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About
Hi, I'm David Cruz
Astrophotographer and digital designer. I photograph the deep sky from my observatory in Alentejo, under one of the darkest skies in Portugal, and this is where I host every session and workshop.
- NASA APOD
- 3×
- NASA APOD
- Astrobin IOTD
- 4×
- Astrobin IOTD
- ZWO IOTW
- 2×
- ZWO IOTW
- Collaboration
- ESA
- Collaboration
My journey
Astronomy has interested me since I was young. I grew up seeing the Milky Way during summer holidays at my parents' village. In 2020 I took my first steps in astrophotography, at a weekend workshop in the countryside, and I was hooked by what you could do with just a camera and a tripod.
I never stopped exploring after that. I'm a digital designer by trade, which let me bring that background into astronomical image processing, but the learning curve was huge. Even today there's always more to learn, with new gear and new processing techniques.
In the early years I was always traveling out to the countryside to photograph the night sky. Everything changed in 2023, when I bought a house under the dark skies of Alentejo. I started getting far more hours under the stars, and my astrophotography took a leap forward.
Location
Under the dark skies of Alentejo
I live in Alentejo, with access to a Bortle 3 sky. This is where I built a small observatory dedicated to deep-sky imaging, and there are beautiful spots nearby for nightscape photography.
Recognition
Awards and recognition
Over the years as an astrophotographer I've been lucky enough to have some of my images recognized. Here's the list of highlights so far.
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NASA APOD December 18, 20252025 Geminids meteor shower
My third NASA APOD, this time with a very special image of the Geminids, with Jupiter shining bright at the center of the radiant.
See on APOD -
Astrobin IOTD December 17, 2025Pazmino's Cluster
My fourth Image of the Day on Astrobin, and probably my favorite deep-sky image. Pazmino's Cluster immersed in a field of Ha, with the stars shining intensely.
See on Astrobin -
ZWO IOTW October 6, 2025Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)
My second ZWO Image of the Week, with 2025's most spectacular comet. Captured with the deep-sky setup, while the comet was still too far for a nightscape shot.
See on Facebook -
Astrobin IOTD June 26, 2025Little Cocoon Nebula
My third Image of the Day on Astrobin was this Little Cocoon Nebula, a very interesting target immersed in a field of golden stars.
See on Astrobin -
Astrobin IOTD December 29, 2024Boogeyman Nebula
My second Image of the Day on Astrobin was this Boogeyman Nebula, in Orion. Captured with my 10-inch Newtonian, a dual-band filter and a color camera.
See on Astrobin -
ESA October 16, 2024European Space Agency
I was featured on the European Space Agency's Instagram page, in a collaborative post showcasing some of my best images. It was a huge success, with over 47 thousand likes.
See on Instagram -
ZWO IOTW October 15, 2024Chinese Dragon Nebula
My first ZWO Image of the Week, with the Chinese Dragon Nebula, an incredible region within the well-known Lagoon Nebula.
See on Facebook -
Astrobin IOTD May 29, 2024Waves of the Swan
My first Image of the Day on Astrobin was this image of waves in the Cygnus constellation, in the HOO palette. A total of 20 hours of exposure, with a dual-band filter and a color camera.
See on Astrobin -
NASA APOD October 12, 2023Mu Cephei
My second NASA APOD, and the first with a deep-sky object. I wanted to photograph the red supergiant Mu Cephei and the nebulosity around the Elephant Trunk Nebula. It resulted in a very original framing, and the diffraction spikes gave it a special touch.
See on APOD -
Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023Finalist, Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF)
Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) was the first comet I photographed, and it made the shortlist of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. I was lucky enough to catch the moment its tail disconnected, which made this image even more special.
See on Astrobin -
NASA APOD June 11, 2022Summer Milky Way arch
My first NASA APOD was this image of the summer Milky Way arch rising over a road in Alentejo. I called it Road to the Stars. It sits within the Dark Sky Alqueva protected area, one of the best spots in Portugal for stargazing and astrophotography.
See on APOD
Come see the sky with me
Sessions happen at the observatory, in small groups, under the Alentejo sky.