Space & Exploration

My Astrophotography Collection

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I’m not an expert astrophotographer, nor do I claim to be. I’m just a regular guy who’s always been fascinated by the vast expanse of the universe. The telescope I use is special to me because it’s the first thing I bought with my salary as an intern. Back then, I didn’t know much about telescopes, but I knew one thing – I wanted to gaze at the stars and planets, and maybe, just maybe, take a few cool photos along the way.

The Moon is one of my favourite targets. In the photo below, you can see its craters and shadows, though it looks even sharper through the telescope. The shadows along its horizon really bring those details to life.

Full Super Moon. Clicked on October 15, 2024 (PC: Ritish)
Lunar Craters
Side view of the crater. Clicked on October 16, 2024
Clicked on July 2023.
View over the Moon’s north pole. Clicked on July 2022.

Another favourite of mine is Saturn. Although my photos of Saturn are a bit blurry, I can still make out its famous rings.

Saturn and its rings. Clicked on November 2022.
Saturn. Clicked on September 28, 2024

This is where I started to think about upgrading my telescope (maybe that’s what I’ll get with my next paycheck!). Even so, there’s something magical about seeing Saturn, rings and all, with your own eyes.

I had one of my proudest astrophotography moments when I managed to capture the Orion Nebula. It was a bit of a lucky moment, honestly. I’ve only seen it once, and although my photo came out blurry, just knowing that I managed to capture it is a big win for me.

Blurry Glimpse of Orion Nebula. Clicked on August 2023.

Over time, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Jupiter and its moons, Vega shining brightly, and even catching glimpses of tiny planets and wandering satellites. Each time I see something new.

Unfortunately, stargazing isn’t always easy in the city because of light pollution. Where I live, the best time to catch clear skies is in July to October when rain clears the air. Still, light pollution has gotten worse over the years. Studies show the Earth’s night sky is now twice as bright as it was a decade ago, and future generations might see only 30% of the stars we can see today.

The universe is expanding, and many distant stars will eventually drift out of view, so the night sky we enjoy now won’t be around forever.

Must Read: The Night Sky Deserve Your Attention

I might not have the best gear or the sharpest photos, but stargazing brings me so much joy. If you’ve ever thought about it, I highly recommend giving it a try—you never know what cosmic wonders you might find!

Happy stargazing! 🌌


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Ritish Sharma

Ritish Sharma is an author, editor, and creator of Aspiring Blog. He is dedicated to sharing unique and thought-provoking concepts through his writing and has a distinct perspective on various topics. His work is available for readers to enjoy.

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  • These photos are really cool, Ritish. I also enjoy star gazing and personally, there's no other hobby that gives me so much peace.

    If possible, would you mind sharing any tips for the identification of stars and the selection of telescopes?

    • Thanks so much, there’s nothing like stargazing to bring some peace. For star identification, I’d suggest downloading a star-tracking app like Stellarium. It’s super helpful and shows you everything from star locations to upcoming celestial events around you.

      As for telescopes, if you’re just starting out, I’d recommend checking out beginner options like the Celestron Powerseeker or Pie Matrix. They’re great for getting into it

      But yeah, patience is key! As they say, "Good things happen to those who wait."

        • Thanks for the kind wishes. I'm definitely excited for more stellar adventures. Hope you get to enjoy the night sky too.

  • Beautiful pictures Ritish. Have you seen our second moon yet, just curious as they say you need a telescope to see it. Thanks for sharing these.

  • Great pictures, Ritish. They make me wonder how you shoot those pictures. I've used Orion's belt to make sure I was going the right direction.

    • I’ve used it a bunch of times myself to get oriented. I also rely on star-tracking apps to help guide me. Once you get the hang of where to point the telescope, it becomes a lot easier.
      😊 I’m happy you liked the pictures.

    • Thanks a lot! 😊And honestly, science is everything to me, so exploring the universe through my telescope is just the best.

  • Ritish bhai, Aapne toh chand par pahuchne waali baat dil par le li...😂😂

    Aap pakka jaaoge, wahan, ek din. Mujhe lag rha hai...

    I saw a satellite moving in the sky, in this morning.
    When we're kid, we mistakenly recognised them as falling stars... which are different.

    Geography starts with the first chapter on the solar system.
    I was curious, to know the universe... always.
    Your achievement makes me feel jealous..lol...😂...
    main kyun pichhe rah gya?

    But thank you so much for sharing.
    These photos makes me happy. This is your unique achievement, that's why you are sharing...
    and I appreciate your efforts..👏🏼👏🏼
    I wish you explore and know more.

    I also think exploring planets, stars and the univers...is a boring task. I have much more important things to do in life.
    That's why I limit my interest in this field.

    But thanks for sharing, as always.
    You did something different, something unique...which many bloggers aren't thinking and planning here...

    I'm overwhelmed by reading this posts... and I'm continuously writing...
    I need to stop here.

    Wonderful!👍🏼

    • You’ve got me smiling 😄 Reaching the moon might be a stretch, but I’m enjoying the view from my telescope for now.
      And yeah, I remember those days too. Good times!
      No need to feel jealous, man—there’s always time to dive into astronomy if you want. It's definitely not boring for me, it's more of a chill, patience thing, but I get it if you've got other important stuff going on.
      I’m really glad these photos made you happy 🙏🏼

  • My husband, who's WAY into all things related to space, loved these photos. You and he would have good times together with a telescope! lol

    • Haha, that’s awesome 😄 I’m so glad he enjoyed the photos. And I'm sure we’ll definitely have a blast stargazing together with our telescopes.

  • These are great! Your photo of Saturn looks like my photo of the moon with my cell. This is the only phone I will gladly change one day because the camera is terrible. I would have kept all previous phones, but one falls into a toilet, one gets a pocket knife thrown onto it, etc.... ugh. Your next telescope will make Saturn as clear as your beautiful moon photos.

    • I love that you compared my Saturn shot to your moon photo - that means a lot, haha. Fingers crossed my next telescope upgrade will make Saturn look like it's hovering right above my backyard. Also, Good luck with your future phone.

  • Haha. Thanks, Ritish. I need a great camera to capture our Murphman's gorgeousness too, ya know😁 we look forward to seeing your planetary photos now & we will when you get your new telescope.

    • Haha, of course. Murph definitely deserves his own photo shoot. I’ll be sure to share those planetary shots as soon as I’ve got the new telescope.

  • Ritish, the photos are wonderful and I love the moon ones and those of Saturn and its rings. As young I was into astronomy and wanted a telescope but never got one. Later on my interest waned a bit but your post here brings back all the reasons I enjoyed reading about astronomy. It’s great you got your own telescope and can enjoy the night sky. However worrying that the light pollution is increasing so fast and to such a large extent - being able to see much less in the night sky will be a huge loss to future generations.

    • I'm glad you enjoyed the photos, Annika. Sorry to hear you never got that telescope, but I'm glad I could reignite your astronomy passion.
      And yeah, light pollution is a huge concern. Night skies are fading away. I'm sure future generations will wonder - "What's it like to live in the universe's brilliant early days?" And we all are lucky enough to know the answer. All we have to do is look up 🌃

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