Lucas V. Astrophotography

Chasing faint light under dark skies

Andromeda, Orion, Bode's Pair and more – captured from Goldach (CH) & Velden (DE).

Beginner → Advanced journey (since 2025) EQM35M-PRO • Refractor: Askar 80ED + Reducer 0.85x • Newtonian: Omegon 114/900 • ASIAir Plus • ASI 585MC PRO / Canon 550D (Hα) • ASI 120MM Mini • DualBand Filters Askar Color Magic C1+C2
Featured
Featured: M33 - Triangulum Galaxy • Askar 80ED + 0.85× • ASI 585MC PRO
Date: 26 December 2025 • 61 subs x 120s • Bortle 3 • Location: Oberer Gäbris - Appenzell - Switzerland • Processing Software: Siril & GIMP

Gear & Setup

Optics

  • Askar 80ED + Askar 0.85× reducer (≈475–480 mm, f/≈6)
  • Newtonian Omegon 114/900 (f/8) – visual & planetary
  • ZWO ASI 585MC PRO
  • Canon 550D (Hα‑modified) + Canon 550D stock
  • Canon 55-250mm and 70-300mm (tests @ 180–275 mm)
  • Canon 18–55 mm (widefield)
  • Filters DB 6nm: Askar Color Magic C1 (Hα+OIII)+ C2 (OIII+SII)
  • Filter Quad Band: Optolong L-Quad Enhance (Hα+Hß+OIII+SII)

Device, Mount, Accessories

  • AsiAir PLUS
  • Skywatcher Mount EQM-35 PRO SynScan GoTo
  • Guiding: SV165 (40mm, f/4, 160mm) and ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
  • Software: AstroImage Suite / AsiStudio / Siril / GIMP
  • Dew heater: SV Bony SV172 - 400mm with temperature controler
  • Power: LiFePO4 - 12.8V 50Ah / PowerStation Li-Ion 80000 mAh

Equipment * Short History

First setup
First setup – EQ2 + Omegon 114/900 · 2023
Astro setup
EQM35-PRO + Askar 80ED + Askar 0.85× Reducer + Canon 550D (Hα) · 2025
My current astrophotography equipment
New complete setup with ASIAIR Plus, ASI 585MC Pro, ASI 120MM Mini · 2026

About the Journey

At just 14 years old, I had been dabbling in visual astronomical observations for some time. Thus, my journey into astrophotography began in 2025, driven by curiosity, patience, and a desire to continually learn and improve. From mastering polar alignment and precise focusing to understanding calibration frames, overlay techniques, and advanced post-processing with masks, every shooting session teaches me something new. I enjoy not only capturing the beauty of deep sky objects, but also exploring the technical and scientific side of astronomy. Wanting to help newcomers to astrophotography and astro image processing, I created AstroImage Suite - a suite of independent tools designed around simplicity, speed, and ease of use. While many existing applications are incredibly powerful, they can also be difficult to learn at first. My goal is to provide a more accessible alternative that allows users to achieve beautiful results without an overly complicated workflow. My long-term dream is to one day contribute to real astronomical research - especially in the field of exoplanet science.

Let’s connect

Looking for advice, collaboration or feedback on processing? Feel free to reach out anytime.