Astrophotography is hard. As astrophotographers, we have to focus on something that is anywhere from 200 to 200 million light years away. Then we have to track it across the sky, canceling out the earth's rotation, with a precision tighter than 3.76 microns. To get a single image, we usually have to do that night after night after night dodging clouds (not to mention the moon) and troubleshooting unruly hardware—all while battling the heat or the cold. And we have to do all this with equipment we can actually afford.

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But astrophotography is also incredibly rewarding. We explore more distant reaches than any captain in a wooden ship ever dreamed of. We learn things no one knew 1,000, 100, or even one year ago. And we get to share that newfound knowledge and wonder with family, friends, and anyone else we can engage. It's a chance to inject a small amount of reality and beauty into the more immediate world around us.

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I could spend some digital ink here sharing my personal story, explaining why I'm interested in astronomy, detailing the (first world) trials and tribulations of shooting the sky, and telling you why you should care. But I won't. Instead, to quote the late, great Duane Thomas, "I'll do my talkin' on the field." Enjoy the pictures.

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Timothy Martin

Dallas, Texas

August 2025