Sometimes, when I capture deep-sky objects, I can’t help but imagine what they might look like to someone who has never seen them before. Recently, I photographed two fascinating targets: M108 and M97. To me, they looked more like an alien and a saucer than their traditional names—the Surfboard Galaxy and the Owl Nebula. So, […]
Read More The Alien and the Saucer: M108 and M97I share my personal journey through a cancer scare, likening the MRI experience to the Rosette Nebula. Grappling with fear, they employ cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, visualization, and meditation to navigate uncertainty. By envisioning future moments with loved ones, they find grounding and hope amid anxiety. Ultimately, they emphasize the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of balancing fear with curiosity.
Read More Staring Into The AbyssRecently, I embarked on a multi-night capture of NGC 147 and NGC 185 with my Vaonis Vespera 1 telescope. This project spanned several weeks and amounted to 24 hours of total acquisition time, with 8,760 subs (individual photos) captured over 17 nights from November to December 2024, each 10 seconds long. After reading a recent […]
Read More Pushing the Limits: A Multi-Night Capture of NGC 147 and NGC 185Bret recounts a personal journey in astrophotography after mistakenly believing they captured an eclipse on Neptune with their telescope. Through initial excitement and subsequent reality checks, they learned the importance of understanding equipment limits, data analysis, and community engagement, ultimately finding value in the learning process and shared experiences.
Read More The Mystery of the Shadow on Neptune… SolvedOn December 1st, I celebrated 20 years with my wife, Stephanie, by capturing the night sky. Despite broken clouds, I experimented with imaging Neptune. I recorded over 1,000 images, revealing a potential shadow transit of one of Neptune’s moons. This experience taught me to embrace challenges and seize opportunities.
Read More Exploring Neptune: A Journey Through Cloudy SkiesLet me be honest: I’m not a fan of camping. I know some of you are probably shaking your heads, imagining the crackling campfires, the fresh air, and the freedom of the great outdoors. But for me, camping has always meant uncomfortable nights on a barely inflated air mattress, dealing with ticks, mosquitoes, and the […]
Read More Finding Joy in Camping: Astrophotography AdventuresThe adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” has been around for ages, often used to suggest that it’s difficult to change someone’s habits or learn new skills as one gets older. However, embracing the journey of learning astrophotography at 50 has taught me the profound lesson that age is merely a number […]
Read More You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks and Other Things We Should Stop Telling OurselvesOn a clear, crisp night, with the universe unfolding above me, I set out with a mission: to capture the solitary beauty of the Cigar Galaxy through my lens. The Cigar Galaxy, also known as Messier 82 (M82) or NGC 3034, is a striking example of a starburst galaxy located about 12 million light-years away […]
Read More A Serendipitous Night Under the Stars