From the Swiss Alps to the Stars: The Journey of Luca Bartek, The Space Koala

Astrophotography is often described as a technical pursuit—full of cables, calibration frames, and long nights troubleshooting under red light. But at its core, it is something far quieter: a relationship between human curiosity and ancient light.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we are honored to feature Luca Bartek (YouTube: The Space Koala), an enthusiastic amateur astronomer and astrophotographer based in southern Switzerland. Through her work in the Swiss Alps and her educational YouTube channel, she shares not only technical knowledge but also a deep personal connection to the night sky.

Below is our full interview.

 

Q1. Would you please briefly introduce yourself?

Luca:

My name is Luca Bartek, and I’m an enthusiastic amateur astronomer and astrophotographer based in southern Switzerland. I dedicate most of my free time to astrophotography in one way or another: planning sessions, traveling to darker skies, capturing data, and processing images. I also run a YouTube channel fully dedicated to astrophotography, where I share my experiences, techniques, and the gear I use. Whenever I can, I head into the high mountains of the Swiss Alps, not only to photograph the universe, but also to slow down and take in the beauty of the night sky while my telescopes quietly collect photons.

 

Q2. What first inspired you to start astrophotography, and how did your journey begin?

Luca:

I’ve been fascinated by space since I was a little girl. My parents often took me to outreach events and gave me books about astronomy, so the idea of having my own telescope stayed with me for years, even though I didn’t actually get one until I was an adult.

In 2020, I bought my first telescope with the goal of doing visual observing. But living in a light-polluted city, I quickly realized how limited the view can be. Around the same time, I started reading online forums and discovering what other people were capturing with astrophotography: detailed structures, faint objects, and even colors that I could never see through the eyepiece from where I lived. That was the turning point for me. I decided to try imaging, and once I started, I was completely hooked.

 

Q3. Do you remember your first successful astrophotography image? What did that moment feel like?

Luca:
It’s honestly hard for me to pick a single “first successful” astrophotography image, because the definition of “successful” kept changing as I learned.

On the very first night with my first telescope, I simply held my phone up to the eyepiece and took a close-up of the Moon—and I was quite literally over the moon with the result. Later, my “first successful image” became my first stacked photo of M13 taken on an alt-az mount, and then it became my first image of M51 after I finally got an equatorial mount.

So instead of one single milestone, it’s been years of small breakthroughs—each one raising the bar a little higher. That ongoing feeling of progress is still one of my favorite parts of astrophotography.

 

Q4. Apart from astrophotography, what other hobbies or interests do you have? Do any of these hobbies create interesting connections with your astrophotography?

Luca:

Astrophotography honestly takes up most of my free time, so instead of having completely separate hobbies, it’s more accurate to say I’ve picked up new interests because of astrophotography. For example, like many astrophotographers, I bought a 3D printer—not just for fun, but because it’s incredibly useful for making small accessories for my gear. That quickly pulled me into learning 3D printing in general, and then into designing my own custom adapters and practical solutions.

Another area that grew directly out of astrophotography is video production for my YouTube channel. Editing has become its own creative skill set, and I’m currently taking a beginner animation course so I can add simple motion graphics and better visual explanations to my videos.

In a way, astrophotography became the “hub,” and these technical and creative skills became the spokes—each one helping me communicate the hobby better, and making the whole process even more satisfying.

 

Q5. What has been the most challenging part of astrophotography for you, and how did you overcome it?

Luca:

The most challenging part for me hasn’t been the technical side—I’m very comfortable troubleshooting, and my IT background has trained me to stay patient and methodical when something goes wrong.

What I struggled with for years was something I initially thought I couldn’t change: the quality of my sky. I live in the city under heavy light pollution, and for a long time I was in denial about how much it was limiting my results. I kept shooting from home because it was convenient—I could image more often and still go to work the next day.

The turning point came when I combined data from home with data I captured in the mountains for the same target. Even using a narrowband filter, the difference was dramatic. That was the moment I accepted that better skies weren’t a “nice to have,” they were the single biggest factor I could improve.

Now I almost always choose to travel to darker locations. It requires more planning and effort, but it has made the entire hobby more rewarding: I actually enjoy being under pristine skies, and the data quality is so much higher that processing becomes far more satisfying. In my experience, a strong raw dataset—captured under good skies with a well-configured setup—gets you most of the way to a great final image.

Luca slept in her car while shooting outside.

 

Q6. When choosing equipment, what factors matter most to you?

