Official site
Astro Amateur from the South

 This site is dedicated to astrophotography, but with a very amateur approach in practice.

Indeed, although the approach is made as seriously as possible, knowing where and when to look at the sky to observe it,
the resources devoted to it are absolutely unprofessional.

Many of us like to look up at a beach in summer. after dark.
This allows you to appreciate slightly cooler temperatures, a beautiful landscape, a starry sky and discover the Milky Way.
On a full moon evening, it is not uncommon for many people to admire this magnificent star which appears close.

The sun also can attract curiosity, especially during eclipses.

But without dedicated optics, it is difficult, if not impossible, to see, and even more so to observe, certain planets or the deep sky.

In astronomy, the deep sky refers to all celestial objects other than those of the solar system. 

These objects are usually very distant and/or very small, which is why they are not visible to the naked eye.

The most common deep sky objects are galaxies, star clusters and nebulae.
Galaxies are clusters of stars, gas and dust that may contain billions of stars.
Star clusters are groups of stars that are gravitationally bound.
Nebulae are regions of space where stars and planets form.

Here are some examples of deep sky objects:

Galaxies: the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangle Galaxy
Stellar clusters: the Pleiades cluster, the Crab cluster, the Hercules cluster
Nebulae: the Orion Nebula, the Crab Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula
You will like to search in the sky M42 or M51, which are superb and are part of the Messier catalog.
 

Deep sky observation is an exciting activity that allows you to discover the beauty and diversity of the universe.
With a telescope or binoculars, it is possible to observe many deep sky objects,
some of which are breathtakingly beautiful.

Here are some tips for observing the deep sky:
Choose a clear, moonless night.
Stay away from artificial light sources.
Learn to recognize the constellations.

Use a planetarium or astronomical app to help you find the objects you want to observe.

A page dedicated toobservationis available by clicking on this link:

Comments

For my part, I started observing the sky... with my eyes.
Sometimes a pair of binoculars, but quickly I took my camera to freeze the moment.
What could be more beautiful than simply a sunrise or a sun, a super moon or a Milky Way.

Seeing a starry sky during a mountain bivouac gives the impression that they have taken supercharged drinks
with a larger size than when observed in an urban environment.

This makes you want to study a map of the constellations, find your way in the sky, look for the North Star.
Look for Jupiter or Saturn.

Afterwards, you set up your tripod and take photos of the starry sky by calculating the exposure time, the ISO, etc.
With the results helping, we do the same with the Milky Way overlooking a building, a tree or reflected in the sea.

Then, we try tracking systems to improve the exposure time and have better definition of the images.

We come almost naturally to the astronomical telescope and/or telescope.
For my part, I started in this field with a Celestron 127 SLT with wifi and GPS.
But over time, I said to myself, and this is a purely personal opinion, that the system was not ultra efficient, heavy, 
and not very mobile because it is necessary to have a means of transport adapted to the size.

In addition, this configuration is expensive compared to other astrophotography solutions, because in addition to an observation system,
To do astrophotography, you need either a suitable camera or a camera with a T2 adapter.

Currently, thanks to the ingenuity of French companies, Cocorico!, the “All in One” connected telescope system has been developed.
Small in size, sometimes the size of a cereal box, like the Smart Dwarf II, these connected telescopes or astronomical glasses given their characteristics, do not require any setting up, i.e. almost 30 minutes saved
and no tracking error possible.
They have a sky map incorporating most celestial objects, allowing observations to be made easily
and they have a system for tracking, stacking images or making it possible to produce very good quality videos for some.
Another argument, and not the least for a beginner who is not sure that astrophotography will be his passion over time,
the cost is lower than certain SLR or hybrid photo cameras (not to mention the telescope system).
 

These different configurations are presented to you on the page dedicated to materials,
to help you in your choice in order to get started according to your project and your means.