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ASTRO

I built this tool to remove the friction from astrophotography planning and turn it into a single, coherent process.

Instead of jumping between catalogs, weather services, sky charts, and manual calculations, everything is unified into one system where objects,

conditions, and imaging geometry are evaluated together—consistently and in real time.


At its core, the system respects the cosmic distance ladder—the fundamental framework used in astronomy to determine distances across the universe.


There is also an API end point if you want.

Universal Object Lookup

    • Messier, NGC, IC, Caldwell, Sharpless, clusters, stars, galaxies, planets, moons, comets, and spacecraft — all searchable from a single box.
    • Names and magnitudes — distances, velocities, fluxes, orbital parameters, closest approaches, ephemerides.
    • One image per target for quick visual context.
    • Camera framing with your setup — sensor, rotation, and focal length — computes FOV and fit for each target.

Weather Intelligence

    • 14-day, hour-by-hour forecast restricted to true astronomical darkness.
    • Conditions graded into a 0–100 Imaging Score — clouds, moonlight, humidity, wind, and pressure condensed into a single metric.
    • Powered by Astronomical Timing for your exact position (set manually or by map), ensuring forecasts align with your true night sky.

Target Finder

    • Tonight’s best deep-sky objects ranked by visibility, altitude, airmass, and angular size.
    • Grades calculated using the same Astronomical Timing as the forecasts — factoring in sky darkness, moonlight, and observing windows at your chosen location.

Solar System Map

    • Live, high-precision visualization of the Solar System using NASA JPL ephemerides.
    • Shows real-time planetary positions and accurate elliptical orbits.
    • All distances are computed relative to Earth for true observational context.
    • Interactive view — zoom and pan to explore the current configuration.



EQUIPMENT

    • Camera:
      • Nikon D3500 (APS-C DSLR) – ISO 400
      • ZWO 585 MC PRO - Gain 200/100
    • Telescope: Askar 103 Triplet APO
      • Reducer x0.8
      • Flattener x1.0
    • Mount: Proxisky UMI 17 S
    • Control: ASIAIR NINA
    • Guiding: SVBONY SV106 + ZWO ASI120MM Mini
    • ZWO EAF Motor
    • GEMINI FLAT PANEL 115mm
    • PixInsight, BlurX, NoiseX, StarX, Setiastro, Affinity

VIDEOS

VIDEO RESOURCES

   how FAR AWAY IT IS
    • earth system
    • solar system
    • comets and heliosphere
    • nearby stars
    • distant stars
    • Planetary Nebula Exploding Star
    • Supernovae and Star Clusters
    • Star Birth Nebula
    • The Milky Way
    • Andromeda and the Local Group
    • The Local Volume
    • Virgo Supercluster
    • Local Superclusters
    • Colliding Galaxies
    • The Cosmos
   how small is it
    • The Microscopic
    • The Atom
    • The Microscopic
    • Elementary Particles
    • The Higgs Boson
    • Superposition 
    • Quantum Entanglement
   HOW FAST IS IT
    • The Speed of Light
    • Special Relativity
    • General Relativity
    • Gravitational Lensing
    • Black Holes
    • Gravitational Waves

PHILOSOPHY

ABOUT ME

My name is Photios, and I am an engineer, explorer, and astrophotographer.
From a young age, I was fascinated by the night sky and the mysteries it holds.
My journey into astrophotography began with a simple camera and a tripod but quickly evolved into a lifelong pursuit of capturing the hidden beauty of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters.
With a background in engineering, I approach astrophotography with precision and scientific discipline.
Every image I capture is not just data or light; it is a story written across thousands or millions of years of cosmic history.
I live and work in Europe, often traveling with my caravan and telescope setup to dark-sky locations. There, beneath some of the clearest skies, I capture deep-sky objects with patience, dedication, and the belief that the wonders of the universe should be shared with everyone.
Through fzastro.com, I want to make the infinite feel closer—to inspire curiosity, awe, and a deeper connection with the cosmos.

Contact me