Morristown, NJ · Bortle 7

Capturing the ancient light above our heads

A nonprofit amateur astronomy collective exploring the cosmos through astrophotography, education, and affordable gear.

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About the Observatory

Where Curiosity Meets the Cosmos

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.

25+
Deep Sky Objects
6
Imaging Rigs
B7
Bortle Zone
100%
Open Source
M45: The Pleiades (Alternate View)
New · Observatory Tools

Plan the whole night: FOV Viewer, Sky Conditions & Sampling

Three homegrown tools for the imaging community. The FOV Viewer frames any target over real survey imagery — resolve it by name, compare rigs side by side, then copy the coordinates straight into ASIAir or NINA. The Sky Conditions Planner scrubs 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. The Sampling Calculator matches a camera to a telescope and draws the star on your actual pixel grid, so you can see whether a pairing under-samples before you commit to it.

FOV Viewer → Sky Conditions Planner → Sampling Calculator →
Equipment & Imaging Stations

My Rigs

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.

01
Primary 416mm Rig
Askar 65PHQ
416mm f/6.4 (flat-field astrograph)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Air (shared w/ RedCat 51)
  • ZWO EAF
  • Juwei-17 EQ Mount
The new workhorse. Flat-field optics and 416mm of reach for compact nebulae and galaxy fields alike.
02
Mobile 300mm Rig
Astro-Tech AT60EDP
300mm f/5 (Petzval quadruplet)
  • ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
  • ASIAir Plus
  • Juwei-17 EQ Mount
Wide-field master rig — the APS-C sensor drinks in huge swaths of sky at 300mm.
03
Mobile 250mm Rig
William Optics RedCat 51
250mm f/4.9
  • ZWO ASI585MC Air (shared w/ 65PHQ)
  • ASIAir (built-in)
  • Juwei-17 EQ Mount
Dark site kit for Stokes State Forest. Fast Petzval design, grab-and-go on the Juwei-17.
04
Ultralight Portable
Askar FMA180
180mm f/4.5 (w/ reducer) / 220mm f/5.5 (native)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • ZWO ASI585 (non-Pro) — winter
  • ASIAir Mini
  • Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i
The lightest rig. Second simultaneous mount at Stokes dark site. Tracking only, no goto.
05
Backup Mobile Rig
Apertura 60EDR
360mm f/6 (ED doublet)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • Juwei-17 EQ Mount
  • ASIAir Mini
Backup and secondary mobile rig. Pairs with the Juwei-17 for grab-and-go when the primary mobile rigs are deployed.
06
Primary 350mm Rig
Retired
Astro-Tech AT72ED II
~344mm f/4.8 (w/ 0.8x reducer)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • Juwei-17 EQ Mount
  • ASIAir Mini
The former go-to setup for fast-deployment wide-field deep sky from the driveway. Succeeded by the 65PHQ.
07
Galaxy Season
Retired
Astro-Tech AT102ED
~571mm f/5.6 (w/ 0.8x reducer)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • ZWO AM5
  • Touptek guidecam
  • Raspberry Pi + CCDCiel
Indoor window station for galaxy season. RPi-driven due to Gemini focuser + Touptek incompatibility with ASIAir.

Cameras

  • 1x ASI2600MC Pro (APS-C)
  • 1x ASI585MC Air
  • 2x ASI585MC Pro
  • 1x ASI585 (non-Pro)

Mounts

  • ZWO AM5 (home)
  • Juwei-17 (travel)
  • SA 2i (tracking only)
  • Juwei-14 (OnStep) Retired
  • SA GTi Retired

Filters

  • SVBONY SV220 3nm NB
  • SVBONY SV220 7nm NB
  • SVBONY SV240 Multi-NB + NIR
  • Askar Duo-Narrowband D2
  • Astronomik L-3
  • Antlia Triband Retired

Visual Scopes

  • Meade MTS-SC8 8" SCT
  • Meade LX85 6" ACF
  • Orion XT6 Dobsonian
  • Orion XT10 Dobsonian
  • ES AR102 Refractor
  • William Optics Z61