Mellican Astro

An alluring approach to astrophotography, this style seamlessly blends Deep Space Objects with Nightscapes. It vividly depicts the striking contrast between the Deep Space Object and the surrounding environment, offering a perspective from our vantage point on Earth.

Explore further in my Deepscapes article delving into this realm of Astrophotography.

If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they lived a lot differently - Calvin & Hobbes.

The Bokeh Master meets Rho Ophiuchi

Some of my favourites. I strive to set my captures apart through creative approaches and challenges. After all, astrophotography is a blend of science and artistic expression.

Mount Tibrogargan Milky Way and Star Trails

A Planetary Oydessy

Mineral Super Moon

The Deep Sky Moon

21 September 2023: the moon made its way across the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex and on Saturday 23 November, it was in the vicinity of the Milky Way core with the Lagoon & Trifid nebulas (seen in purple hues) nearby. These images are a combination of two distinct shots: the moon and the background targets, both taken with a Sigma 105mm lens affixed to a Sony A7IV camera. These composites serves as a vivid illustration of the noticeable contrast in size between the moon and each target, as seen from our vantage point in South East Queensland.

Starlink Moon Transit

A train of over 50 satellites pass the moon over Brisbane.

Carina Nebula

The Keyhole Nebula

The Tarantula Nebula

Earthshine

Pleiades Star Cluster

Here are some astrophotography tools I wrote that you might find useful.

Astro Cooker (formerly FITS Scrubber)

Astro Cooker is a tool I developed to preview a raw image before setting of a plan.

https://astrocooker.com

Upload a linear (unstretched) image in a web browser to preview on screen.

My Astronomy Picture of the Moment

Can’t get your own NASA APOD? Make your own with a simple one page site.

Download the free source code on https://github.com/meltaxa/apom.

Hi, my name is Dennis Mellican. I am based in Brisbane, Australia. During the day I am Principal Cloud Engineer and after hours I tend to avoid clouds, preferring a clear night sky to observe the universe.

Since 2022, I have gained an interest in astronomy and the hobby has become a passion. I’ve been standing on the shoulders of giants, learning the science and the craft (astrophotography is an art form). My contributions are a way of giving back to the community.