A shoutout to the talented women of astrophotography today!

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with two trailblazing women in astrophotography and learn a little more about what makes them tick. The conversations were relaxed, insightful, and genuinely fun. It felt less like an interview and more like the kind of discussion you have with fellow astrophotographers after a long night under the stars.

I spoke with Luca Bartek (The Space Koala) and Ashley Northcotte (AstroBackyard), two people who came into the hobby from very different paths but ended up sharing the same passion for capturing the night sky.

Luca’s journey began with simple curiosity and a telescope. Like many of us, she quickly discovered that imaging could reveal far more than visual observing alone. Living under heavy city light pollution eventually pushed her to seek darker skies, which now means traveling into the Swiss mountains to capture deep sky objects with patience and a very methodical imaging workflow.

Ashley Northcotte came into astrophotography through the Astrobackyard community. Over time she developed her own role in the field, combining astrophotography with dark sky advocacy. With a background in environmental science and education, she is deeply involved in helping people understand the importance of protecting our night skies and why light pollution matters.

What I appreciated most about these conversations is that they were not really about labels. We talked about the same things astrophotographers everywhere talk about. Gear choices. Processing challenges. Light pollution. Travel for dark skies. The small victories that come from finally capturing a faint target after hours of work.

In other words, the same things that keep all of us looking up.
It felt like the perfect story to share as we celebrate International Women’s Day.

You can read the full story here:

https://www.zwoastro.com/2026/03/06/women-in-astrophotography-a-continuation/