Hey there, I’m Derek Vasselin, the astrophotographer behind Chronicles of the Cosmos!

My love for astronomy started over 20 years ago, and it’s been quite the journey that got me here.

I still remember 12-year-old me, overflowing with excitement, walking into a telescope shop with my dad to pick up my first 130mm Newtonian Reflector. A telescope I still have with me today, though it’s seen better days…

Back in the day, I dove headfirst into astronomy with zero clue what I was doing. I tried my best to learn constellations and different facts about planets and stars. I’d even clumsily mount those old digital cameras to my telescope’s eyepiece, hoping to catch something from the sky.

Those initial attempts at astrophotography were exhilarating, despite having no idea what I was doing. And by some miracle, I’ve still got those early photos, including their timestamp data — check them out below!

Fast forward to today, I’ve leveled up my gear and honed my skills to capture the universe in ways that still blow my mind. From galaxies thousands (if not millions!) of lightyears away, to nebulae that look like something (literally) out of the heavens.

Now, I get to bring the wonders of the cosmos right to your screen!