New features

The biggest change is the filterable image gallery. I’ve been wanting to have this for a while, as the number of images began to snowball. Now you can narrow things down by object type, telescope, capture year, imaging method, or the imaging filter used. Fancy a galaxy? Want to see what the Askar 130PHQ can do? Curious about images taken using a particular filter? You can filter by any of those, and then open specific target pages.

You’ll find better image descriptions, captions, and alt-text throughout, which was an epic task but should make it easier for visitors using screen readers to understand what’s shown in the pictures.

Pages now have clearer layouts and sticky navigation panels, particularly useful for the longer articles.

The mobile-friendly experience is improved too, with refined spacing, simpler galleries, and more compact navigation. In short, viewing the site on a phone is a nicer experience than before.

There are also refreshed landing pages, search tools, and featured selections to help visitors find practical advice and equipment reviews.

Milestones

Five years of a website can disappear surprisingly quickly when you measure time in clear nights. Here are a few moments worth remembering.

1. June 2021

   Urban Astrophotography begins!

   A place to share images, experiments, and what I’m learning about photographing deep space from central Bristol. The skies are bright and the weather is British. Lucky I like a challenge!

2. October 2021

   ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro

   This camera was a game-changer for me. A simpler approach, less juggling of separate colour filters, more time collecting photons.

3. November 2022

   Askar 130PHQ

   A new telescope to give a step up over the smaller FRA400. A longer focal length opens up a different view of the sky, although lifting the thing also becomes part of the hobby.

4. December 2023

   Seestar S50

   Smart telescopes arrive on the scene. I’m a day one pre-order, and my review rapidly becomes the most popular post on the entire site. I followed this with a guide to using it for public outreach, which I hope has been useful!

5. March and September 2025

   Courses and Art Store

   The site’s Courses page is published in March, followed by the dedicated Art Store page in September. These become homes for two more ways to get involved: learning through Masterclasses, and bringing the photographs into your own home.

6. January 2026

   Immersed in Starlight

   My first exhibition, and what a show it is! My photographs fill the museum’s interior, accompanied by a specially composed soundscape by Sam Whitfield of Cyan Music. The original dates sell out, with additional showings on 6–7 March. Not bad for light collected from my back garden!

7. March 2026

   50th Target

   I publish Target #50, which is the Lunar X and Lunar V features on the Moon.

8. March 2026

   SVBony SV535: a wider view

   A new telescope specifically for wide-field views! The SVBony SV535 lets me fit sprawling nebulae and rich star fields into a single image. Same back garden, a much bigger patch of sky.

9. Today

   Five years, and a website revamp

   To mark the fifth anniversary, Urban Astrophotography gets a redesign. The photographs have more room to breathe, and finding your way around them becomes part of the fun.

More Immersed in Starlight!

I’m also happy to announce that we’re running some bonus Immersed in Starlight shows at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, on 10 October 2026.

Thank you, and clear skies!

Whether you’ve followed along since 2021 or arrived here five minutes ago, thanks for making Urban Astrophotography a success. If you spot anything amiss with the redesigned site, or have ideas or requests for content, please drop me a note.

Here’s to the next five years!