From a Balcony in Portugal to Sharing the Cosmos with Everyone
Even with light pollution, Seestar can manage to take spectacular images.
For João Costa, astronomy has been a lifelong passion.
Born and raised in Faro, Portugal, surrounded by more than 300 sunny days a year and dark skies only a few kilometers away, João had always been fascinated by the universe. But it wasn't until 2020, during the Covid lockdown, that he took his first practical step into astronomy and purchased his first telescope.
What started as a personal curiosity soon became something much bigger.
Encouraged by friends and family who recognized his talent for explaining and teaching, João began sharing the night sky with others. Six years later, he now hosts stargazing sessions at resorts, hotels, schools, city events, and even private homes, helping more people discover the beauty of the cosmos.
Astrophotography became another passion, but life brought new challenges. As the father of two young children, with limited free time and unable to frequently travel to dark-sky locations, he needed equipment that was fast to set up and easy to use.
That's when he discovered Seestar.
Unable to reach the mountains every clear night, João decided to try imaging from the city. To his surprise, he found that the Seestar could still capture spectacular deep-sky images despite significant light pollution.
Inspired by the results, he created a permanent Seestar setup on his balcony, turning it into his own personal observatory. Now, every clear night becomes an opportunity to image the universe—right from home.
Today, Seestar has become part of his public outreach sessions as well. The images it captures allow him to give guests a memorable souvenir and reveal celestial objects that are often difficult to appreciate through the eyepiece alone.
For João, the mission remains simple:
Bring astronomy to everyone, share the beauty of the cosmos, and inspire more people to protect our night skies.
Condividere