Evan McKay explained in his post

Last year, I attempted my first deep-sky photograph, capturing the Andromeda Galaxy passing above the snow-capped Mount Taranaki. This was a shot I had wanted to capture for many years, and I had only recently acquired the gear needed to make it happen. I was so captivated by the result that it inspired me to invest in specialised deep-sky equipment, starting with a telescope mount before adding a telescope and a dedicated astrophotography camera.

Over winter, I had very few opportunities to properly test out the new telescope, although I managed to squeeze in a few sessions to get some practice. My main goal was always to revisit the Andromeda - Mount Taranaki alignment, but I knew I was running out of time. I tried again and again, only to be thwarted by the weather on several occasions. It was incredibly frustrating, but eventually, I got the conditions I needed.

There was one catch: the Moon was up, albeit in its crescent phase.…