Frank Adler :: Astrophotography & Web Engineering

The Cygnus Wall

The Iris Nebula

For a long time, I simply did not see the point of smart telescopes.

There is one rule in astrophotography that I know perfectly well: don't use an important, unrepeatable event to learn how your new equipment works.

Messier 33, also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, is one of our closest galactic neighbours.

The Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) is a young stellar nursery located approximately 2,500 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus.

Messier 27, also known as the Dumbbell Nebula, is one of the most striking planetary nebulae in the summer sky.

I have published my first PixInsight script: ParallaxStarLayers.

Since early May, a selection of my astrophotography work has been on display at Café Emmas Onkel in Chemnitz.

For most astrophotographers, the sun is the enemy - the reason a session ends, the thing you wait out.

Recently, I suddenly found myself thinking about Hexxagon.

WR 134 is a Wolf-Rayet star in Cygnus - a massive, extraordinarily hot star in a late and turbulent phase of its life.

This Saturday, May 9th, I will be giving a talk at TU Chemnitz as part of the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften.

Lying roughly 27 million light-years away in Canes Venatici, M63 takes its popular name from the resemblance of its loosely wound, feathery spiral arms to the layered petals of a sunflower.

I've been photographing the night sky for years.

NGC 281, the Pacman Nebula, is an expansive star-forming region in Cassiopeia, roughly 9,500 light-years away.

On 28 March, after nearly a year of closure, the school planetarium at Albert-Schweitzer-Oberschule reopened - on International Astronomy Day, which felt like the right kind of coincidence.

At roughly 20% illumination, the waxing crescent reveals the Moon at its most dramatic.

Some 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo lies one of the spring sky's most iconic galaxy groups: the Leo Triplet, also known as the M66 Group.

For some time now, the planetarium at the Albert-Schweitzer-Oberschule in Chemnitz has been closed.

Messier 106 is no ordinary spiral galaxy.

Skywarden launched in January.

Sharpless 171 is one of the most fascinating star-forming regions in the northern sky - a sprawling H II emission nebula in the constellation Cepheus, known together with its surrounding complex as NGC 7822, and nicknamed the "Question Mark Nebula" for its

When I added proper horizon profile support to Skywarden, I thought the hard part was done.

Last month I tested Claude seriously for the first time.

I'll be honest - I was skeptical.

If you’ve been following my posts here, you know that I’m a bit obsessed with optimizing the few clear nights we actually get.

Astrophotography often starts with a familiar mix of excitement and uncertainty.

LDN 1235 - better known as the Shark Nebula - is one of those targets that rewards patience more than aperture.

Some nights you plan for wonder.

NGC 2175, better known as the Monkey Head Nebula, is a beautiful emission nebula and open star cluster in the constellation Orion.

Sh2-229, better known as the Flaming Star Nebula or IC 405, is a striking emission and reflection nebula located in the constellation Auriga.

Sh2-155, commonly known as the Cave Nebula, is an active star-forming region located in the constellation Cepheus, at a distance of approximately 2,400 light-years.

This astrophotography image features NGC 1499, widely known as the California Nebula, a large emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus.

The Rosette Nebula is a vast and luminous star-forming region located approximately 5,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Monoceros.

Nearly one year after my last wide-field capture of M45, I returned to this iconic target with a narrower field of view and a focus on fine detail.

The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) is a vast H II region in the constellation Cygnus, instantly familiar for its likeness to the North American continent.

I’ve always liked the idea of having a camera quietly watching the night sky — catching meteors, cloud movements, and sometimes just the beauty of a clear night.

While I follow the development of AI with a lot of interest, I do not want my work to be used for training these models.

NGC 7380, poetically known as the Wizard Nebula, is an enigmatic region of stellar creation and cosmic artistry located roughly 7,200 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus.

Yay, my composite image of the Lunar Eclipse above the Lulatsch in Chemnitz was just selected as a "Top Pick" on Astrobin 🎉

NGC 7635, also known as the Bubble Nebula, takes center stage in this wide-field astrophotograph — offering a vivid showcase of dramatic star formation and complex cosmic interactions in Cassiopeia.

This is Sharpless 132, better known as the Lion Nebula, a vast emission nebula lying in the rich starfields at the southern border of the constellation Cepheus.

After the restless night plagued by mosquitoes, the second night was a welcome contrast — peaceful and quiet, without any buzzing to disturb our sleep.

The night was… lively.

My phone flashes frantically: The sun will set shortly after seven — and I’m still surrounded by charging cables, thermos flasks, and the inevitable checklist.

Chemnitz Under the Blood Moon On September 7th, 2025, the skies over Chemnitz delivered an unforgettable astronomical spectacle: a total lunar eclipse, casting the city under the shadow of the Earth and painting the moon in dramatic hues of deep red.

This is Sharpless 119, poetically known as the Clamshell Nebula, residing in the constellation Cygnus approximately 2,200 light-years from Earth.

Stepping into this frame feels like drifting through a quiet storm of gas, dust, and newborn stars.

Floating in the royal constellation Cassiopeia, this wispy apparition is IC 63—often called the Ghost of Cassiopeia.