A nonprofit amateur astronomy collective exploring the cosmos through astrophotography, education, and affordable gear.
Washington Valley Observatory is an amateur astronomy collective on a mission to explore the cosmos through astrophotography and education. We specialize in capturing breathtaking images of deep-space objects using affordable, off-the-shelf telescopes and free, open-source software.
From helping a beginner find their first celestial object to teaming up with schools for STEM education, we are a place where anyone can connect with the stars. All of our imaging is done from light-polluted suburban skies in northern New Jersey, proving that remarkable results are possible anywhere.

Two homegrown tools for the imaging community. Frame any target over real survey imagery with the FOV Viewer — search by name, compare rigs, export your framing. Then check the Sky Conditions Planner: scrub forecast cloud cover across a live map, hour by hour into the future, with seeing and transparency estimates, darkness windows and moonrise for any site.
Every photon in these images crossed the void of space to land on a sensor in a suburban New Jersey backyard. Click any image to explore.
Five active imaging stations, each optimized for a specific use case, plus the retired rigs that earned their keep. Sensors now span the IMX585 platform and APS-C.