Closing Out a Year Beneath the Stars

As I close out my deep dive into stargazing, I can say without hesitation that 2025 was a fairly successful year for me under the night sky.

I started the year strong. Through winter, spring, and well into early summer, I was regularly out at my favorite stargazing spots and rocket launch viewing locations, observing and photographing the sky whenever conditions allowed. I logged more sessions than I honestly expected to, and for a beginner in astrophotography, I’m proud of how quickly my skills developed. Each night out taught me something new, whether it was dialing in camera settings, learning the rhythm of the sky, or simply getting better at slowing down and paying attention.

By my own measure, this was a good year. Not every session was perfect, but the consistency mattered. The sky became familiar in a way it only does when you return to it often.

Things shifted in October. Between work demands and a vehicle breakdown, getting to dark skies became harder. On top of that, I ended up having to sell my camera to cover expenses. Losing the ability to do astrophotography took some of the wind out of my sails toward the end of the year. Stargazing didn’t stop being meaningful, but the creative momentum I had built naturally slowed.

Still, this isn’t an ending.

Going forward, I’ll continue stargazing. I may not be as prolific in 2026 as I was in 2025, simply because the coming year has different deep dive topics competing for time and focus. But I’m a lifelong stargazer. That part doesn’t shut off just because circumstances change. I’ll still be looking up, even if it’s fewer nights and with simpler gear.

I also have several stargazing articles already in progress that I plan to finish and publish. This chapter may be closing, but there’s still unfinished business, and still stories worth telling.

The sky isn’t going anywhere. And neither am I.

Here’s to a year well spent beneath the stars, and to whatever comes next.