ABOUT

WHO IS ADAM DENKO?

I was born in 2007 in Prague. I am currently studying at an eight-year Grammar School in Beroun, and I spend my free time pursuing astronomy and astrophotography, which I have been interested in since the age of 13.

It all began with my observation and recording of a partial solar eclipse in 2021, an experience that changed my life. Initially, I gazed at the night sky through a 70mm refractor telescope, but later I acquired a 10-inch Dobsonian telescope. I tried to capture everything I saw through the eyepiece with my phone. My main focus was on the planets of the Solar System and the Moon. I was fascinated by the bands and moons of Jupiter, the beautiful rings of Saturn, and the craters on the surface of the Moon. My first observed deep-space object is the Ring Nebula (M57) in the constellation of Lyra.

Today, on every clear night, I collect photons from nebulae and distant galaxies using a 6-inch Sky-Watcher telescope mounted on an EQ3-2 equatorial GoTo mount, along with a cooled ZWO ASI 183 MC Pro camera. My main emphasis is on capturing images of deep-sky objects, although I occasionally aim my telescope at comets and planets. I publish my photographs on my website (adamdenko.com), Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms. My photographs have received several awards. I was awarded the Jindřich Zeman Junior Prize and placed second in the Physics Photograph of the Year competition organized by the Institute of Physics (FZU).

In the future, I would like to study astrophysics at university and become a scientist at one of the world’s major observatories. Honestly, I am not yet sure whether I enjoy theory (specifically cosmology) or practice (observations and instrument construction) more — that is something I still need to decide.

In the past, I had internships at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Ondřejov. I have given several talks at various events and programs. I have also taken part in the Astronomical Olympiad, where I achieved good results, and in the Robosoutěž competition organized by the Czech Technical University in Prague.

I like to popularize astronomy. I write articles for the website and Instagram of the Czech Astronomical Society (ČAS). I am the founder of the Discord server AstroConnect, which aims to connect young Czech and Slovak astronomers and astrophotographers in an online environment. As of August 2025, the server has over 370 members, making it practically the largest CZ/SK Discord astronomy community.