Hi, I'm Martin
Built, fixed and automated in a backyard observatory.
Engineer and astrophotographer, and lazy in the useful way: if I have to do something twice, I automate it. And when something breaks, I'd rather open it up than throw it away.
It started with visual astronomy and an astro-modified Canon EOS 450D, grew during covid, went quiet after a move to a house with a garden and a concrete pier, and this year it's back at full speed. The setup now runs like a system: the rig in the garden captures all night, every frame goes to a NAS on its own, and processing is written as code, with Claude as a co-pilot.
Build it, fix it, automate it
- Build: my own hardware, such as the OpenWheel filter wheel and, soon, Triton.
- Fix: old and broken gear brought back to life, starting with the CEM60 mount.
- Automate: the nights run while I sleep, and the processing is scripted.
This site collects the images, the gear behind them, notes on processing and the things I build and fix along the way, including the runs that didn't work. The story so far is in the first blog post.
Image use
All images are © Martin Laza. If you'd like to use one — for a talk, an article or a print — just ask.
Clear skies, and one more thing fixed.