A Software Developer's Astro Journey

This post is from our DWARF II and DWARF 3 user Christian Wöhrle.

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My name is Christian Wöhrle. I am from Germany.

I'm a trained software developer who works professionally in the field of observation and security. My technical background has been really helpful in my other passion - astrophotography.

Getting Started (2016)

I got into astrophotography back in 2016 when I started with a small Newtonian telescope. At first, I was mainly focused on lunar observation - just getting familiar with the basics and learning how to capture what I could see.

Going Deeper (2018)

In 2018, I decided to take things more seriously and switched to a proper amateur astrophotography setup. That's when I really committed myself fully to astrophotography, shifting my focus entirely to deep-sky objects - specifically nebulae and galaxies. The complexity and beauty of these distant objects completely captivated me.

In December 2023, I bought the Dwarf 2 smart telescope, and honestly, I was blown away by what this little smart telescope could capture. It was such a different approach from my traditional setup, but the results were impressive. I began to embark on the smart telescope journey.

Smart telescopes offer a high level of convenience, as they do not require complex setups and have a manageable learning curve. They are accessible for both beginners and more experienced users, and can deliver results quickly.

Through my work with the Dwarf 2, I got involved with a community project called Dwarfium - it's an alternative control system for the Dwarf 2. Working on this project brought me into direct contact with the Dwarflab team, and they were incredibly supportive in helping us integrate the Dwarf API into our system.

When the Dwarf 3 came out I had to get it. I was really fortunate to be selected as a beta tester for Dwarf 3 in August 2024. It's been an exciting experience getting to test new features and provide feedback during the development process.

What I love DWARF 3 most is how easy they made everything. No complicated setup, no need to learn star charts or anything. Just point, click, and let it do its thing while I grab a beer and watch Netflix. The telescope does all the tracking and stacking automatically.

The American Nebula became my favorite - it literally looks like the outline of North America floating in space! The Dwarf 3 picked up all these red hydrogen details that made it look like a glowing continent among the stars.

For the Dwarf 3, the community provides useful guides and support, and Dwarflab generally responds to user feedback and offers assistance. Post-processing is straightforward with software like Stellar Studio, which can be helpful for those without prior experience.

These days, I'm in regular communication with DwarfLab, working together to optimize processes and improve the user experience. It's rewarding to be able to contribute both from my software development background and my years of astrophotography experience.

What I love most about this journey is how it combines my professional skills in software development with my passion for astronomy. Being able to bridge the gap between the technical side and the user community has been incredibly fulfilling.