Engineering graduate in awe of the cosmos turns passion for stargazing into astrophotography

Sinar Daily

20-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR - Stargazing may seem unusual compared to common pastimes like fishing or hiking, but for Muhammed Hadli Abdul Rahim, watching the night sky brings a deep sense of peace and awe at the wonders of God's creation.
The 48-year-old Kuala Lumpur native has spent thousands of ringgit in pursuit of the extraordinary, witnessing the beauty beyond Earth's atmosphere, from dazzling star clusters to distant nebulae billions of kilometres away. Hadli's fascination with the cosmos began in his school days, inspired by a deep space image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995. - Bernama photo
His fascination with the cosmos began in his school days, inspired by a deep space image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995.
"I saw the image and thought, masya-Allah, is this the edge of the universe? Fuelled by a burning curiosity, I found myself at the library, reading everything I could and even started buying books on the topic.
"Back then, I was already interested in stargazing, but could only do so with the naked eye, as I couldn't afford a telescope,' he said when met recently.
After entering the workforce, the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia graduate in Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering was determined to set aside two months' salary to pursue his dream of owning a telescope. He eventually bought his first one for RM300.
Through that telescope, Hadli caught his first glimpse of Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, an experience that deepened his fascination and spurred him to observe the night sky regularly, eventually up to three times a month.
"When I first saw it (Saturn), I could hardly believe it. I called my parents over to share the excitement, and they too got to witness it firsthand. It brought me a deep sense of satisfaction.
"But the telescope didn't offer very clear or satisfying views as it was just a basic, low-powered model. After saving for another year, I was able to purchase a professional-grade one for RM3,000,' he said.
He shared that over the past five years, he has transitioned to a new passion, astrophotography, a specialised field dedicated to capturing images of celestial objects.
The father of four explained that astrophotography offers a far deeper experience than observing the sky with the naked eye or a standard telescope. Unlike fleeting visual sightings, captured images can be studied in detail and preserved for future reference.
Hadli said his interest in astrophotography began during the Movement Control Order when extra time allowed him to explore the hobby. As he began capturing phenomena like star formation, his fascination quickly deepened.
He explained that creating a single satisfying image often takes over four hours, from setting up equipment and aligning with the night sky to post-processing the final shot.
"For example, if I wanted to photograph a nebula, I would capture exposures lasting several minutes for each frame, then stack dozens or even hundreds of those images into one. The longer the exposure, the cleaner and sharper the result,' he said, adding that he preferred conducting observations in paddy fields and coastal areas to avoid light pollution.
Hadli faces several challenges in the pursuit of his hobby, such as unpredictable weather and light pollution, both of which often disrupt his observation sessions.
"There were three consecutive trips I made to Mersing where I couldn't capture anything at all because the sky remained overcast the entire night. Imagine setting up all the equipment, waiting until midnight, only for the clouds to never move. The disappointment was hard to forget,' he said.
He also expressed hope of one day stargazing abroad, particularly in Thailand, known for its dark-sky locations and more stable weather conditions. - BERNAMA