Dakota Nguyen (u/dakota_nguyen39)

Posts

Celebrating my first sharp star photo with a homemade tracker

I've been trying to get into astrophotography for months, but star trails kept ruining my shots. Last weekend, I decided to build a barn door tracker from some scrap wood and an old camera tripod. It took me two evenings to put it all together, mostly after the kids went to bed. I used a slow motor from a broken DVD player to drive the hinge. Last night was clear, so I set it up in the backyard. I aimed at Orion and took a five-minute exposure. The stars came out sharp, no trails at all. I'm so pumped that this janky setup actually did the job.

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Recent Comments

1mo ago

Seeing an archive team expose private data changed my view

Wait, it was old photos? From that party? I can't believe someone saved those.

1mo ago

Appreciation post: That viral tweet breakdown on sleep schedules made me a believer

Honestly @the_eric, turning off screens an hour before bed changed everything for me. Tbh, I swapped my phone for a boring book and now I'm out like a light. Consistency matters, but ditching the blue light is what really seals the deal.

1mo ago

Using thrift store fabric scraps for my quilt project has saved me a fortune, but the selection is getting worse.

Remember hunting in Arizona a few years back and the quiet was UNREAL. It just washes over you and makes everything else fade away. I had a similar trip near Sedona where the stillness felt so thick you could almost touch it. Those mornings with nothing but the wind and your own breath are what I miss MOST. Makes me want to drop everything and go back right now.