I started out in astronomy when I was just a kid. I remember Sputnik and the early space race. I got my first telescope, a 3" reflector, when I was 10 or so. One of the things I always wanted to do was take pictures of objects in the sky. That childhood dream became a reality when I bought a 10" Meade 2120 LX3 in January of 1988. Finally! A telescope with a clock drive that I could put a camera on. My camera of choice is an Olympus OM-1 that I bought used, which is relatively lightweight, has a mechanical shutter, interchangeable focusing screens, and a lockup mirror. That, coupled with a piggyback mount, a prime focus adapter, a Lumicon Easy guider, and a variety of used fixed focal length camera lenses got me off on my new endeavor of trying to record those dim objects in the night sky. Boy, did I eat up alot of film at first! But over the years I have taken some astrophotos that I feel good about. Below is a sampling. Click on each image for a larger picture.
M8
- The Lagoon Nebula: Taken through my LX3 and the Lumicon Easy
Guider which has a focal reducing lens in it. Effective focal
length of around 1600mm.
M31
- The Andromeda Galaxy: Taken through my 80mm f6.3 University Optics Refractor (which I bought
as a kit - too bad it is no longer available) mounted piggyback
on top of my LX3.
The lunar eclipse of August 16th, 1989. Taken through the LX3
and Easy Guider.
Northern
Lights taken the evening of Sunday, 11/7/2004. Canon D60, ISO
800, 10 second exposure with a 17mm f2.8 lens.
Another shot taken Sunday, 11/7/2004.
Another picture taken on the same night as above.
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