improve my imaging techniques.
This site documents that journey—from complete novice to where I am now—with all the stumbles and successes along the way.