Ian Aiken has been captivated by astronomy for over 20 years. Living in the North East of England, UK, he deals with a temperate maritime climate characterized by mild summers and cool winters. Despite the challenging conditions at his Bortle 7 location, where it feels like he only gets about 20 usable clear nights per year during the 6 months of astronomical darkness, Ian has honed his astrophotography skills across planetary, lunar, solar, and deep sky photography.

His journey in astrophotography has seen him use a wide range of equipment, including various telescopes, solar telescopes, mounts, filters, and cameras. Currently, he owns a high-capacity mount installed in his roll-off roof observatory. His primary imaging setup features a wide-field telescope with a versatile camera and high-quality filters. Additionally, Ian uses a secondary telescope mounted side by side with his primary setup, enhancing his imaging versatility. For solar photography, he employs a specialized solar telescope and two achromatic refractors.

Ian's dedication to fine-tuning his equipment to match his sky conditions, budget, and imaging goals has allowed him to capture stunning images of the night sky and the sun. His passion for astronomy continues to drive him to explore and innovate in the field of astrophotography.