Luca:
Reliability is the number one factor for me—across everything from mounts and control systems to optics. If I pick a specific rig for a night and drive up into the mountains, I need to trust that it will perform the way I expect. Of course things can still go wrong sometimes, but I aim for a setup that is consistent and predictable, so I’m not spending the entire night troubleshooting.

Compatibility is the second big priority. I own multiple cameras and multiple telescopes, and it matters a lot that I can mix and match them without rebuilding the entire imaging train each time. I deliberately standardize adapters and connections so switching from “camera A on telescope B” to another combination is quick, not a 500-adapter puzzle.

Portability matters too—but mostly for the parts that affect how easy it is to travel and set up: mounts, tripods, and control systems. That’s where I prefer lightweight, streamlined gear, because it makes mobile astrophotography realistic and enjoyable. The one place I don’t compromise on size is optics—I definitely have aperture fever, and I’m willing to wrestle with larger reflectors if that means collecting more light and getting better data.

 

Q7. Which ToupTek Astro products have you used? How would you evaluate their performance?

Luca:

I’ve had the chance to try the ToupTek ATR585 Mono kit, which I used together with the included filter wheel and filters. I also tried it alongside the StellaVita control system.

Overall, the camera performed exactly as you’d expect from a sensor that’s become so popular: it delivered clean, solid data and felt very predictable to work with. What I especially appreciated about the kit is that it makes mono imaging more approachable—it’s a straightforward, “complete” starting point, and it also offers a clear upgrade path if you want to expand your setup over time.

When I tested it, StellaVita was still relatively new. I know there’s now a newer version, so I’d be interested in trying it again in the future—especially once the latest iOS version is fully in place.

 

Q8. How would you describe your channel’s creative style?

Luca:

I started my social media presence almost as soon as I bought my first telescope in 2020. In the beginning, it was entirely personal—mainly a way to share my first photos and document what I was learning and experiencing along the way. The project originally started under the name Koalastrophotography, but when I bought the domain I rebranded to The Space Koala, simply because it was easier to remember and spell.

Each platform has developed its own role. TikTok is mostly playful and entertainment-focused—short, fun glimpses into the hobby. YouTube is where I became more structured and intentional, aiming for a balance between my personal perspective and educational, practical guidance that helps others learn faster.

Since launching YouTube, the channel has also expanded into hands-on equipment reviews and real-world testing, which I genuinely love. I’m a tech nerd, so getting to try new gear as part of my astrophotography workflow—and then sharing what works, what doesn’t, and why—is an absolute dream.

Q9. How do you view the underrepresentation of women in astrophotography?

Luca:
There’s no denying that women are underrepresented in amateur astronomy and astrophotography, even though it’s a hobby that can spark fascination in anyone from a young age. To me, astrophotography has nothing inherently “masculine” about it—it’s one of the most gender-neutral pursuits imaginable if anything. Because of that, I don’t believe women bring unique strengths or weaknesses to it compared to men.

By doing astrophotography publicly and sharing my work, I hope to help break down lingering stereotypes and normalize the idea that this hobby is for everyone. I’m simply doing the same exact thing as my male counterparts—because in the end, gender is irrelevant to the work itself.

 

Q10: For women who feel drawn to the stars but hesitate to try astrophotography due to concerns or self-doubt, what advice would you offer? 

Luca:

My advice is the same for any beginner who feels self-doubt: the night sky is for everyone. If you feel drawn to it, don’t wait until you feel “ready”, just start. If you never try, you’ll never know.
The good news is that astrophotography has become far more accessible. With today’s smart telescopes and beginner-friendly tools, you can dip your toes in without spending a fortune or taking big risks. You can experience what it feels like to capture your own photons—light that has traveled for millions or even billions of years—and turn it into an image you made yourself.
Start small, keep it simple, and let curiosity lead. If it clicks, you can always go deeper later.

This International Women’s Day, we’re sharing Luca’s story to celebrate a quiet but powerful truth: the night sky has never cared about gender. It doesn’t ask where you come from, what you do, or whether you’re “qualified.” It doesn’t check your credentials before letting you in. It simply shines—patiently, steadily—sending light across billions of years to anyone who dares to look up.

Astrophotography might look like a world of cameras, settings, and technical know-how. But underneath all that, it’s really about courage. The courage to step outside when it’s dark and unknown. The courage to try, even when you’re not sure you belong. And the courage to believe that the stars—yes, even those ones—are yours to capture, too.