My First Step Into Serious Astrophotography – Nocturnal Ledge Season 1 Begins!
Years ago, I pointed a cheap Celestron D70/F400 Travel Telescope at the sky and squinted through the eyepiece. A blurry Jupiter with its moons and a faint Orion Nebula flickered into view—nothing crisp, just smudges of light. But that moment hooked me. I’m Nate, an Army Veteran and Police Officer, and welcome to Nocturnal Ledge—my journey to master astrophotography, one starry night at a time. Today, March 16, 2025, Season 1 officially launches with my first big upgrade, and I couldn’t be more excited (or slightly overwhelmed!).
Say goodbye to shaky tripods and hello to serious gear: the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount, Celestron 8" EdgeHD telescope, ZWO ASI678MC camera, and a .7 Focal Reducer. This setup’s a rocket ship compared to my old tricycle of a scope—44 pounds of tracking power, 2030mm of focal length, and pixel-perfect imaging. It’s a leap from blurry blobs to (hopefully) sharp cosmic shots. My goal? Tackle Jupiter in all its banded glory—those moons deserve better than my old fuzzy glimpse. But first, I’ve got to learn this beast—mount alignment, software, settings, the works.
Of course, I’m not alone. Stef, my fiancé—a teacher, author, and budget watchdog—is along for the ride. She’s already perfected her “budget face” (you’ll see it in a video I'm sure), a hilarious mix of support and “really, Nate, another piece of gear?” We’re a team, though—she’s as curious as I am about what this gear can do, even if she’s counting the pennies while I’m dreaming of galaxies.
The reveal didn’t go quite as planned. I set up in the garage, ready to test under the stars, and… cue the thunderstorm and small tornado!! Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and my opening night got washed out. Typical cosmic humor, right? It’s a setback, not a stop—I’ll be back with clear skies soon.
Check out the full video below to see the unboxing, hear my gear ramble, and laugh at the storm twist. This is just the start of Nocturnal Ledge Season 1—stick around as I fumble, learn, and chase Jupiter. Got tips for a newbie like me? Drop them in the comments on YouTube—I’d love to hear from you. Let’s explore the universe together!
