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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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)

My Rigs

Six purpose-built imaging stations, each optimized for a specific use case. All built on the IMX585 sensor platform.

01
Primary 350mm Rig
Astro-Tech AT72ED II
~344mm f/4.8 (w/ 0.8x reducer)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Air
  • Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi
  • ASIAir control
The go-to setup for fast deployment wide-field deep sky from the driveway.
02
Galaxy Season
Astro-Tech AT102ED
~571mm f/5.6 (w/ 0.8x reducer)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • Juwei-14 EQ Mount (OnStep)
  • Touptek guidecam
  • Raspberry Pi + CCDCiel
Indoor window station for galaxy season. RPi-driven due to Gemini focuser + Touptek incompatibility with ASIAir.
03
Mobile 300mm Rig
Astro-Tech AT60EDP
300mm f/5 (Petzval quadruplet)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • Juwei-14 EQ Mount (OnStep)
  • Raspberry Pi + CCDCiel
Swaps onto the Juwei-14 when galaxy season ends for wider field nebulae and clusters.
04
Mobile 250mm Rig
William Optics RedCat 51
250mm f/4.9
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • ASIAir Mini
  • Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi
Dark site kit for Stokes State Forest. Fast Petzval design, pairs with the GTi for grab-and-go.
05
Ultralight Portable
SharpStar FMA180
180mm f/4.5 (w/ reducer) / 220mm f/5.5 (native)
  • ZWO ASI585 (non-Pro)
  • ASIAir Plus
  • Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i
The lightest rig. Second simultaneous mount at Stokes dark site. Tracking only, no goto.
06
Backup Mobile Rig
Apertura 60EDR
360mm f/6 (ED doublet)
  • ZWO ASI585MC Pro
  • Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi
  • ASIAir Mini
Backup and secondary mobile rig. Pairs with the GTi for grab-and-go when the primary mobile rigs are deployed.

Cameras

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

Mounts

  • Juwei-14 (OnStep, home)
  • SA GTi (goto + tracking)
  • SA 2i (tracking only)

Filters

  • SVBONY SV220 3nm NB
  • SVBONY SV220 7nm NB
  • SVBONY SV240 Multi-NB + NIR
  • Antlia Triband
  • Astronomik L-3

Visual Scopes

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