Robert Malinowski

✨ From Balcony Astrophotography to an ESA Feature: Robert Malinowski’s Story "Sometimes, getting closer to the stars starts with something as simple as putting a Seestar on a balcony and seeing what appears." My name is Robert Malinowski. I live in Warsaw, Poland, and work in the video game industry. Outside of work, I tend to collect hobbies. Astrophotography is one of my more recent hobbies. I had owned a small telescope before, mostly for observing planets. Without proper tracking, photographing the night sky resulted in star trails, so I never really considered myself an astrophotographer. Then, in early 2025, I saw a video about the Seestar S30. That turned into several videos, then reviews, and then I bought one. My first proper image of the Andromeda Galaxy completely blew me away. I couldn't believe that this tiny telescope sitting on my balcony had captured another galaxy. Most of my astrophotography is still done from my balcony in Warsaw, under fairly heavy light pollution. Sometimes I simply look outside, open Sky Atlas, and see what is available from the piece of sky visible from my balcony. There is a particular kind of magic in choosing something you cannot see with your own eyes and watching it slowly appear. After a few stacked exposures, some structure starts to emerge. It's almost like watching a secret reveal itself one frame at a time. Through my professional work, I had previously encountered the European Space Agency and learned about #yourESA. I added the hashtag to some of my astrophotos and more or less forgot about it. Months later, I found a message from ESA's account. They had come across my work and wanted to feature it in a collaboration. The selection included my images of the Pleiades, Andromeda Galaxy, North America Nebula (NGC 7000), and IC 63. I remember staring at that message for a moment. Most of these were photographs taken by an amateur from a balcony in light-polluted Warsaw, using a telescope small enough to fit in a backpack. And now the European Space Agency wanted to share them. That meant, and still means, a great deal to me. I still have that beginner's sense of wonder. Now I'm simply wondering where this hobby might take me next. Clear skies! 🌌🔭 @rob_malinowski #Seestar #SmartTelescope #Astrophotography #Astronomy #ESA #EuropeanSpaceAgency