Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis (UK) is an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer based in London. Fascinated by space since childhood, Peter began exploring the night sky more seriously after retiring, when his family gave him a telescope as a retirement present. What began with observing the Moon, planets, stars and other celestial objects soon developed into a passion for photographing the wonders he could see above him.

Peter is particularly interested in showing that astronomy and astrophotography do not always require expensive or highly complex equipment. Using accessible technology — including a mobile phone connected to his telescope — he has captured detailed images of the Moon, Sun, planets, eclipses and other celestial events. His work attracted the attention of various publications, and in 2022 he appeared on the BBC’s flagship astronomy program, The Sky at Night, demonstrating what can be achieved with modest equipment and a little curiosity.

Before turning more of his attention toward the night sky, Peter enjoyed a varied professional career. Most recently, he worked as a project manager and played an instrumental role in delivering London’s Oyster card in 2003 — the pioneering contactless travel system now used by millions of passengers and an early example of the technology that later became part of everyday contactless payments.

Whether photographing the Sun from the edge of London or explaining the wonder of a solar eclipse, Peter encourages people to look up, stay curious and remember that sometimes the most important thing is simply to step away from the camera for a moment and experience the sky for themselves.